The Pre-Shift

This episode was originally published as part of the Restaurant Growth Podcast. It has been rebranded as part of The Pre-Shift Podcast as of January 2023. The information presented may no longer be up-to-date and may differ from the viewpoints and insights currently shared on The Pre-Shift Podcast.

In this episode, D.J. chats with Jensen Cummings about the importance of laying a strong foundation for sustainable business practices in the restaurant industry. He highlights the need for clarity and meaningful communication in hiring and management processes. Key points cover avoiding uninspired job posts, eliminating empty words, ensuring clear pay expectations, providing transparent benefits, setting clear interview expectations, and establishing effective onboarding and training procedures. The goal is to build a sustainable, equitable, and profitable business model that values employees and promotes retention and satisfaction.

00:00 Introduction and Initial Thoughts
00:21 Personal Background and Business Overview
01:05 Foundational Insights and Tips
01:51 Red Flags in Hiring Practices
07:05 Industry Challenges and Solutions
10:12 Investment in People and Culture
13:17 Clarity in Hiring and Onboarding
32:24 Conclusion and Call to Action

About Jensen Cummings
Jensen Cummings is a fifth-generation Chef & Certified Cicerone, based in Denver, CO.. His brands Best Served Creative and Best Served Podcast are working tirelessly in the pursuit of valuing and focusing on Why and Who before what and how for the Hospitality Industry. Their mission is to advance acknowledgment of our purpose and our people through storytelling, marketing and evolving the business model of restaurants and F&B hospitality.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

This episode was originally published as part of the Restaurant Growth Podcast. It has been rebranded as part of The Pre-Shift Podcast as of January 2023. The information presented may no longer be up-to-date and may differ from the viewpoints and insights currently shared on The Pre-Shift Podcast.

In this episode of the Pre-Shift, D.J. interviews Sean Walchef of Cali Comfort BBQ and Digital Hospitality Podcast. Sean shares insights about their journey, including the decision to open a ghost kitchen in Downtown San Diego, emphasizing a community-focused approach. He discusses the advantages of ghost kitchens for expansion, the importance of digital storytelling, and how to maintain hospitality in a virtual space. The episode also offers practical tips for restaurant owners to leverage digital media and enhance customer engagement.

00:00 Introduction and Greetings
02:26 Discussing Ghost Kitchens
03:28 Recording Setup and Technicalities
05:24 Interview Introduction
06:43 Sean's Journey and Ghost Kitchen Insights
11:46 Friendly Ghost Kitchens Concept
16:01 Digital Hospitality and Marketing Tips
21:38 Conclusion and Contact Information
22:28 Post-Interview Discussion

About Shawn Walchef
Since opening Cali BBQ in 2008, Shawn and Rositsa Walchef have incorporated the Bulgarian traditions of hospitality into every facet of their expanding business empire, from evolving their restaurant for 2020 and beyond with easy online ordering of BBQ online, to publishing podcasts and other digital media through Cali BBQ Media.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

Not sure how to schedule employees effectively? We got you covered.

Effective employee scheduling is simple in theory: Create optimal work schedules, so you’re never over or understaffed. But in practice, it’s anything but.

With the many types of shifts to choose from like rotating, fixed, and on-call shifts, and over 500 shift patterns, creating a schedule that’s right for your business can be a huge challenge. And even once you’ve created a schedule, there’s no guarantee it'll remain optimal as you have to contend with last-minute shift changes and requests for time off.

Thankfully, there’s good news. In this episode, you’ll learn what the keys to effective scheduling are and how to schedule employees effectively in 8 simple steps. View the keys to effective scheduling as the building blocks for creating a schedule.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

This episode was originally published as part of the Restaurant Growth Podcast. It has been rebranded as part of The Pre-Shift Podcast as of January 2023. The information presented may no longer be up-to-date and may differ from the viewpoints and insights currently shared on The Pre-Shift Podcast.

Welcome to the 7shifts Restaurant Growth Podcast, where we sit down with the best minds in the restaurant industry to inspire you with new ways to improve your business.

The 7shifts Restaurant Growth Podcast is hosted by Dominick "D.J." Costantino, 7shifts' Content Writer.

