BentoBox Celebrates its Second National Restaurant Workers Day, Unveiling a Partnership with Renowned Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff, a State of Tipping Report, James Beard Foundation Grant Recipients, and More

BentoBox's annual celebration champions restaurant industry workers through a series of mission-driven initiatives ahead of the bustling holiday season

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BentoBox, the Official Restaurant Technology Partner of the James Beard Foundation (JBF), today announced its second annual National Restaurant Workers Day (NRWD), commencing on October 24 in partnership with Gage & Tollner Executive Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff. BentoBox is issuing a call to action for communities to take care of local restaurant workers and provide them with support and camaraderie ahead of the year-end rush.

As the restaurant industry recovers and evolves this year, its workers continue to grapple with tipping fatigue from consumers, ongoing staffing shortages, and inflation. Despite these challenges, consumers increasingly rely on restaurants and their workers to fulfill their dining needs during the busy holiday season. As a result, BentoBox is partnering with multiple industry personalities to provide resources and mentorship for workers and industry professionals.

Here is what's happening for National Restaurant Workers Day 2023:

Collaboration with Chef Caroline Schiff: Kicking off NRWD, BentoBox and Chef Caroline Schiff, a pillar in the restaurant community and champion for the well-being of restaurant workers, have joined forces to provide industry members with essential resources. These efforts include a 'giveaway' of restaurant veterans' time, where they'll offer their expertise to industry newcomers. These renowned chefs and operators include Blake Cole, Arjav Ezekiel, Fermín Nuñez, Ana Castro and Sean Feeney. Whether it's an hour-long bartending class, pastry workshop, or just coffee to talk business, several restaurant workers will receive 1 on 1 facetime with some of the best in the business.

Brunch at The James Beard House: Chef Caroline Schiff will also participate in an event at The James Beard House hosted by BentoBox on October 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET., where she will join an intimate panel for members of the restaurant industry. Panelists also include Sean Feeney, co-founder of Grovehouse and co-founder and chair of ROAR, Nicole Mendoza, alum of the James Beard House Fellows Program and cook at Zaytinya, and moderator Anne McBride, VP of programs at JBF. The panel will cover professional development and advice for industry professionals to grow their careers.

Grants for Restaurants: Earlier this year, BentoBox, which is part of global payments and technology leader Fiserv, presented the Best New Restaurant Category at the James Beard Awards. The Best New Restaurant nominees all received Back2Business grants from Fiserv, with the category winner, Portland, Oregon-based Kann, receiving the largest grant sum. Additional grant recipients, eight of which are minority-owned, included Causa, Dept of Culture, Don Artemio Mexican Heritage, Lupi & Iris, Neng's Jr., Nolla, Obelix, Restaurant Beatrice, and Tatemo. The Back2Business initiative has provided grants and support for more than 1,800 small, diverse-owned businesses since its inception in 2020.

"We're incredibly grateful for the support of our restaurant technology partner, BentoBox, alongside Fiserv, which has enabled us to honor some extraordinary new restaurants this year," said Kris Moon, President and COO, James Beard Foundation. "BentoBox and the James Beard Foundation share a common goal in celebrating, supporting, and elevating independent restaurants and restaurant workers. We look forward to continuing this partnership and moving the industry forward."

Additional NRWD programming includes a webinar titled, Balancing Act: Crafting Sustainable Operations in the Restaurant Industry, featuring Chef Amanda Shulman, now live on the BentoBox website. The educational talk discusses how Her Place Supper Club, owned by Chef Shulman in Philadelphia, is radically rethinking work-life balance for her staff, from closing on weekends to providing 50% health insurance. BentoBox is also the sponsor of Friends & Family Bar Industry Nights in Oakland, California, which take place on Monday evenings throughout October, featuring "pay what you can" menu items for restaurant workers and community members. BentoBox will also be distributing gift cards and local treats to several restaurants in recognition of the annual holiday.

In addition to BentoBox's initiatives for NRWD, the restaurant tech company published "The State of Restaurant Tipping 2023," a report that sheds new light on American tipping culture, the most controversial area of restaurant worker compensation today. To understand the changing face of tipping, the report surveyed 2,500 U.S. diners, finding:

Three-quarters of diners like the feeling of tipping, but almost the same number say they would prefer to replace the practice of tipping with a higher base pay for restaurant workers.

• 76% of diners enjoy tipping because it contributes to a living wage for service employees.
• 74% of diners feel establishments should pay their staff a living wage instead of asking patrons to tip.

As tipflation sweeps the U.S., two-thirds of American diners say too many places are asking for tips these days.

• 87% of diners think full-service meals deserve a tip and over half share the same feeling about takeout and delivery.
• 40% of Baby Boomers typically do not tip for takeout, whereas only 16% of Gen Z respondents reported not tipping for takeout.

People who have worked for tips tend to like tipping more than those who haven't.

• Three-quarters of diners who had previously worked for tips believe the practice of tipping leads to better service, compared to two-thirds of diners who haven't.
• Almost half of employees who had worked for tips said they would miss tipping if it were gone, compared to only one-third among those who had not.

BentoBox's Tipping Report and National Restaurant Workers Day initiatives look to inform diners, motivate restaurant owners, and inspire the larger restaurant community to support its workers who are the heart and soul of the industry.

To learn more about National Restaurant Workers Day and the BentoBox Tipping Report, please visit https://www.getbento.com/national-restaurant-workers-day/ or https://restauranttipping.getbento.com. For additional information on either initiative, please contact [email protected]

About BentoBox
BentoBox, the Official Restaurant Technology Partner of the James Beard Foundation, empowers thousands of restaurants to deliver on their mission of hospitality. With the BentoBox Marketing & Commerce Platform, restaurants are able to unify their technology into an all-in-one commerce engine that delivers a seamless guest experience, a better operator experience and sustainable growth. The platform enables restaurants to build their online presence, diversify revenue, engage with diners and increase operational efficiency through websites, ordering, reservations, marketing tools and more. BentoBox is part of Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE: FI).

About the James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation (JBF) is the nation's leading culinary nonprofit dedicated to celebrating, elevating, and supporting the people behind America's food culture, while pushing for new standards in the restaurant industry where all have the opportunity to thrive. Guided by a mantra of Good Food for Good®, JBF is committed to supporting a resilient and flourishing independent restaurant industry anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability. The Foundation's impact work comes to life through the annual James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused programs, advocacy initiatives, partnership, and events across the country—including our new Platform by JBF space at Pier 57 in New York City. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our newsletter, and follow @beardfoundation on social media.

SOURCE BentoBox