fresh&co CEO George Tenedios on Building Loyalty Culture — Restaurant Influencers (RI006)

Fresh & Co. CEO and Cofounder George Tenedios knows the best way to build a strong company culture and following is through fostering loyalty and growth opportunities.

Watch this interview with George Tenedios and Shawn Walchef to learn how the fresh&co owner builds a team, the importance of mentors, and how hospitality is a labor of love.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, sponsored by @ToastTab? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below!

CHAPTERS:

[01:01] - What is fresh&co?

[02:00] - Restaurant Technology

[03:32] - Switching to Toast

[05:45] - Building Loyal Community

[08:27] - How to Open a Restaurant

George Tenedios is a Restaurant Influencer —

Since starting in 2010, George Tenedios has taken Fresh & Co. to all corners of the East Coast.

With 12 locations in New York and spots in the likes of Connecticut and Florida, the lifestyle brand has made a name for itself by providing clean ingredients over a diverse menu that’s approachable to all.

“You can shop with us five or six days a week and have a different meal experience each time,” smiles George Tenedios on the Restaurant Influencers podcast while talking with host Shawn P. Walchef of Cali BBQ Media.

While fresh&co’s customers had become accustomed to clean ingredients and diverse options, no one was prepared for what March 2020 had coming: a global pandemic.

Due to COVID-19, George and his Fresh & Co. company are still recovering from the labor shortage that’s attacked the hospitality industry hard.

“We're back on our regrowth path. We're trying to really move forward.”

Switching to Toast POS:

While the lingering effects of the pandemic have hurt staffing, George Tenedios has kept his Fresh & Co. business on the ascent by using restaurant technology like Toast POS.

By switching to the Toast point of sale system, Fresh & Co. has been able to quickly capture data and better serve a growing customer base.

“Toast checks all the boxes,” said George Tenedios while talking to fellow Toaster Shawn Walchef. “Being in New York City, speed is the number one priority, especially during a busy lunch rush. But the data part was very important for us. Just being able to extract that data to pass it on to our store managers, unit managers and our team members to grow on and to further improve our operations.”

New age innovations like Toast keep Fresh & Co. running and excelling.

Conversely, old school advice is also a piece of the puzzle as George’s trusted mentor is actually his father.

“He's my location scout, my lease negotiator, but he's always been my mentor. He's been in the restaurant business for about 45 years now. He's my rock.”

The family element of Fresh & Co. runs through the entire company.

Even employees that aren’t part of the Tenedios bloodline are treated as such, rewarded for their hard work through amazing access to upward mobility.

“We're probably one of the more loyal brands in New York City,” George says. “I have team members that are district managers now that have started in our company as dishwashers. I have general managers that have started in the company as cashiers.

“I believe very much in growing within and spending the time, energy and our resources to train our own staff members. And as long as they want it and they're willing to learn and to grow, then we're willing to take the time and energy to get them there.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN from this interview? Let us know in the comments!

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EPISODE LINKS:

• Follow @freshandcousa on Social Media

• Fresh & Co. Online

• George Tenedios LinkedIn

NOMINATE A RESTAURANT INFLUENCER — Do you know someone who is killing it on social media? Let us know by emailing influencers@calibbq.media or sending the @calibbqmedia team a DM on social media.

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ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Are you SICK and TIRED of scrolling through your social media feeds and not seeing your business anywhere?

Welcome to the Restaurant Influencers podcast series, sponsored by Toast POS (@toasttab). Every week host Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with leaders in restaurant and hospitality about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling and how to show up and engage where customers are spending time online.

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SPONSORED BY TOAST:

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants

Learn more at pos.toasttab.com