Restaurant Hospitality: Tips for Employee Motivation During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of gathering with loved ones and celebrating the season - but they can also mean a very busy time for franchise restaurants. Restaurant Hospitality recently provided insight in ways that restaurant operators can keep their teams motivated and stress levels low during the holiday season.

“We’ve discovered that creating a fun and engaging service or marketing challenge is a huge win for our managers during the holidays,” Courtney Beach, director of Pita Pit’s corporate store division, told Restaurant Hospitality. “This year, we’re featuring a Catering Bingo contest, where various prizes will be given to operators who successfully market to certain businesses or sell particular catering items. The goal is to get multiple Bingos on a card, or even blackout the card entirely. It's a positive way for all of us to come together for some fun and positive competition.”

Additional tips for motivating staff during the holidays includes scheduling with team members' friends and family in mind, having fun with uniforms, and getting involved in the community as a team.

"We celebrate the holidays with our team members by offering flex days,” Michael Mabry, COO of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes told Restaurant Hospitality. “For instance, we closed the office the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Monday afterward, and we have additional flex days in December so that team members can recharge and spend time with their friends and families.”