Here’s What Workers
Have to Say.

Solidarity & love

More equity for workers of color in pay, more cooperative staff structures

Less everyone is replaceable energy

High end restaurants in gentrified areas offering affordable plates to community members

High end restaurants work with mutual aid orgs already present

Owners giving workers more opportunities to invest in the business, like co-ops

Intention/purpose, not just something cool or $$ but doing good serving the community

Abolish current standard tip system

40 hour work weeks and equitable pay!

Abolition of tipping with fair wages. Job security. Benefits. shit that applies to most other jobs.

Normalize bathroom breaks/eating during the day. Mutual respect between guests and staff

more investment in BIPOC and woman owned businesses

Less getting yelled at by white guys for things that don't matter

Progressive community ownership structures

Honest conversations about what work/life balance actually means

Don't cut food costs by underpaying farmers - pay your local farmers as much as you can for their goods!

Proper pay and retirement pay security

Maternity/Paternity leave

People with power need to put marginalized coworkers in leadership positions

Giving marginalized coworkers a pathway to upward mobility

Making sure coworkers who don't speak english understand what is being communicated to them

Embodying practices of language of justice in the workplace

Centering those who are not able bodied

Pay for translation. Don't expect bilingual folks to communicate for you

We need to change management. Oftentime they will hire marginalized people into mgmt positions but they don't support them and blame them for failing

Only speaking up or posting things when they're trending with no internal change

Posting pictures of female staff on international womens day with no women in management

Only public facing gestures

Speaking with your mouth and not your payroll

Putting up BLM signs but treating employees of color like shit

Wearing activist clothing but not doing anything else

Saying you support protestors but calling cops on them when they're on your street and affecting business

Hiring a one off diversity trainer but not employing those principals in everyday life

Deeper activism could look like centering people at the margins while building new hospitality structures and systems and repairing harm form the current system

The whole ace hotel brand

Creating a narrative that being critical of hospitality industry means we don't love it

"Progressive owner" advocating for reform that does nothing to change the fundamental conditions of the workers—> call your senator but balks at a union

Hosting a benefit night but not sending money to charity

Talking about being radical in the press but not acting on it

Diverse hiring without inclusive and supportive policies and work environments

Asking minority staff to put together trainings or educate other staff without compensation

Promoting a social cause for profit or social capital

Putting up rainbow flags while line cooks use terms like faggot and make homophobic jokes

Criticizing development companies until ownership receives a deal they like

Union busting after calling us a collective, family

Setting up a gofund me for employees but only donating $50

Activist owner proclaiming there's nothing wrong with capitalism

Highlighting black and brown employees in appreciation posts but the only ones they have are in porter

A BLM sign but furloughing all BIPOC for winter season

Management posting or talking about something to clean their hands and absolve themselves without making any change

Supporting fight for 15 but not actually paying workers that

Profit sharing

Livable wages and increase prices if need be.

Worker owned, shared profit models, etc. Unions are great but current structures need to be abolished.

Open books and the accountability that comes with that.

Innovation in biz models. More options than non profit, charity, b corp, or reg business

workers throughthe supply chain cooperating and leveraging power together

It looks like long-term employment, fewer labor costs from high turnover

Investing in employees creates staff who care for guests because you care for them.

Always. Just depends if the owners/managers want to prioritize people over profits.

Yes! Healthcare is a start. Measure sucess in lives changed insted of dollar signs.

Yes, but needs a different model than current system.

Abolish the restaurant and than turn it into a community kitchen for everyone.

Love

Obvie. 100 Many other companies do it, especially in other industries. Social purpose biz

Abolish the industry or "hospitality" itself

Menstraul products available for those who need them. FOR FREEEEE.

More non-white managers. Your staff may be diverse but everyone above them is white.

Asking for pronouns during onboarding

It can abolish itself as we know it

Fight for amnesty or citizenship for all, give workers control of the means of production.

Getting rid of uniforms/dress codes for staff.

Better access/paid days off for disabilities. More attention to pronouns.

By normalizing gender nuetral pronouns and introductions that include pronouns.

Abolish service.

By shedding dress codes, allowing colored hair and tattoos.

Celebrate immigrant workers who do more and dont make tips.

mental health days, mental health resources, mental health ANYTHING

Believing women

First off, they need to leave the white male patriarchy and acknowledge the culinary contributions from all cultures that have been filtered through a classical french lens.

Also, this idea that we are servants for the people who can afford to dine out.

Hopefullt one day "fine dining" and charging an elevated price doesn't only apply to European/white food!

Inclusive pics highlighting all staff (POC to the front) on ALL well known bar instagrams.

Start treating others as they want to be treated. Ask instead of assume.

Accessible healthcare and transportation for non-English speakers.

Customer is always right...

