Using your business to uplift your employees

What began as hosting taco nights with our friends turned into a Kickstarter campaign to bring our version of hands-on cooking to Columbus. Three years later, we’ve not only built a business on what we love to do, but have created a platform to uplift the people who have made The Kitchen what it is today — our employees.
Here are three strategies we use to elevate our employees:
Build a team structure that reflects your leadership style
The core of our business is the participatory dining events we’re known for, where the line between patron and chef is blurred and guests are involved in the creation of a meal from beginning to end.
This idea of blurring the lines translates to our team structure, and while we have leadership roles, everyone on our team is treated as an integral part in the process.
The Kitchen is a small business, and as co-founders we are involved at every level, but our environment is creative and we refuse to micromanage — it’s a poor use of our time and makes for unhappy employees.
Invest in the long-term goals of your employees
We’ve worked together to create an uplifting environment for our staff that empowers them to build their own career path and allows them to come as they are.
One of our first full-time employees had previous event design and management experience but expressed a desire to move toward a social media role. So, we gave her the opportunity to take the reins of our social sites.
We welcome employees of all levels and work to teach them skills they need for what they want to accomplish, and give them the tools to succeed. Whether they’re starting over, pursuing a passion for craft food and drink or working for us part time as an escape from their “day job,” we embrace the diversity and opportunity the restaurant industry brings.
Through our mentoring network among our team, we also help employees determine what career path they want to take.
We have individuals interested in everything from marketing to owning their own restaurant and we welcome them to use The Kitchen as an opportunity to learn, grow and mold their future.
Prioritize relationship building
The way we operate and interact with everyone on our team reflects the support that we received early on. We formed a tight network with other entrepreneurs to partner with for resources, promotions, knowledge sharing and general support.
We’ve always had a community-focused mentality that we wanted to replicate with our internal team.
We learned that one of the keys to maintaining a positive rapport with our team is by working alongside them. We immerse ourselves in the everyday so we are tuned into every role in the business. By doing this, we get to directly help our team broaden their skills and encourage them to grow professionally and personally.

On the heels of our three-year anniversary, we know that we didn’t get here alone. It pays off to invest in your team.

 
Anne Boninsegna, co-founder, and Jen Lindsey, co-founder, of The Kitchen, the Columbus-based participatory dining and event venue. In addition to weekly Taco Tuesdays, The Kitchen hosts events that use communal cooking and food as the focal point of a creative, immersive dining experience. You can reach them at (614) 225-8940 or [email protected].