News Briefs

Employee turnover is a reality for the hospitality industry. Annual turnover is estimated to be between 70 to 80 percent, with analysts citing low wages, long hours, and a lack of career growth opportunities as contributing factors. For hotel management company Hospitality America, the solution to this ongoing problem is mentorship and cultivating a culture where hotel employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

“Mentorship plays a crucial role in employee retention and satisfaction,” said Justin Deyo, Hospitality America Corporate Director of Operations. “This practice goes beyond skill development. We believe in creating a sense of value and appreciation among associates to develop hotel leaders, drive performance standards, and provide strategic support – especially when undergoing property renovations or new hotel openings that can be quite stressful for staff. 

“When people think of mentorship, they traditionally see a means for passing down knowledge from the top down; we see it as a dynamic tool for adaptation, innovation, and personal growth,” he said. “Our new strategic mentorship program is the catalyst to providing exceptional guest experiences while managing complex operations. By shaping the careers of aspiring hospitality professionals, we are ensuring the continued excellence of service delivery at all hotels managed by Hospitality America.”

With 20 years of hotel leadership and operational experience, Deyo will lead the Hospitality America Mentorship effort, which includes vetting and deploying all mentor processes and service standards at the property level. Mentors will impart guest interaction protocols on mentees and share best practices for creating memorable experiences. Through empathetic communications, mentors will instruct associates in ways to anticipate and exceed guest expectations, navigate delicate situations, and handle high-pressure scenarios with grace and professionalism.

“Mentorship in hospitality helps cultivate operational excellence,” Deyo said. “All Hospitality America mentors have extensive experience in hotel management, and they will pass on best practices for optimizing operational efficiency, managing budgets, and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and safety. This knowledge is particularly valuable for junior managers and supervisors who are responsible for overseeing daily operations and ensuring seamless coordination across departments.”

Did you know . . .

• 90% of employees who have a professional mentor report feeling content at work.
• Employees who had the chance to be mentored are five times more likely to be promoted.
• 84% of Fortune 500 companies and 100% of Fortune 50 companies have mentoring programs
• 76% of workers believe that mentoring is vital for professional success, yet just 37% of workers are supervised by a mentor.
• Since the pandemic, there has been a 30% increase in mentoring initiatives at organizations

Mentoring programs add value to employees’ careers, resulting in enhanced engagement and productivity. When engaged employees feel valued, they are much more likely to stay with a company, resulting in a high retention rate. Few efforts support skill development and ongoing learning like mentoring programs do.

Mentors can quickly pinpoint the strengths and areas in which a mentee needs to improve. It helps mentees develop real-life skills and strengths, which is hardly possible in standardized training programs. Mentoring also fosters cross-departmental collaboration, continual learning, and the removal of departmental barriers. Furthermore, it cultivates a culture of advice-seeking among staff members, both within and outside their department, which encourages collaboration across functional boundaries. This collaborative and knowledge-sharing culture helps employees grow in the company and makes them want to stay longer.

The Importance of Transparency

Good mentorship relies on transparency and a commitment from each person to define and meet goals that are mutually beneficial. If leaders are not transparent about their skills and knowledge, it can be challenging to quickly identify areas of improvement.

“Lack of transparency, whether intentional or not, results in some leaders struggling to perform in a self-reliant way,” Deyo said. “Leaders should never assume that mentorship is reserved for those underperforming; rather it should be a continuous relationship that is slightly tailored to each person. To spearhead this program, I will focus on building relationships with all our mentors, frequently checking in with them and reminding them that I am available to them. This includes being fully transparent in terms of their strengths, opportunities for growth, etc. This will ensure that our relationship is built on transparency and a genuine desire to improve.”

To be a Hospitality America mentor, property leaders must exemplify the company’s PEACH culture – Passionate, Excellence, Adaptable, Community, Humble – that guides how employees work, who they work with, and how they achieve success for the company’s partners, team members and guests.

“Our mentors must be motivated by a desire for success, trusted to perform consistently, and willing to develop teams that are adaptable,” Deyo said. “These traits were instilled in me by Hospitality America Vice President of Operations Frank Cook –who mentored me at Hospitality America – and it is because of my growth under his guidance that I will duplicate his teaching to the many mentors we hope to cultivate through this program.”

Ben Campbell, Hospitality America CEO, has this to say: “In the realm of career progression, mentorship plays a critical role in grooming future leaders within the hospitality industry. Any employee aspiring to become a manager will benefit from this program. Mentors will provide strategic guidance, help them navigate career pathways, and provide the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in a leadership role.

I look forward to seeing our mentees experiment with new service concepts and adapt to changing consumer preferences,” he added. “This proactive approach will enhance the competitiveness of our hotels and position them as market leaders in offering cutting-edge experiences that resonate with modern travelers.”

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

Chris Kung has joined Zaxby's as its new Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the transformation and acceleration of the company's Loyalty and e-Commerce initiatives.  

"Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources," said Bernard Acoca, Zaxbys CEO. "Chris's expertise in e-Commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxbys experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey. His arrival will help us build stronger relationships with our guests by deepening our understanding of their needs and rewarding their patronage with personalized experiences." 

Growing Loyalty

Kung brings over 20 years of innovation and strategy experience to Zaxbys and most recently served as Chief Digital Officer at Dollar General, where he led initiatives that transformed the company into a digital innovator. Kung played a central role in creating the myDG loyalty program. Under his leadership, the company's e-Commerce sales grew 40x in three years, app usage surged from 1.8 million to 7 million monthly active users, and the DG App earned the distinction of the #1 couponing app in America.

Prior to Dollar General, Kung held key leadership positions at Macy's Inc., where he drove omnichannel technology and innovation.