Gendered greetings for guests

Chefs are abusive because they're geniuses & if you can't handle it, you can't be in the kitchen.

urgency. It's extremely ableist

the verbal abuse

the lack of respect for peoples' availability

short or no breaks.

That women owned doesn't equate to ethical

getting paid less than minimum wage

Taking on additional roles without appropriate compensation be short staffed

That mindset of oh I went through it so you should too

making people pay for their required uniforms

Paying based on one's current "ability/skill set" but expecting more of employee than agreed

Thinking some positions inherently deserve living wages while percieved "low skill" ones dont

Working longer hours than anyone else is something to boast about

I'm conflicted, I really want unpaid labor to go. But I value a working interview to see if I like the culture and pace of the restaurant

Only getting a couple days of paid vacation a year

"we're a family"

"locker room talk" (sexual harassment) is an expected part of the industry

The panic to always be working on the clock and never just taking a rest when there's nothing going on.

It can't be done right unless you do it fulltime (50-60 hours a week)

Tougher/better worker if you don't take breaks.

Clopening shifts

Target-hiring queers and/or BIPOC to seem inclusive then pay absolute shit

Lack of unions

QUIZZES!!!

Not making enought family meal, how embarrassing

Review sites that can get people fired. The disrespect people get away because of it.

"Time to lean, time to clean."

pastry chefs are always femme presenting

yelling all the goddamn yelling

Chef-auter culture

Veryyy long hours

Tipping to make up for less than minimum wage

Expecting BOH to miraculously find time to make staff meal every day

"Leaving your feelings at the door."

Thinking "dessert/pastry chefs" aren't REAL chefs or don't matter

Working all day with no breaks, harassment from managment

Normalizing abuse from guests, chefs & owners. No stability in working hours & income

Not having set schedules

Breaking momentum (..and trust..) of workers investing in the business changing/evolving

Owners aren't as ethical as they say they are, but try to convince the public otherwise. Performative.

The idea that we have to sacrafice so much for a greater customer experience.

Tipping, silencing folks re:mental health, repression of emotions, inadequate rest &&&

Pay

Lack of income security. No time off. No schedule security

Capitalism

Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping (allow me to slightly expand) It's a team effort, not a display of owner achievments

promoting cis white men.

wage inequality between kitchen staff and service staff

The constant constant need to be busy, not being able to positively reinforce down time

Lack of healthcare and normalization of this fact

Cooking til the very last minute of close. Give kitchen a last call like the bar.

Not acknowledging there's a problem

Tipping system

It needs a whole collapse and restructure.

Employees that expect top-down change but aren't willing to break toxic habits.

Maintaining the same power/pay structures, as long as that remains we wont see real equity

Capitalism

Including employees in making decisions, a top down instead of bottom up mindset

No ability to function if one staff member can't work (guilt trips to get shifts covered?)

The customer is absolutely always right.

Soft skills for management

Training on behind the scenes business stuff like payroll.

Stipend for continued education

Living hourly wages $20hour

Conflict management training/ industry HR training, FOH skills that link to better service.

Any at all.

Profit sharing. I want more money when my labor earns the restaurant more money.

Genuine conversation about skill building/sharing and how to foster those skills over time.

Managment/leadership training, beverage certification

Ability to move from working service to operations, not permently having to close

steady raise in pay, potiental from management and collaborative voice in the biz

Learning all the stations and not just getting stuck at one.

Money for education

Anti-oppression/racism training.

Graciously, but with accountability, helpful tips

It's a learning opportunity for me. Seeing where the mistake stems from is important.

I've broken rules and it doesn't help/isn't fair when people excuse it.

It's helpful for me to know why it was a mistake and the solution moving forward.

Being available

Clarity and accountability

feedback/discussion on how to avoid the mistake in the future + when it makes sense again.

Without any condescending attitude because it's always hard to take critisim

To be kind & understanding

Tell me they appreciate me saying so, meeting it with consideration instead of confrontation, giving me space to apologize but also giving me space to make it better.

Like a high end gym — showers, towels, lockers, free body care and fem products

Fridge and microwave. WINDOWS.

Somewhere to sit down that isn't a toilet or a milk crate

I want those little phone booth rooms they have in office share spaces so I can cry in peace.

Tampons/Pads

Clean tables and microwaves

Says a lot when you say "dream big" the answers are: a clean table and chairs 😱

Free menstrual products 🙌🏻

Honestly a couch you can take a nap at on your break

Space to stretch, maybe a yoga mat, comfortable chairs and air conditioning in the summer.

Stuff to take a nap/lay down, stuff like foam rollers/self massage stuff, fridge with healthy snacks

Sensory deprivation tank

I know someone working at a cafe that had the budget for employee massages pre-pandi.

The same food and beverages that we sell to patrons