A Word on Sharing (and no, not the social media kind)

A friend of mine once said that just as 9/11 permanently changed airline travel in this country, the pandemic will have the same type of impact on the restaurant industry. At the time, he was talking about hygiene and sanitation, but the ripples from the Covid-19 outbreak extend farther. Think about the supply chain problems, the rising price of goods, the continued reluctance by many people to gather in public places like restaurants. And then there is the hiring. Man oh man...the hiring.

Finding and retaining folks in the food service industry has never been more difficult. At first (back in 2020), I figured it was a short-term problem having to do with the impact of extended unemployment benefits. But those benefits have long dried up, and yet the labor shortage continues. For whatever reason, lots of folks have simply decided that they are no longer willing to work in the hospitality industry: maybe it's the pay, or perhaps the work environment, or the availability of other jobs that offer "flexible work hours" (example: DoorDash driver). Whatever it is, something has changed. Think about all the places here in town that have reduced their business hours due to being short-staffed. It's kind of shocking how accustomed we have all become to that new reality.

Satchel's is not immune to these problems. For the most part, we have been lucky and had to do very little hiring. But when we have found ourselves in need of help over the last couple years, we have been shocked to receive NO RESPONSES to our job postings. None. To be honest, that has gotten better in the last couple months, but it is still much harder to hire now than it was at any time prior to the pandemic.

All of this has led me to wonder about the future of this business (and indeed this industry). How in the blue blazes is Satchel's going to survive if we cannot find anyone who wants to work here? Is it simply a matter of more money? I don't think so. But even if you accept that premise, then as anyone can tell you, there just ain't a whole lotta money out there in the restaurant industry. It is a very low margin business with few barriers to entry....all of which is a fancy way of saying that it doesn't pay much. Not to owners. And not to staff.

So we have tried something new this year at Satchel's. We share all profits 50/50 between ownership and staff. All financials are shared and discussed, and all business decisions are made (for the most part) collectively. Part of the logic here is to incentivize my current staff (all of whom are FANTASTIC!) to stay and grow old and die with me (ok, maybe not that long, but you get the idea). And I also like the idea of aligning everyone's interest: a good day for Satchel's BBQ is a good day for EVERYONE at Satchel's BBQ. But most of all, it seems like the right thing to do, especially in an environment where the traditional models of labor and management don't seem to be working. Let's try something new. Heck, it might even be fun (it is!)

So please know that when you choose to patronize Satchel's, you are not supporting just one person (that rather loud, overly-talkative old guy with the vaguely southern accent), or one family (that same guy, his wife and their two dogs). You are supporting all of those who work behind that counter. And more than that, you are supporting a new way of thinking about operating a business and a new way of treating those with whom we work.