The Hidden Restaurant Staffing Crisis

6 Min Read By MRM Staff

Restaurants are known to be physically and emotionally taxing environments with staff under constant pressure to produce. This atmosphere is one of the reasons staffing is reported to be a continual struggle for operators. 

Dan Simons, co-owner of Farmers Restaurant Group, implemented policy-level mental health support, including free online therapy for all employees and their families to lower stress, reduce turnover, and improve safety. The group includes eight Founding Farmers restaurants in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, a distillery, Founding Spirits. and a catering arm for a total of more than 1,500 employees.

In this conversation with Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine, he discusses why he believes prioritizing a human-centric culture is essential for restaurant success. 

How would you define the “hidden burnout” crisis in hospitality and how is it different from the everyday stress that is common in the industry?Servant leadership and all jobs…