Salle d’entraînement avec téléviseur, douche et vestiaire, table de ping-pong et borne d’arcade, rangement à vélos … un restaurant de Québec prend les grands moyens pour «gâter» son équ et déjouer la pénurie de main-d ‘artistic work.
Despite the pandemic, Chez Rioux & Pettigrew, a restaurant in the Old Port sector, has invested several thousand dollars in training and relaxation spaces.
When sanitary regulations permit, equipment will be provided to employees free of charge.
Photo Archive, Stephens LeBlanc
A relaxation area has also been created.
The initiative reminds us of the benefits offered in innovation and digital industries. In the restaurant business, where profit margins are very slim and every square foot counts, this is very rare.
“I’ve never heard of a restaurant with this,” says co-owner Stephan Greenon.
« Game changer »
According to him, catering is a “very difficult and stressful task” and it often pushes people to change jobs, which he wanted to offer a solution.
“I, my primary supplier, are my employees. I have always said to myself: Make your employees happy and they will take good care of your business and your customers. […] I wanted to give them a gift. “
His motto appears to have smiled at him in the past few months, as he has not lost any workers despite the uncertainty of the crisis.
For now, the entrepreneur asserts that hiring employees is not a problem for him. But in the long term he acknowledges that these assets could be ” Game changer »In terms of employee retention and attractiveness.
“In the short term, I’m not doing this to attract new workers. Yes, that will be the case in the end, but there, I wanted to spoil my team,” he sums up.
“I’m tired of seeing them in little lockers above the stairs,” he says.
Psychological comfort
Stéphane Grenon confirms that he had cherished this project for a long time, but he waited until he had the financial means and the space to do so.
The idea came to him when he co-launched a tech company, Octane, that lives at the same address as the restaurant.
So the stars aligned, as the buildings were available on the second floor of the building, where work could begin. Octane’s seven employees will also be able to take advantage of the new facilities, which also includes a photo studio.
Mr. Greenon is sure that the growth of his companies will depend on the well-being of employees. “Our mission for the next few years is quality work, welfare and employee welfare,” he says.
