Welcome to our all-new column, Multi-Unit Master, written by restaurant coach, author, speaker, and host of The Restaurant Leadership Podcast, Christin Marvin. In this column, Christin will be sharing her insights on helping independent multi-unit restaurant owners scale without losing their minds or their culture.
The restaurant industry is experiencing a seismic shift that most operators are missing.
As of the second quarter of 2024, Gen Z workers comprise 18% of the labor force, with Baby Boomers comprising 15%, marking the first time in history this younger generation has surpassed their predecessors in workplace representation.
Yet, while most restaurant owners scramble to fill positions with whoever walks through the door, the smartest operators are doing something entirely different.
They're investing in understanding and developing this generation that's already dominating their workforce.
If you're tired of watching your competition struggle with constant turnover while you could be building an unstoppable team, you need to hear Alex's story.
Ready to discover the exact system Alex used to achieve near-zero turnover? I'm sharing her complete playbook in my new book, Multi-Unit Mastery: Simplify Operations, Maximize Profits and Lead with Confidence.
The GM Who Cracked the Code
When I first met Alex, she was managing one of our highest-volume locations. What struck me wasn't her P&L performance (though it was stellar) it was her waiting list.
While every other location in our company battled the industry-standard turnover rates, Alex had employees lined up wanting to work for her.
Gen Z already filled 57% of full-service hourly positions and 71% of limited-service hourly positions in 2023, but Alex had figured out how to keep them.
The difference? Alex understood something most leaders miss: Gen Z isn't a problem to solve, they're an opportunity to capitalize on.
While her peers complained about "kids these days," Alex got curious.
She asked questions.
Real questions.
Not surface-level small talk, but genuine inquiry into what motivated each team member, what they wanted to learn, and how their job could help them build the future they envisioned.
Her secret weapon wasn't higher wages or better benefits. It was investment.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The data on Gen Z reveals why Alex's approach was so powerful:
They're Your Biggest Customer Base Too. 64% of Gen Z dine in weekly or more often, which is significantly more than the U.S. average of 39% across all age groups.
Additionally, 69% of Gen Z diners order takeout/delivery far more frequently than other generations.
When your employees understand your customers because they are your customers, magic happens.
They're Willing to Invest Back. 46% of restaurant-goers ages 20-29 are willing to spend extra for organic or sustainably sourced dishes.
This generation values purpose and quality, traits that translate directly to their work ethic when properly channeled.
The Massive Opportunity. 95% of Gen Z are engaging with foodservice, retail food, or both, making them the talent pool of the future.
While Gen Z and Millennials spend more frequently, especially on convenience and mobile-first services, they also bring this same frequency mindset to learning and development when given the opportunity.
The Cost of Getting This Wrong. Previous research shows replacement costs for restaurant employees range from $2,300+ for hourly staff to over $16,000 for managers.
Meanwhile, 56% of Gen Zs are planning to switch jobs in the next year according to Adobe research. Alex's investment approach eliminated these costs entirely.
Alex's Investment Framework
Alex didn't just manage Gen Z employees, she developed them using three core principles.
1. Genuine Curiosity Over Assumptions
Instead of assuming what motivated her team, Alex asked. She discovered that Sarah wanted to learn finance, so Alex taught her cost management.
When Marcus expressed interest in marketing, she involved him in social media strategy. Every team member had a development path beyond their current role.
2. Purpose-Driven Work Environment
73% of Gen Z consumers consider themselves foodies, and Alex leveraged this passion.
She helped each employee understand how their role contributed not just to guests' experiences, but to the broader food culture they cared about.
This connection transformed routine tasks into meaningful work.
3. The "Leave Better Than They Came" Philosophy
While other managers hoarded talent, Alex celebrated when team members moved on to bigger opportunities.
This counterintuitive approach created incredible loyalty. Many employees returned during school breaks, referred friends, and became walking advertisements for her restaurant's culture.
The ROI of Investment Thinking
Alex's results speak for themselves:
- Zero recruiting costs (her team recruited for her)
- 15% lower labor costs due to increased efficiency and reduced training time
- 23% higher guest satisfaction scores (engaged employees create better experiences)
But here's what really set Alex apart: She understood that with Gen Z expected to account for 27% of the workforce by 2025, she wasn't just managing today's team, she was building relationships with tomorrow's industry leaders.
While her peers fought over scraps, Alex was developing the next generation of restaurant professionals who would either work for her competitors or, better yet, stay and help her scale.
Why This Matters for Your Multi-Unit Growth
If you're planning to scale beyond one location, Gen Z isn't just your workforce, they're your future management team.
Only 27% of Gen Z and Millennial diners are dining out less compared to 54% of guests over the age of 44, proving their continued engagement with the industry, even during tough economic times.
Alex's approach created something invaluable, a pipeline of developed talent ready to manage new locations.
While other operators struggled to find qualified managers, Alex promoted from within, ensuring culture continuity and operational excellence.
The competitive advantage was clear: While everyone else was managing people, Alex was building leaders.
Your Next Move
The restaurant industry's workforce is changing whether you adapt or not.
92.5% of Gen Z over the age of 18 are currently in full-time employment, meaning they're not going anywhere.
You can either view them as a challenge to endure or an opportunity to dominate your market.
Alex chose investment over management, development over replacement, and curiosity over assumptions.
The result?
A location that ran itself, a team that recruited itself, and a leader who could focus on growth instead of constantly fighting fires.
In an industry where 77% of young workers are planning to look for a new job according to Bankrate, Alex created the kind of workplace that made people want to stay, grow, and contribute to something bigger than themselves.
Ready to implement Alex's complete system? In Multi-Unit Mastery, I break down her exact process… from the questions she asked during one-on-ones to the development frameworks she used to build future managers.
You'll discover how to create the kind of workplace culture that makes Gen Z employees your competitive weapon instead of your biggest headache. Don't let another quarter pass watching your competition struggle with turnover while you could be building an unstoppable team. Get your copy and start turning your workforce challenges into your greatest advantage.
Data sources available upon request.
Christin Marvin is a distinguished restaurant coach, speaker, and host of The Restaurant Leadership Podcast. She is also the author of Multi-Unit Mastery: Simplify Operations, Maximize Profits and Lead with Confidence, and The Hospitality Leader's Roadmap: Move from Ordinary to Extraordinary. She specializes in helping independent multi-unit restaurant owners scale without losing their minds or their culture. With over twenty years of hands-on experience in both fine dining and high-volume growth concepts, Christin has established herself as the go-to authority for restaurant leaders ready to move from chaos to confidence. She's the founder of Solutions by Christin and creator of the Independent Restaurant Framework (IRF) (a proven system that transforms overwhelmed owner-operators into confident CEOs). Christin's approach is built on supportive tough love and real-world experience. Having navigated her own journey from line cook at 15 to managing partner by 30, she understands the unique challenges facing restaurant leaders today. Her vulnerability about struggling with burnout and using alcohol to cope has made her a trusted voice for leaders who need someone who truly gets it. Through her personalized one-on-one coaching, elite group programs, and leadership workshops, Christin helps restaurant groups build unified leadership teams, create culture-driven operations, and implement systems that actually work. Her clients don't just survive expansion (they thrive through it).
Are you registered for our Crave and Crave on the Menu newsletters? Sign up today!
Plan to Attend or Participate in Our Events:
- Register Now for the 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo Colorado, October 26-28, 2025, Denver, Colorado
- 2026 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 23-25, 2026, Las Vegas, Nevada.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at our events, fill out our form.
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.