Winning the restaurant hiring game in 2025 with Alice Cheng

Finding and keeping great restaurant staff is harder than ever in 2025. In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we talk with Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, about how smart restaurants are winning the hiring game. After 13 years of connecting restaurants with talent, Alice breaks down what works. She explains the “missing middle” skills gap hurting restaurants today and shares practical ways to make your job listings stand out. Whether you’re struggling to hire line cooks or looking to build a reputation as a great workplace, Alice offers real solutions you can implement immediately to attract better candidates.

Resources

• Connect with Alice Cheng on LinkedIn ????
• Visit: Culinary Agents????
• Explore: Hospitality Career Paths ????
• 7shifts Hiring Guide ????

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction to Alice Cheng
• 01:02 – Evolution of restaurant hiring technology
• 04:40 – What makes Culinary Agents unique
• 9:10 – Current hiring trends in hospitality
• 14:11 – The skills gap in restaurant staffing
• 19:14 – Benefits and perks restaurants are offering
• 24:15 – Hospitality technology integration trends
• 33:16 – Hospitality Career Paths platform
• 36:54 – Advice for positioning as a great employer

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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.