The Why and How of Enabling Long-Term Careers in Restaurants

This post is adapted from our “What Restaurant Employees Want” report, originally published in May 2024. Visit our page to download the full report, which features insights from 1500 active restaurant employees and industry experts.

While restaurants are a transitional career for many, a group of hospitality workers still make the restaurant business their career. And they need an employer that is going to provide them with those pathways for growth and advancement.

When that isn’t present, it can drive employees away—24 percent of them listed a “lack of opportunities” as a reason they’ve left a restaurant job. Around 75 percent of restaurant employees say that a clear career path and growth opportunities are either important or extremely important for job satisfaction. One in four restaurant workers aged 24-35 see themselves as lifers.

A third of the employees we surveyed have been at their current restaurant for over three years, and another third fall between one and three years. “Career growth is important for many job fields, especially the restaurant business. Restaurant work is no easy feat, it can be repetitive, grueling, and extremely high-pressure; having a clear path forward is the light at the end of the tunnel for most positions in the kitchen and in the dining room. Clear and attainable growth opportunities help keep employees focused on the importance of performing quality work and making the effort to provide that level of quality a worthwhile endeavor,” says Whyte-Buck. Creating viable career paths through training, upskilling, and promotions can enable operators to keep top talent around—while growing their business with them.

One brand that prioritizes career growth is Epic Brands, which is home to restaurants like Agave & Rye. They’re growing fast; more than 1100 employees call it home. Their growth is only possible by lifting their employees, creating paths for growth, and most importantly, embracing hospitality as a career.

We chatted with their COO, Chris Britt, about some of our findings and his thoughts on career paths in hospitality.

“I’m not too surprised by that—maybe a little bit by the percentage of people who see themselves as lifers, which is great, right? That means the industry may change where it used to be a stopgap. I’m sure you hear a lot of, ‘Once you’re in [the industry], it’s super hard to get out,’ or how many people leave because they think they don’t want to be in it again, but then they’re applying to get back into it. Because they miss it, they miss that adrenaline rush. They miss working and being surrounded by that social element. I 100 percent agree with the path to promotion. We’ve had people join our brand because of other restaurant groups, and they didn’t see an opportunity to grow. So coming to our brand as we scale and grow was enticing [to them]. And that’s very important to avoid guaranteeing that growth: I’ve mistakenly done that before, or it was misconstrued as promising growth in X amount of time or more money in X amount of time. So you have to be very careful. There’s a high probability that you can move up within the brand. Many people sometimes take that for granted or take the length of time within a group as a guarantee that they will be the next person up in a position, which is only sometimes the case. But I think what’s great in the industry is people wanting to stay, grow, and move up. Usually, that’s a reflection of those people, the leadership at the store, and what the brand stands for.”

Take Action

1. Develop Clear Career Pathways: Implement structured and transparent career growth opportunities for employees—like this one from bartaco. Clearly define the steps for advancement, such as training programs, skill development, and promotion timelines, ensuring employees understand how they can grow within the organization.
2. Focus on Retention through Upskilling: Invest in upskilling and continuous training for staff to improve their capabilities and make them feel valued. Employees who feel their skills are being enhanced are more likely to stay long-term, contributing to both their personal growth and the business’s success.
3. Communicate Growth Opportunities Carefully: Set realistic expectations about career advancement without overpromising. Ensure employees understand that while there are growth opportunities, advancement may be merit-based and dependent on performance and business needs rather than guaranteed based on tenure alone. This helps build trust and manage expectations, while fostering loyalty.