Waiting tables or serving up food in the drive-thru may seem like a first step into the workforce – but for some it could pave the path that leads to a big-money job.
Amid a nationwide restaurant worker shortage, many brands are finding ways to attract and retain their employees while offering big bucks and benefits to those who wish to work long-term or climb the ladder.
"One of the best things about our industry is the ability to have upward momentum, to start off as a server and work your way up to manager and then to regional vice president, maybe even chief operating officer or CEO," Brandon Coleman – CEO of Cotton Patch Cafe and formerly TGI Fridays – told Fox News Digital. "That's something that our industry provides that no other industry really provides."
"[The] goal for me is that we have enough benefits where 100% of our staff are taking advantage of something, which means that we've covered a good dynamic group," Bartaco President and CEO Anthony Valletta also told the outlet. "But I think that's the way you have to really kind of think about the benefit offering[s] to your team now."
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According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant job growth has slowed in recent months. The industry added 6,500 jobs in June as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, marking the third consecutive month of decelerating growth.
Though positive employment growth is expected in 2025, current levels in certain sectors, like full-service restaurants, are still below pre-pandemic levels.
"I think that the biggest challenge is the evolving workforce," Valletta said. "There are so many different generations that are looking for different things right now in terms of what they want out of a workplace. Like, now is probably one of the hardest times."
"We lost a lot of the workforce during COVID. Some are coming back, but you're managing so many different generations," he expanded, "and all those different generations want something different out of you as an employer… it’s not a one-size-fits-all like it was even 10 years ago."
Both heads of Bartaco and Cotton Patch Cafe say the No. 1 thing they look for when hiring candidates is a personality and cultural fit. The brands offer various fiscal incentives for being a full-time employee, including instant pay, college tuition assistance, 401(k) and retirement plans, fitness membership perks and even language classes.
Plus, nowadays, the pay in the fast-casual game can be eye-opening – a Chipotle executive recently told Business Insider that its regional vice presidents can earn up to $600,000 per year.
"If you're not willing to increase pay, if you're not willing to create profit-sharing programs, pay for tuition, if [you're] not willing to put these perks in place or, most importantly, if you're not willing to invest in training team members, then it makes it very difficult to hire, attract and retain good talent," Coleman said.
"That salary is absolutely realistic because what happens in the restaurant industry is that, if you are motivated and driven and willing to adapt and learn as you go, you can move up very quickly," he continued. "It's one of the most amazing things about the restaurant industry… that upward mobility. If you want to move up through the management ranks, and you're willing to put in the effort and work that's required, you can move up quicker than any other industry, really."
"We spend a lot of time focusing on what's important to the team in terms of overall compensation. I think that makes it very appealing, everything from whether it's mental health or learning languages or just the pay structure itself… trying to make sure that they’ve got a voice," Valletta added.
Hourly team member turnover is about 130% at Cotton Patch Cafe, just below the national average; Bartaco’s CEO noted that management tends to stay in one position for 18 months, while hourly employees stay for "not very long."
Based in Texas and its surrounding states, Coleman feels Cotton Patch Cafe’s local pull helps maintain staff in ways that more national chains, like Bartaco, can’t. Valletta made a similar argument.
"Being a regional chain is an advantage. When I was CEO of TGI Fridays, I made it a point to go out and visit as many restaurants as I could. But with such a large system, it was difficult to see every team member, to know every team number, and to reach out and actually have a conversation with all of our great team members out there," Coleman pointed out.
"At Cotton Patch Cafe, being a regional brand, I know that myself, our COO and many of our other senior executives are able to get into the restaurants on a more regular basis."
"I think it actually becomes a little more challenging [as a national brand] because you've got different state-by-state regulations and legality that you have to kind of follow through," Valletta said, "where if you've got some regionalization, you can kind of double down a little bit."
Looking ahead to the next era of restaurant workers, the industry leaders agree they must prove it to be a more sustainable and attractive career path – not just a stopgap job.
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"For the next generation of workers like Gen Z, the restaurant industry needs to continue to adapt our philosophy of how we approach work," Coleman said. "The restaurant industry is going to continue to come under pressure from other opportunities for entry-level workers. It's our job to invest in the technology, to build a strong culture, and to take care of our team members so that we can become more competitive in attracting that talent."
"The key that we really focus on and what the industry needs to do is really focus and develop an individual as a leader," Valletta added. "I think so many times we've trained a lot of great tacticians. People are very good at the day-to-day operation of a restaurant. But really, it's about leadership. And leadership is not something you can teach in a handbook."
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