Top 8 Foodservice Worker Appreciation Ideas
Annie Wilhelm / Holiday, Hospitals & Healthcare, Hotels & Hospitality / September 28
Whether you’re a restaurant owner, a hospital cafeteria manager or are simply just your average person who enjoys grabbing a quick bite to eat, there are 5 notable national foodservice holidays that everyone should be aware of.
There’s a lot to be thankful for, especially the food on our plates. But in our acknowledgment of what’s in front of our face, the driving force behind the foodservice industry is often overlooked: the cooks, servers, waiters, hostesses and dishwashers that keep the kitchen hot and our bellies full.
Furthermore, showing your appreciation is a good way to motivate restaurant employees to keep working hard. Although a simple “thank you” is certainly appreciated, it doesn’t quite express the heartfelt gratitude that foodservice workers deserve. If you’re looking for other ways to show how you feel, this list of foodservice worker appreciation ideas will help you give your employees the recognition they deserve.
What Are the Foodservice Worker Appreciation Holidays
Hosting a week of festivities celebrating your staff’s hard work will encourage a positive work environment and reduce the rate of turnover. In fact, research has shown that thanking your staff can increase a willingness to help by 50%. With those kinds of numbers, it’s well worth the extra time and effort spent on making your employees feel recognized and honored.
Here’s a list of the 5 foodservice worker appreciation holidays for you to pencil into your calendar:
- National Foodservice Employee Day – September 25, 2022
- Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week – October 9-15, 2022
- Bartender Appreciation Day – December 3, 2022
- National Pride in Foodservice Week – February 6-10, 2023
- School Lunch Hero Day – May 5, 2023
How Do You Celebrate Foodservice Workers?
With so many foodservice appreciation holidays on the horizon, you might wonder how you can celebrate them all or what you can do to make each one special. These foodservice appreciation ideas can be recycled for any of the holidays listed above with little to no finagling. Mix and match, or try them all out for a fun-filled week extravaganza.
Put on your party hats because here are 8 foodservice worker appreciation ideas to stash behind the door of your surprise party. And, who knows, maybe they’ll inspire a few of your own, too.
1. Turn the tables
Treat your employees to lunch or dinner or shower them with gifts of food. You could either do this by having a staff dinner party at your establishment, or you could give out gift cards to another restaurant. Remember to include seasonal workers in any employee appreciation initiatives: if they feel valued, they’ll be more likely to come back, reducing the time and cost needed to find talent for next year’s busy season.
2. Tips on tips
If your foodservice workers accept tips, think about matching them so that if they expect to go home with $30, make it $60. If your employees work in a cafeteria or a back kitchen where tips aren’t encouraged, then consider rewarding them with a cash bonus or gift cards. It doesn’t have to be anything bank-breaking, but the gesture is certainly always appreciated.
3. Everyone’s-a-winner raffle
What better way to celebrate than a raffle where no one goes home empty-handed. Depending on your budget, you can raffle off things as desirable as a flat screen tv or as economical, but just as sought-after as baked goods. If you don’t want to fund this event all on your own, ask others to pitch in and help. It could be asking corporate for a yearly budget or other employees to spare a dollar or two.
4. Spread the word
Take to social media with appreciation posts highlighting your foodservice employees. This not only makes workers feel valued, it also establishes your business as having an ethical reputation. Employee treatment influences consumer experience and purchasing decisions, so when they see smiling workers being rewarded for outstanding performance, well, they eat that stuff up.
5. Name a menu item after an outstanding staff member
Out of all foodservice worker appreciation ideas, this is a particular favorite among restaurant and cafeteria staff. There is no higher praise than getting a special named after you, and it will surely inspire your foodservice workers to keep up the good work. It’ll also create a little friendly competition among the staff with the promise of next year’s menu naming.
6. Pay off with a day off
Personal time is just as valuable as money but harder to come by, so what better way to say a job well done than giving each of your foodservice workers a day off to take at their leisure. It’s also a great incentive to motivate employees and uphold a work-life balance that so many companies are lacking.
7. Redecorate their workspace
Hang up foodservice staff gratitude posters and flyers so that when they walk into work, they’re greeted with tokens of your appreciation. These can be signs calling out specific employees or general banners that say something along the lines of “Thanks for all your hard work.” Make it even more festive with decorative balloons and crepe paper.
8. Host a special event in their honor
Whether it’s hosting a charity event, volunteering for a good cause within the community or putting on a contest, do it in their honor. Extend the invitation to the public and bring greater awareness to national foodservice worker’s week.
