Pizza Today - March 2022 - 36

yes, this is an easy start. A
pre-disposition to baking
is a good situation that
you can monetize. You can
push their dough throwing
skills, new recipe inventions
and anything else
they do pizza-related on
social media.
Let's go beyond
that; let's think
beyond just pizza
and your brand. Let's
say you have a bunch of
kids who love Pokémon
or Dungeons & Dragons,
or some highly nerdy but
super niche and specific
offshoot. Encourage them
to hold Dungeons &
Dragons competition
night at your restaurant
and invite all their friends.
One of two things will
happen. Either a few
people show up, and if nothing else, your
staff know you care about them and de
facto increase loyalty. Or, potentially, it
could blow up, and you have a whole subset
of people coming into your restaurant
each week that would not have otherwise.
Regardless, there is no scenario where
this doesn't garner some positivity.
If you have staff into graphic design,
whether doing it in high school or college,
have them do some odd jobs and see
how it plays out. I'm not suggesting having
your whole brand rely on them day
one, but have fun with it and throw them
a job or two. Maybe some menu updates,
a few flyers, or some social media images
with text overlay. Start small and see how
they do. Also, make sure to pay them for
it like a regular vendor, invoice, and all,
so they learn the business side of things
and feel like a professional. If they are
developing their passion under your roof,
your pizza place just became a big part of
their career development. If they can take
work for you and add it to their portfolio,
it will increase their loyalty to your
restaurant. This employee might also turn
into an affordable graphic design option
36 / PIZZATODAY.COM / MARCH 2022
and stoked about. I'm proud
of this job because not only
am I a better worker as a
result of this restaurant; I'm
also a more well-rounded
individual in the thing I'm
most passionate about that I
want to develop. " That's the
north star you want them to
feel, so let your business be
a catalyst and portal to that
end.
These are the ways you
keep staff with you longer.
Keep them happier and
utilize their talents beyond
just being bland automatons
that do task X or execution Y
at your will.
To tap into this, you have
that you prefer not only because they're
cheaper but also because they get your
brand better from working there.
Be ahead of the times because
the big boys are starting this
practice as well. Dunkin' Donuts just
started paying ambassador employees
who post TikToks. Imagine that; paying
for staff on the clock to create and post
goofy videos. Instead of getting mad, this
publicly-traded company is monetizing
its staff's youthful energy. Instead of only
paying a corporate commercial design
firm, they're letting their staff have fun,
do their thing, record TikToks, videos
they probably wanted to do anyway. And
because they're potentially getting paid
for it, the staff will make sure they mind
their Ps and Qs. Dunkin is now spreading
their social message in a very organic,
natural and morale-building way.
It's motivation, and motivation is the
gasoline in the engine of any restaurant.
It increases pride. The pride you want
staff to have a feeling of, " We do something
cool and interesting here. We're
not just microwaving bland garbage, but
instead doing something that I'm into
to communicate. As much
as you can do it working the
line with them, I find it best
to do it in a very formalized
sit-down fashion, so staff
knows you take it seriously.
Set up quarterly evals, sit them down,
talk about what they did well, what they
could do better, give an appraisal of their
performance, and then ask them what
they want to do in life. It's on you to let
a natural rapport-building conversation
occur. You'll be baffled by how many cool
and exciting things your staff are into
and how many ways to cross-promote
that natural enthusiasm you have in
front of you. That assumes you have the
wherewithal and ingenuity to use your
restaurant as a vehicle for this enthusiasm.
This practice is not using staff or
taking advantage of cheap talent. This
is seeking happiness for the people that
are your responsibility. Happiness comes
from self-worth, and throwing dough
and serving tables alone won't be enough
for all employees. That's where you come
in, and there's never been anything more
fulfilling and productive than the
opportunity each staff member provides
you each day. n
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's
Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - March 2022

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