“If our restaurant teams are working so hard for us, why shouldn’t we work hard for them?”
Alan L., field training and development manager for franchise organization GF Enterprise, recently shared his experience with Tacos & Tuition (available for company-owned restaurants and select Franchises) and the value this benefit brings to quick-service restaurant teams.
“Tacos and Tuition is a program that allows us to showcase support for our teams and their growth. This is our way of giving back to the community of restaurant teams that create great experiences for our fans every day with an amazing opportunity. As a franchise organization in the quick-service industry, providing opportunities for people to grow their skills and follow their passions is important to us.”
Since opting in for Tacos & Tuition at the beginning of the year, GF Enterprises has found ways to use the program to improve all areas of the business.
"We have several people that speak little-to-no English, and vice versa with Spanish. So, when we opted in for Tacos and Tuition, we made sure to communicate that these types of classes were available to take. If our one-of-a-kind talent wants to enroll in these classes, not only will it help them on the job, but truly translate into their personal lives, allowing them to make use of what they’ve learned at grocery stores, doctor’s appointments or even their kid’s back-to-school night. It’s a win for them and us, as it provides opportunities to build our talent pipeline, but also opens up doors for our teams.”
From Alan's experience visiting restaurants and talking to field teams, he has witnessed the impact first-hand.
“As soon as we got set up with Tacos & Tuition, we had an Area Director identify the opportunities for growth and immediately signed up for classes. Being on the outside looking in, I can see significant improvements in her ability to do her job. Her restaurants function extremely well and she is more energized in her role. To me, that’s all the proof I need for me to say this works.”
In other moments, Alan has noticed a change in team culture and performance in the restaurants.
“When it comes to skills such as conflict management or time management in the workplace, we’re giving our employees the resources to take courses (that are a few hours long) to better equip them to deal with these issues. This allows individuals to become better leaders and develop skills that ultimately benefit them in and out of the workplace.”
So, what makes Tacos & Tuition different from other training or tuition assistance programs? For teams that Alan has talked to, it's about flexibility.
“The flexibility of the program removes some of the pressure and burden for employees who are raising families, working as many hours as they can. There are so many options – everything from certificates to trade programs and full degrees, that allows our talent to craft an education journey for themselves.”
Overall, Tacos & Tuition is a worthwhile investment for their restaurant teams and the business, which makes the reward mutually impactful.
“You don’t have to have 50 people sign up to measure success. You just need 2-3 people who are willing to learn, then pass it forward to others until a larger group of learners are formed. In the end, there would be nothing better than to run into someone that worked for you and have them share how our organization is the reason why they are where they are today. The impact is huge and will carry true change over time, but it’s just about getting started.”