Zaxbys is establishing a new Loyalty & e-Commerce Team, which will report to Kung. This new team will spearhead efforts to make Loyalty and e-Commerce significant contributors to its growth. The creation of the Chief Digital Officer role will open capacity and drive focus for Mike Nettles, Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick Schwing, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, who both previously oversaw a portion of this role.  

Susannah Frost has been named President of Chick-fil-A, Inc., effective Oct. 1.

She will be the sixth person to hold the leadership role since the company’s founding in 1967. 

“Susannah has demonstrated tremendous leadership throughout the business and has the range of expertise that will help the company continue growing with care and confidence,” said Chief Executive Officer, Andrew T. Cathy and grandson of founder Truett Cathy. “Having served as the CEO for three years, the timing is right to expand our leadership capabilities to include a president who will work closely with me and our executive committee to steward our domestic and global expansion.” 
 

Executives on the Move

Frost's move to president marks a notable week of restaurant executives on the move.  Brian Niccol is leaving his top post at Chipotle to lead Starbucks.  Laxman Narasimhan stepped down as CEO and as a director of  Starbucks effective immediately.

As CEO, Frost will continue to focus on the overall strategic direction for the enterprise and culture while Frost, as President, will focus on providing strategic clarity and alignment in the core business so that Chick-fil-A can sustain healthy growth and maintain market leadership. She will also lead the Executive Committee. Frost currently leads Restaurant Development and Field Operations for Chick-fil-A, Inc. overseeing the company’s real estate portfolio and leading field operations for more than 3,000 restaurants domestically.  

In related news, Cliff Robinson is being named Chick-fil-A's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Robinson currently serves as Chief People Officer and his responsibilities will expand to include leading Field Operations and Restaurant Development.  As COO he will continue to ensure talent remains a competitive advantage, while overseeing operations and the company’s continued expansion.  Robinson began working at Chick-fil-A at a young age as the son of a Chick-fil-A restaurant Owner-Operator.  He joined the company corporate Support Center staff in 1990 and has held increasing roles of responsibility, including various roles leading Field Operations, Restaurant Development and most recently as Chief People Officer. 

Robinson will assume his new role Oct. 1. 

Flybuy unveiled its "Course Correct" solution to prevent pickup mistakes. Flybuy’s Course Correct detects when an order-ahead customer or delivery driver is heading to or arriving at the wrong pickup location and offers a friendly redirection message to guide them to the correct pickup address. The Course Correct notification helps ensure customer satisfaction, minimizes the need for costly remakes or refunds and eliminates staff confusion.

Flybuy’s flagship product, Flybuy Pickup, enhances the pickup experience for some of the world’s largest restaurants, grocers, and retailers using precise AI-powered ETAs to determine the location of incoming customers to deliver a seamless order handoff. However, surprisingly, over 1% of customers arrive at the wrong location to pick up their food orders. For many brands, this can result in millions of dollars wasted annually, in addition to causing frustration for both customers and staff. Given that 89% of consumers are likely to make repeat purchases only after a positive experience, these mishaps not only incur costs for remaking or refunding orders but also risk losing future repeat business.

'Eye-Opening' Number of Mistakes

“It was eye-opening to see how often order-ahead customers were going to the wrong location to pick up their order,” said Five Guys, VP of Digital Strategy, Steve Teller. “When this happens, customers are frustrated, staff is confused, and we usually end up having to remake the order and throw an order away at the correct pickup location. With Course Correct, our customers are getting notified before they are frustrated and before the staff is disrupted, which yields a much better experience for everyone.
 

Course Correct allows restaurants to proactively address the challenge of customers arriving at the wrong pickup location without the need for operational changes, thereby delivering a frictionless and satisfying experience for customers and staff. On average, restaurant brands that have already been using Course Correct have reduced their wrong location errors by over 50%, leading to substantial reductions in refunds and saving hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the brand.

"We quickly realized how important it is for businesses to be able to proactively address customer needs before they even notice a mistake, thereby providing exceptional service," said SVP of Product at Flybuy, Alonso Vargas. "We understand the significant impact customer loyalty has on profitability, and Course Correct is an invaluable tool to drive repeat business and boost profits for our partner brands.”

HungerRush released a native integration between Uber Eats and the HungerRush Point of Sale. 

This integration provides restaurant owners with an additional layer of support to manage both in-house and third-party delivery orders.

Now, owners can enjoy the benefits of Uber Eats and the ease of a fully integrated system:

• Uber Eats orders go straight to a restaurant’s POS. No more manual order reentry.
• Restaurant owners can easily update menus, prices, images, and store hours.
• Managers can control order volume with the ability to pause orders when needed.
• Centralized reporting – everything all in one place for better insights.
   

As of 2023, there are more than 2.85 billion online food delivery service users, according to Business of Apps. This means it’s more important than ever that restaurant owners have the technology in place to handle these increasing delivery demands. 

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey 

Coupled with HungerRush’s existing DoorDash integrations and more third-party app integrations to come, HungerRush is helping restaurant owners prepare for this growth. HungerRush POS combines multiple third-party ordering and delivery services with in-house delivery and driver tracking tools. This provides restaurants with a leading delivery management solution that helps ensure every order arrives exactly as expected and on time.

“We expect food delivery to continue to increase in popularity over the next few years. Because of this, HungerRush strives to ensure restaurant owners are equipped with the best technology needed to keep up with the growing demand for delivery,” said Eran Hollander, Chief Product Officer at HungerRush. “This helps ensure owners and operators are reaching customers wherever they are and provide unparalleled customer experience.”

HungerRush continues to focus on technology that makes it easy for restaurant partners to grow their businesses and stay competitive. This latest integration aligns with their mission to help fast-casual and quick-service restaurants prosper by delivering great experiences for their customers and employees.