May 06, 2025

Rising Tides Live: The Restaurant Labor Playbook

1 hour

In this episode of Rising Tides Live, the conversation focuses on how restaurant operators can better manage their teams and labor costs in today’s challenging environment. Guest Jordan Boesch, CEO of 7shifts, joins host Shawn Walchef and the Rising Tides community to explore key lessons from The Restaurant Labor Playbook, a new guide created to help restaurants improve team productivity, retention, and profitability. Together, they discuss why building for the frontline matters, how scheduling impacts workplace culture, and what operators need to know about labor trends, compliance, and tech adoption. The group also dives into practical tools and mindsets for strengthening hospitality businesses through smarter labor management.

Interview Takeaways:

Why Operators Need to Build for the Frontline – Jordan emphasizes that restaurant technology should serve the people actually using it day to day. By listening to hourly employees and operators, 7shifts ensures their product is built to solve real-world problems, not just executive pain points.

How Scheduling Impacts Culture and Profitability – Smart scheduling isn’t just about compliance or cutting costs—it’s about showing your team you value their time. Jordan explains how transparency and flexibility in labor management tools can improve employee satisfaction and retention.

What Makes Restaurant Tech Actually Work – Success in restaurant tech comes from deep focus, user empathy, and industry-specific insight. 7shifts grew by staying obsessed with solving one core problem—labor management—while expanding features based on operator needs, not trends.

Episode Links:

Jordan Boesch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-boesch/

The Restaurant Labor Playbook: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurant-labor-costs-playbook

7Shifts Online: https://www.7shifts.com/

Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/

Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/

Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

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