Wellness is an ideal state of health aimed at maximizing human potential. A healthy restaurant is the one that seeks physical, intellectual, emotional, social and environmental well-being – continuously.
A restaurant owner who is only interested in the financial outputs and looking for wellbeing KPIs in them is losing a more comprehensive understanding of what really makes the business grow. The restaurants that ignore the real needs of its employees is vulnerable to contagious ideas that may or may not contribute to the establishment’s general well-being. A restaurant that does not actively seek to understand its role in the community in which it operates – that does not participate in the civic responsibility processes that should guide most of its operations – rapidly decays.
Well-being equals integrity, and integrity requires people to be aware of their entire self. A sustainable restaurant is one in which each system is examined, individually evaluated, and then tuned to fit the entire organizational structure in a way that makes the entire “machine” work with as little friction as possible.
It is important to consider the well-being of each restaurant, and to create an environment where they can thrive, which is critical to the overall health of the local economy. Sustainable restaurants allow people to move forward – many stories of hotel and restaurants professionals, who have reached top positions, start in the pantry or as assistants. Restaurants that understand the overall well-being of their organization treat employees fairly and play a vital role in the communities in which they live.
Healthy restaurants and healthy communities go hand in hand. The system is a cycle. As long as the local environment for restaurants allows them to thrive, they will fertile ground for community sustainable jobs. These will generate the salaries that allow young people to attend college and fulfil their dreams; and these dreams continue to be the building blocks of local cultures that sustain our industry, across the state and across the country. Restaurants are often leading the issues of our time, and the shift to healthy offerings, local products, going green and investing in education are indicators that being part of a healthy society must be a priority for many restaurants, for their managers and owners.
So, take an introspection of your business’ well-being: are you offering useful training, career opportunities, personal development for your employees? Does the performance of employees indicate that your company is offering them the necessary tools to have time, family dedication and not go into burn out?
If you’re doing these things, then you’re offering an opportunity to your employees: to move towards a rewarding career. Your restaurant will be contributing to a healthy economy, healthy families, and a healthy community. Because, in addition to serving great food and being a meeting place for people, being an important part of the community’s structure is the true role of restaurants, never forgetting of how important the health of your business (and employees) is for the vitality of the entire community. Restaurants are an important part of the economy. This is also important. But the health of our industry starts with the well-being of YOUR business.
Luis Madera
Hotel Management Strategy
ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality