WESTFIELD N.J. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Fully 77 percent of the responding CHART members indicated that their companies are undergoing budget cutbacks and expense scrutiny amid corporate belt-tightening. In addition, 60 percent said their training departments have been somewhat to significantly affected by cutbacks. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
CHART, a Westfield-based non-profit association of professional trainers, polled its members at their semiannual hospitality conference last month in Minneapolis. Survey responses were obtained from 130 out of the more than 150 attendees. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
The casual-dining segment appeared to be the hardest hit, with 70 percent of trainers from such chains reporting significant budget cuts. Forty-seven percent of the respondents were from casual- and family-dining chains, 35 percent from quick service or fast casual, and 6 percent from upscale or fine dining. Another 13 percent were hotel and resort trainers. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“It’s definitely a sign of the times,” said CHART president Curt Archambault, who is a regional trainer and development manager in Seattle for San Diego-based Jack in the Box. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Trainers reported that budget cuts have impacted their departments in various ways, including the elimination of professional conferences and reduced travel expenses. Empty department positions have not been filled or have been eliminated. Some programs have been cut or put on hold. Trainers are learning to do “more with less,” the survey reported. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
But while some bemoan that training programs are the first to be cut when times are tight, other trainers noted that their companies are increasing training despite other cutbacks. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Starbucks Coffee Co. shuttered 100 stores and eliminated some 600 positions, yet also closed some 7,100 coffeehouses recently for three hours to retrain baristas. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“If you cut back, you run the risk of not being in a position to take the advantage when the economy improves and sales return,” Archambault said. “So instead you’re playing catch-up. The challenge is, it’s tough.” —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Earlier this year Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, the Lakewood, Colo.-based operator or franchisor of more than 600 fast-casual bakery-cafes under the Einstein Bros. Bagels, Noah’s New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel brands, trimmed its corporate and field staff by 18 positions. But the bagel chains are also is stepping up training for licensees as well as area managers. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“Guests are making tougher decision about how to spend their dining dollars, so it’s more important than ever that we’re training and delivering a great experience to them,” said Chad Gretzema, Einstein Noah’s vice president of training. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Last month nine Einstein Bros. Bagels general managers, retail managers and assistant managers participated in a training “Super Session.” The intensive, six-day workshops focused on proper preparations of every menu item and on customer service. For two days the managers operated a test kitchen at Einstein Noah headquarters that is set up like an Einstein Bros. store and served corporate employees. The company expects to host five more Super Sessions this year. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
The layoffs were part of restructuring to redefine the role of multiunit or area managers. Those managers were split into teams of two that now oversee 20 to 25 restaurants. One area manager focuses on systems and operations and the other focuses on customer service. To make those managers better able to train store-level managers, Einstein Noah is retraining the area bosses in two-day sessions. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“We need to take the time and develop these folks, give them coaching and teaching,” Gretzema said. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
The CHART survey indicated that trainers are turning to less expensive methods, such as Web-based seminars, e-learning and regional training sessions that reduce travel costs. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Einstein Noah has started doing weekly intranet conferences or webinars with general managers, and the response has been strong, Gretzema said. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“In the past we were hesitant to do distance learning, feeling that face-to-face is more efficient,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s because people are more accustomed to text messaging and e-mail, but we’re getting more interaction than when we did with standard conference calls.” —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
Archambault said the current economy has intensified the pressure trainers feel to justify their programs and show how they contribute to top-line and bottom-line results. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“Everyone should be looking at their curriculum and ensuring all their programs out there are necessary,” he said, emphasizing that training efforts “should be driving business results.” —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
“We need to be cognizant of the financial picture of our organizations and be contributing members of that,” he added. —Restaurant companies’ trainers are feeling pinched by the troubled economy as higher energy and commodity prices and reduced consumer spending exert budgetary squeezes on their departments, a new survey by the Council of Restaurant and Hotel Trainers has revealed.
