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#Highroadrestaurants#Onefairwage#Restaurantculture#Restaurantreset Oct 20, 2023

Reflecting on Industry Challenges

Many years ago, well before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my deep involvement in the restaurant industry, spanning three decades, revealed inherent flaws within a culture I cherished. Hospitality, while a place for diverse individuals seeking a sense of belonging, also harbored dysfunction. Whether you held a college degree, recently emerged from incarceration, or arrived from a nation in turmoil, the industry provided acceptance, community, sustenance, and livelihood. Yet, intertwined with these positive aspects was the potential for chaos and abuse fueled by the imperative for businesses to turn a profit.

Before March 2020, the world of restaurant workers mirrored scenes from George Orwell’s “Down and Out in Paris and London,” specifically Paris in 1927. The dichotomy between back-of-the-house and front-of-the-house operations persisted, characterized by absurdity and challenging conditions. Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” underscored that little had changed since those times.

Amy Tanner, a psychologist, delved into the industry’s challenges in a July 1907 American Journal of Sociology article. Her undercover research in a restaurant highlighted conditions reminiscent of Orwell’s era, emphasizing the transient nature of a meal amid dishwashing chaos.

Impact of Restaurant Work Culture

Furthermore, restaurant work culture inherently strained the health and well-being of those involved in food preparation and service. An April 2020 article from researchers at DePaul University and the Collaborative for Health Equity Cook County outlined the historical and social context of this health crisis, predating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pandemic Unveils Vulnerabilities

The pandemic unraveled these issues dramatically. Overnight, restaurants either closed their doors, laid off staff, or pivoted to the unfamiliar territories of take-out and delivery. This colossal breakdown laid bare the industry’s fragility and its critical role in the American economy—from farmers providing food to processors packaging it and service workers delivering it to tables. The restaurant industry emerged as “too big to fail.”

The subsequent exodus of restaurant-trained talent due to health concerns, poor working conditions, low wages, and limited advancement pathways exacerbated the industry’s challenges. Even with unemployment at record lows, hiring and retaining skilled workers became an insurmountable hurdle.

A Bird’s Eye View

Taking a broad perspective, I envisioned the potential for societal readiness to embrace new ideas. I identified key areas where transformative changes could reshape the industry, fostering sustainability and resilience.

Building a New Restaurant Paradigm

These transformational actions span various domains:

  1. Workplace Culture:
  • Advocating for the creation of an intentional culture that extends beyond customer focus, encompassing all community stakeholders—workers, customers, vendors, and investors.
  • Promoting compensation models that factor in living wages and equity.
  • Positioning food service as a respected profession, highlighting fairness, equity, pathways for advancement, and benefits.
  1. Real Estate and Banking Practices:
  • Expanding access to funding, particularly for under-represented populations.
  • Re-evaluating the real estate model to align with the community’s needs, accounting for industry volatility and slim profit margins.
  • Developing industry-specific banking and real estate products, aligning with the unique constraints of restaurants and retail.
  1. Legislative Changes:
  • Advocating for the elimination of the sub-minimum wage nationally, addressing the historical inequities disproportionately affecting women and women of color.
  • Championing affordable housing initiatives to accommodate restaurant workers in urban areas.
  • Advocating for transportation initiatives that consider the reliance of restaurant workers on public transportation.
  • A Vision for Thriving Restaurants

In an ideal scenario where these transformative changes materialize, restaurants would undoubtedly thrive. The pandemic, while a devastating episode, provided profound lessons. We stand at a juncture where the awareness of industry issues is not confined to insiders; the entire world now acknowledges them. Now is the opportune moment, while the impact is still palpable, to implement these changes.

Red Truck Consulting: A Catalyst for Change

In response to these challenges, I founded Red Truck Consulting, a venture dedicated to supporting restaurant operators in navigating these transformative changes. Drawing on my background in finance, operations, and culture building, together with your commitment to an inclusive industry, we can chart a course toward a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future. Connect with me at redtruckconsulting@gmail.com to explore how we can drive this change together.

Red Truck Consulting is committed to transforming the restaurant industry into a space free from racism, sexism, homophobia, harassment, and abuse of any kind.

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