9 ways to build a strong restaurant culture that retains employees

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Running a restaurant is a team sport. It’s one that’s often recognized as a fairly rough-and-tumble sport at that, with long hours of hard work, high-pressure shifts, sore feet, burned hands, and occasionally grumpy customers. Because of the often fast-paced and close-knit work environment, a healthy restaurant culture is especially important to the restaurant’s success—as well as to the well-being of its employees from top to bottom.

Just what “healthy” means can vary. However, a good starting point is this: A healthy restaurant culture is one in which all team members feel respected, are happy to come to work, and share in company values.

How that gets pieced together will vary from business to business. However, there are some tell-tale signs of a solid restaurant culture. You can often read it on restaurant employees’ faces or in staff retention levels. Whatever the case, customers will pick up on a restaurant’s vibe via its employees, so keeping a culture positive is crucial for employee engagement and mental health—as well as the bottom line.

So, why is a healthy culture so important in the restaurant industry in general? And how do you build a strong restaurant culture that fosters healthy relationships between co-workers while ensuring a restaurant’s success? Let’s dive in.

Why is restaurant culture so important?

A positive culture encourages employees to be their best selves at work. You’ve likely eaten at a place where it’s clear the employees get along and have a friendly, convivial attitude towards each other and the place. As a customer, it feels nice.

On the other hand, if a restaurant’s culture is toxic, it can be very off-putting. Seeing grumpy servers, overhearing swearing chefs, or just noticing a look of exasperation on an employee’s face can give customers a bad feeling. Even prior to the pandemic, there was significant discussion in the restaurant industry about the need to improve the work environment.

Of course, the restaurant industry is already known for its high turnover. So, a positive restaurant culture can help restaurant owners keep talented employees and attract more, while a negative culture encourages churn.

9 ways to improve restaurant culture

So—what separates the negative from the positive? And how can restaurateurs ensure a positive culture? Here’s how to set and maintain a culture that attracts customers and keeps employees happy.

1. Articulate your values and vision

A leader has to know where they’re going if they want anyone to follow them. So, it’s a good idea to have a clearly defined set of values for your restaurant as well as a clear picture of what the restaurant will ideally look like. This can be succinctly shared in your restaurant mission statement.

A mission statement helps define the core aspects of your restaurant: Why you exist, who you aim to serve, what you aim to be, and how you want the world to see you. Clearly putting this in words can help ensure all team members are on the same page and understand their role in broader society.

When people know why they’re doing something beyond just money, they can experience a morale boost, since having purpose is important to anyone’s sense of self.

2. Encourage open communication

Honesty and open communication are key to maintaining a healthy culture. Lines of communication have to be open all the way from the bottom to the top: All employees should know they can reach the boss if they have something they need to discuss.

Being honest from the very beginning with new employees will demonstrate you, too, are committed to open communication. Often, company cultures regarding communication cascade down from the top, with layers of restaurant management imitating their boss’s style of communication.

Being straightforward and easily reached will set this precedent in your restaurant.

3. Focus on training and set clear expectations

A well-trained employee will feel confident in their position and know what’s required for them to carry out their duties successfully. Having specific roles and responsibilities defined for each position will help staff members know the boundaries of their job. This is important in crowded restaurants, where toes literally get stepped on all the time.

Failing to train staff to know the specifics of their role and what’s required can lead to frustration and burnout. But a smooth, fun onboarding experience sets the tone for a satisfying job.

4. Reward good behavior

If an employee is doing a standout job, they should know about it. Better yet, they should be rewarded for it. Research demonstrates that rewards don’t have to be simply monetary: Symbolic rewards have been shown to improve motivation, performance, and retention rates.

Consider a time in your life when you were recognized for good work, whether in school, another job, or even at home, and try to recall the feeling. It might have not been a major achievement, but you likely remember getting a huge pep in your step.

Try giving silly awards like “most likely to be 10 minutes early” or “most likely to eat food sent back to the kitchen” to create an atmosphere of being seen and celebrated. Recognition for highest sales in a shift, best attitude in a given week, or most positive customer feedback cards can majorly boost morale.

Feeling appreciated can go a long way to keeping restaurant workers happy, whether they’re the executive chef or a dishwasher.

5. Make room for growth

There’s a lot of advice out there for workers who fear they’re stuck in a dead-end job. So, here’s a bit of advice for restaurateurs: Make sure your restaurant isn’t a dead-end job for your best performers. Employees who see a way to rise through the ranks can find motivation in professional growth.

The restaurant industry, especially, is famous for in-house growth: There are countless stories of someone getting their foot in the door as a busser or dishwasher to work their way up to restaurant manager. For restaurateurs, these employees may turn out to be your most loyal workers and the cornerstone of your restaurant team.

We recommend making it clear to employees from the get-go that there’s room to move up for exceptional staff members, especially during times of business growth.

6. Hire employees who fit your restaurant culture

Hiring is one of the trickiest parts of any business, and it’s certainly one that restaurants do more than their fair share of. Yes, restaurant employee turnover is among the highest of any industry, but that doesn’t mean doom and gloom for you.

A good way to prevent churn and ensure you hire people who fit your restaurant culture is to talk about your mission and values during the interview. Ask questions that help you understand their character, not just their resume. This can help you hire people you know will seamlessly integrate into your workplace culture.

You may consider giving some say to long-time, trusted staff regarding new hires. Your kitchen staff, for example, may be able to tell better than you if a new hire is right for the team or not. Encourage employees to be open and honest about their opinions.

7. Give employees perks and benefits

In addition to monetary compensation, consider other ways you can make your employees’ lives more enjoyable. In the restaurant business, common perks include staff meals, family discounts, flexible scheduling, and time off when requested. If there’s a dress code, give employees a one-time or recurring stipend for clothing so they can look good during their shift. If you’re using a uniform, make sure to cover those costs.

Really, the main point is to demonstrate to your employees that you care about their happiness—and to really mean it.

8. Pay as well as possible

Perhaps the most effective way to keep employees happy and maintain a positive restaurant culture is to pay above industry averages. Restaurants generally want to keep labor costs under 30% of gross revenue, though fine-dining restaurants may pay more. Whatever the case, if you can pay a bit more—or even significantly more—than the competition, you’re more likely to get top-notch employees.

Talent goes where the money is. A talented team makes restaurant operations a graceful thing to watch, and ensures a positive customer experience. Importantly, reducing churn saves you money overall, so the costs could even out.

9. Get the right tools

Restaurant tools have come a long way in recent years, so using the best and latest tools will help your restaurant culture flourish.

A perfect example of a tool that makes front-of-house staff happy is Yelp Guest Manager. It takes a load off and gives a leg up. We’re talking about automated reservations, waitlists, and check-ins, totally customizable floor plans, integrations with third-party delivery apps and point-of-sale systems, and much more. Yelp Guest Manager gives you all of that in an easy-to-use system that saves staff time and hassle and makes the guest experience that much more enjoyable.

Part of our work culture is making sure restaurateurs like you stay happy. Want to see how it works? Reach out to us for a free demo and we’ll show you the way around.