JENNIFER ALLEN of Levy Restaurants on Value-Driven Operations (Restaurant Influencers - RI029)

It takes great people to run great companies. Levy Restaurants (@levy.restaurants) became great by priding itself on a commitment to culture. Watch this interview with Jennifer Allen, vice president of restaurant operations at Levy Restaurants, to learn more about running successful restaurants, being a “restaurant girl,” and her company’s values.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, sponsored by the Toast point of sale and restaurant management company? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below!

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CHAPTERS:

[02:18] - Jennifer Allen 2-Minute Drill

[05:53] - Working for Levy Restaurants

[08:02] - Multi-Unit Restaurants

[17:32] - Operating Multiple Locations

[22:26] - Stadium Partnerships

Jennifer Allen is a Restaurant Influencer —

The Vice President of Restaurant Operations at Levy Restaurants is a self-proclaimed “restaurant girl” who takes pride in the family-focused environment at Levy.

Levy Restaurants operates nearly 200 sports and entertainment venues all over the United States and Canada. From striving to hire (and retain) the best people and make the best food, the Chicago-based company has been able to grow significantly since its founding in 1978.

One of the first things Jennifer Allen noticed about the company was how many strong females there were in important, decision-making roles.

“I think one of the things that was really interesting to me about Levy in the time that I joined was that there were a significant amount of female leaders in this company that was mostly sports and entertainment venues,” says Jennifer Allen on the Restaurant Influencers podcast hosted by Shawn Walchef of

That realization was an early indicator of the family atmosphere and growth potential at Levy Restaurants.

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Jennifer Allen is responsible for Levy’s Chicago, Orlando, Saint Paul, Milwaukee restaurant properties, as well as American Girl’s flagship Chicago and New York stores. Her expansive influence and rapid growth in the company embodies the core culture that has been created within Levy.

Levy Restaurants Values:

Be Nice

Be Passionate

Be Innovative

Be Inclusive

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

EPISODE LINKS:

• Levy Restaurants Website

• Levy on Instagram

• Levy Restaurants Digital Hospitality Podcast

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ABOUT JENNIFER ALLEN & LEVY (@levy.restaurants):

Levy Restaurants Vice President of Restaurant Operations Jennifer Allen oversees Levy’s Chicago, Orlando, Saint Paul, Milwaukee, and American Girl Chicago and New York restaurant properties. She first joined the Levy family in 2009 as the Director of Operations for Ravinia. She was instrumental in helping turn Ravinia into one of Levy’s top performing accounts, doing so without compromising quality or the client relationship. In 2009, Jennifer was promoted to the role of Regional Manager, where she was able to try her hand at multi-unit restaurant management. Her continued success ultimately led to her 2014 promotion to Regional Director of Operations, and a year later she was promoted to Vice President of Restaurant Operations.

• Jennifer Allen on LinkedIn

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Welcome to the Restaurant Influencers podcast series. Every week host and restaurant owner 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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• Cali BBQ Media

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RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED 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.

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