Restaurant Hiring and Retention: 16 Years of Insights

Restaurant Hiring and Retention: 2026 Mid-Year Report

After more than 16 years of running Mis en Place, I've had thousands of opportunities to observe that restaurant hiring and retention challenges are often more complicated than they appear.

I've also learned that what I believed yesterday may not be the full story today.

This mid-year report reflects recurring patterns and conversations with restaurant operators, managers, and hospitality professionals across the country. It isn't a scientific survey, but a collection of field observations.

Mis en Place has reviewed more than 100,000 hospitality applicants and maintains a database of approximately 70,000 candidates.

One observation continues to stand out:

Restaurants often invest heavily in hiring and underinvest in the systems that support retention.

Restaurant Hiring and Retention: Where the Investment Goes

Restaurants spend considerable time and money attracting employees through job boards, recruiting firms, referrals, advertising, and wage increases.

It's understandable. An open position affects service, scheduling, labor costs, and the guest experience. Operators feel that pressure immediately.

The National Restaurant Association continues to identify staffing as one of the industry's operational concerns.

But what happens after someone accepts the job?

Many of the issues described in Restaurant Staffing Challenges don't disappear when the position is filled.

Hiring brings people into a restaurant. What they experience afterward influences whether they stay.

Retention Begins With the First Few Shifts

New employees quickly notice whether expectations are clear, training is organized, schedules are communicated, and managers follow through.

They also notice when every shift has a different trainer or when instructions conflict.

A consistent restaurant employee onboarding process gives new hires a better opportunity to understand their responsibilities and succeed.

But onboarding is only the beginning.

Daily communication, scheduling, accountability, and restaurant service standards continue shaping the employee experience long after orientation.

Even excellent employees need dependable systems. The same principle applies to a structured hiring process.

The goal isn't to eliminate turnover entirely. It's to recognize and reduce the turnover that better management practices might prevent.

The Cost of Repeating the Same Hiring Cycle

Here's a familiar example.

You own and operate a restaurant. You need to hire a new FOH Manager. You're wearing way too many hats. We know they all look good on you, but not all at once.

Hiring feels like a revolving door. One inadequate new hire follows another. They don't follow the rules, show up late, can't seem to hear you, and occasionally disappear during service.

So what do you do?

You post another ad for a FOH Manager.

And the cycle continues.

Before doing that, spend 5, 10, or even 15 minutes looking for a common thread.

I know you don't have time. But this exercise takes far less time than interviewing, onboarding, training, and replacing another employee.

Who trained those new hires?

Did they follow an onboarding process, or were they expected to wing it?

I hope you own a chicken restaurant. That line would land a little better.

Sometimes the problem is the employee. Sometimes it's the hiring decision. But before assuming another replacement will solve everything, it's worth examining the structure supporting the position.

Every preventable departure can mean another round of recruiting, training, management time, and operational disruption. Toast's restaurant industry coverage explores these interconnected staffing and labor challenges.

Three Questions Worth Asking

This isn't an argument for spending less on recruiting. It's an argument for giving employee development the same attention.

The systems discussed in Best Practices for Onboarding Restaurant Employees and Restaurant Management Structure don't need to be complicated to make a difference.

Start with three questions:

1. Is someone specifically responsible for training each new hire, or does it depend on who's working?

2. Are expectations communicated consistently across shifts, with follow-up when needed?

3. Do employees feel comfortable asking questions?

That last question deserves particular attention.

An employee who stays quiet may understand everything. Or they may have learned that asking questions isn't welcome.

The difference matters.

The James Beard Foundation's 2026 independent restaurant industry report also discusses employee retention, workplace culture, cross-training, and opportunities for growth.

For more information about our work with independent restaurants, visit Mis en Place Restaurant Recruiting Services.

Final Observation

Most restaurant hiring problems aren't caused by a lack of effort. Operators work incredibly hard to find and attract employees.

But hiring, onboarding, training, management, and retention need to work together.

Over the years, I've become increasingly convinced that retention is the cumulative result of what employees experience every day.

Hiring isn't the finish line.

It's the beginning.