So here we are, Labor Day.
The psychic end to the summer, even our triple digit temperatures here in Texas seem to be over.
The beginning of the home stretch for the year and time to focus on the chance to have a great 4th quarter over the holidays.
It’s Labor Day – the holiday dedicated to the American worker.
Many people don’t think about the meaning of the day (if they ever knew it in the first place).
And that’s what happens to a lot of our holidays.
They morph into days of general relaxation and fun.
They lose their meaning.
And they become just more much needed time off.
Labor Day remains more than a possibly dubious mattress or home furnishing sale.
Most weeks I write to you about how we can improve your successful independent multi-unit restaurant companies and lead more flexible lives.
Today, though, let’s cut out the clutter, the distractions, and the screens, and re-direct.
During the rest of the year, when we think labor, we focus on workforce learning and development, building culture to retain employees, and the challenges of hiring a staff.
We navigate a market where every experience at every table becomes essential to building guest count, and every percentage point remains closely guarded to protect margin. We can lose sight of our staff and start to see them as a line item or an assemblage.
When we stop and have the one-on-one conversations and connect with people we want to know, we remember the merit of putting all that to the side.
Some days we we can’t see that, like when lose your phone in the house for the umpteenth time and really it resides on the kitchen counter in front of you.
Incredible People Work in Our Industry
Today, the most important thing you can do? Just do that, stop and appreciate the people you have chosen to staff your restaurants.
The ones who show up and do the work every day.
Who love the industry and don’t think about leaving.
The ones who prepare incredibly delicious food and create memorable and valuable experiences and happy guests.
Stop.
Appreciate.
My whole life I have taken my place next to hard-working, proud, talented, committed, groups of people who make our restaurants go every day.
I meet a lot of amazing people.
Learn a lot from them.
Have a ton of respect for them.
Will never forget them.
Happy Labor Day!
