Why 'Every Server is Your Server' is a Winner

Fresh, high-quality ingredients aren’t the only things setting Famous Toastery apart from other better-breakfast concepts.

Visitors to any Famous Toastery location will be treated to a simple yet revolutionary idea: That every server in the restaurant works for them.

“I’ve worked in the restaurant business since I was 12 in New York City, and I’ve worked every facet of the industry,” said Brian Burchill, COO of Famous Toastery. “In working in every area, from nightclubs to fine dining to bars to breakfast, I have seen all different kinds of service and what works and what doesn’t work.”

When opening up the first Famous Toastery location, Burchill knew he wanted a certain energy and culture, one that could only come from a focus on team effort.

“When servers are relegated to specific stations, I’ve seen it lead to subpar service,” he said. “It can create drama among workers and kill morale. By having every server be a guest’s server, it pools gratuities for everyone and gives servers more reason to work together and make sure everyone in the restaurant is taken care of at all times.”

More importantly, guests love the concept.

“Customers love it because it’s a show,” Burchill continued. “There’s a bit of theater to it. You’re sitting there watching because everything kind of flows together. There’s constant movement; it creates entertainment out of the energy.”

Of course, a little education can go a long way for guests. Most restaurant customers are used to the old way of doing things, so it helps to take the time to explain how things work at Famous Toastery.

“When they sit down we always ask, ‘Have you ever been here before?’ Burchill said. “Once people understand, they love it. It creates such a great teamwork vibe in the restaurants and it makes for unparalleled service.”

It also helps franchisees. Instead of servers only caring about their own station, they’re suddenly watching the whole restaurant. In short, it gives them more skin in the game, which translates to greater investment in how the restaurant is performing while they’re clocked in.

“Franchisees have more people on their team watching out for them,” Burchill said. “If one server isn’t really pulling their weight, other servers are going to take care of the situation.”

With clear benefits for franchisees, their staff and the guests they serve, the only question is why more restaurants aren’t following suit.