In this episode, Eric Cacciatore discusses his journey in creating the Restaurant Unstoppable podcast, originating from a search to fill a void in the restaurant podcast industry. He highlights lessons learned and his experiences from transitioning from a commercial pilot to a podcaster and assistant winemaker. Eric underscores the importance of evolving through challenges like COVID-19, the potential of Ghost Kitchens, and how the restaurant industry can leverage new opportunities. He also speaks about the launch of the Restaurant Unstoppable Network and emphasizes the value of collaboration, servant leadership, and adapting to the evolving landscape.

About Eric Cacciatorre
Eric Cacciatore is the host of Restaurant Unstoppable, the number one restaurant industry podcast. Since 2013, Eric has been sharing the stories, ideas, knowledge, values, energy, recommendations, and mentorship from proven successful restaurateurs.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

In this inaugural episode of the 7shifts Podcast, hosts Dew and DJ speak with Preston Junger, head of US operations and VP of sales at 7shifts and former VP of brand solutions at Yelp!, about his extensive experience in the hospitality tech space. Preston shares insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technology adoption in the restaurant industry. He discusses both the challenges and opportunities facing restaurant owners, particularly the shift towards integrating various tech solutions to streamline operations and maintain profitability. Preston also highlights the importance of open-mindedness and adaptability in leveraging technology to rebalance the traditional business model of restaurants.

00:00 Introduction to the Seven Shifts Audio Series
00:31 Meet Preston Junger: Career and Experience
01:40 Opportunities for Restaurants Post-Pandemic
04:03 The Role of Technology in Restaurant Success
05:36 Challenges Facing the Restaurant Industry
07:50 Innovations and Adaptations in the Restaurant Space
14:49 The Future of Restaurant Technology
16:24 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

About Preston Junger

Preston is an optimistic entrepreneurial-minded sales leader, advisor & board member with international chops. Raises the bar for success with a unique perspective and commitment to building & growing with execution from the ground up. Excels in coaching & inspiring others to rally around a common mission to get things done utilizing the resources you have.

A lifelong builder & believer in creating impact-based solutions and working with great people to grow businesses, Preston is currently Vice President of Sales & Head of U.S. Operations for 7shifts, the leader in simplifying labor management and improving performance for restaurants, freeing up time for managers to focus on serving their customers.

Prior to 7shifts, Preston provided experience from Apple, Yahoo! & IAC (Evite, Citysearch, Ticketmaster, Match.com, Expedia, and others) to build and scale Yelp's business from $2MM to $700MM in annual revenue, and 80 to 4,000 employees from 2008 through 2016.

Preston also formerly co-founded Mile Square Labs as a startup consulting company and is currently a board member for the company, which consists of 30+ expert advisors providing hands-on business consulting, sales and customer success guidance for early-stage to scale-up companies in Europe, Scandinavia, South America & North America. Through his work, Preston has advised, mentored, coached or worked directly with 200+ company founders, investors and accelerators helping them grow their businesses and expand into new markets and segments.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

In this episode, we’ll define a feasibility study, outline the sections restaurant feasibility should have, and identify the best practices you should follow when conducting one. 

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

A restaurant interview can take many forms – a group interview, an open interview, or a scheduled one-on-one interview, to name a few. No matter the setting, having poise, being authentic, exuding confidence, and articulating knowledge will help you stand out from other candidates.

Dew Smith, the Brand Strategist at 7shifts, shares 12 restaurant interview questions you might be asked to answer, as well as some guidelines on how to answer them to help you prepare for your interview. 

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

How do you start moving up? What are the restaurant management skills you need to succeed and how do you acquire them? Is it difficult to get the right training? Do you need a degree? 

Let’s take a look at what a restaurant manager does, what skills they need, and how to brush up on those skills.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

In this episode of 7shifts Audio Series we are going to explore how to create a comprehensive restaurant staff training manual. It will be everyone’s guide for instructions, processes and all the answers to common questions, while being a great reference point to ensure staff feel engaged and supported.

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.

In this episode of 7shifts Audio Series we explore how restaurants can create a new, upgraded marketing plan and gain a competitive edge in 2021. As we all know, 2020 has been a difficult year for everyone — especially those in the restaurant industry — but a strong marketing plan will help you get back on track.

Download the marketing plan in PDF format - bit.ly/33A4jdp

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About Us
7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.