Close-up of hands holding pens over financial documents with charts and graphs. A calculator is on the table. The scene suggests a collaborative business or financial planning meeting.

From short-staffed to staffed-up in short order

A fast‑casual restaurant chain struggled with severe staffing shortages across more than 1,500 locations. After a 70% revenue drop during COVID, the brand needed to hire 1,000 associates a week to meet renewed demand.

RESULTS

The one‑day hiring event exceeded expectations with 12,000 RSVPs—20% above goal. The company made more than 2,400 offers, including 800 on event day and ultimately hired 1,400 new employees. The success led to new rolling recruiting events for additional divisions.

Industry

Food and beverage

Problem space

Employee engagement

Challenge

A fast‑casual restaurant chain struggled with severe staffing shortages across more than 1,500 locations. After a 70% revenue drop during COVID, the brand needed to hire 1,000 associates a week to meet renewed demand. Research revealed the company lagged competitors in employer branding and lacked clearly defined values, limiting its ability to attract talent.

Solution

We helped the company establish four core values to strengthen its employee value proposition, then translated those values into recruiting messaging. We created a national recruiting‑day kit featuring branded signage, manager playbooks, development guides, QR codes, and reusable promotional materials. Local advertising and a social media push amplified the campaign across markets.

Results

The one‑day hiring event exceeded expectations with 12,000 RSVPs—20% above goal. The company made more than 2,400 offers, including 800 on event day and ultimately hired 1,400 new employees. The success led to new rolling recruiting events for additional divisions.