The four day work week took hold duriong the pandemic. It's not a bad way to work with more time devoted to home and family. Yet would this concept work for restaurants. That's what many are asking.
New contributor Regan Stephens , who alsow rites for Conde Nast and Food and Wine magazine wrote this intriguing piece for yesterday's New York Times Food section. It's a question many restauranteurs are asking themselves. Can they run their places on a four day work week? While many other businesses are getting back to the five day work week some chefs feel it's better to just work four days. Ir does create for a better work-life balance. For New Jersey chef Dominic Piperno it does work. He closed his famed Collingswood New Jersey eatery Hearthside for a four day work week during the pandemic in 2020.He has kept it three years later. It means that employees receive a more sustainable schedule while drawing wary veteran workers back into the workforce.The change had an immediate impact on its' pastry chef, Kelly Bradley who got to spend more time with her twelve year old daughter Makenzie, They get to do more things like roller skating together.The days may be longer , eleven hours as opposed to eight but the benefits are great.
Yes, it can be difficult. There should be a plan in place to fit schedules and delivery times. According to Hudson Riehle, the senior vicepresident of research at the National Restaurant Association.if an operator wants to close for a four day week they've put very specific thought into the need to do so and create a business plans that works.A four day work week has alway be been floated around the US but never actually put into use. Some workers want , almost demand, a five or seven day work week. There are headaches too. Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski have faced their share of difficulties with both their Manhattan restaurants, Dame and Lord's. They wake up to texts about broken equipment , ingredients that didn't arrive and employees calling in sick. Yet if a shortened work week makes most of the workers happy so be it.Leina Horii one of the owners of the Nashville based Japanese cafe Kisser has noticed nothing but plusses instead minuses. They only open on weekdays for lunch. The shortened working hours have provided them with amazing employee retention while allowing her anbd her husband Brian Lea to be people outside the restaurant industry.
Will four day restaurants be a standard or just a fad? If the trend means happier workers and better food then let the eateries have their shortened work weeks. It can only be good for both the staff and the customers.
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