Adding Racial Equity to the Menu: An Equity Toolkit for Restaurant Employers
As the interest—and appetite—for equity increases, not only among customers, but also among restaurant owners, and of course, restaurant workers, this toolkit provides restaurant management with practical resources for assessing, planning, and implementing steps toward racial equity. From shifting towards sustainable, locally sourced, and organic food to making the fair treatment and compensation of employees a prominent part of their mission, operations, customer appeal, and overall brand, no step is too small. Every action can help a business thrive and fosters stronger local relationships with workers and consumers.
This toolkit can help you:
- Identify where racial biaes—whether conscious or unconscious—might be operating in the functions or policies of your restaurant, thus creating barriers to success for employees of color and your business as a whole
- Craft a plan to eliminate those barriers.
We have witnessed the wave of restaurants shifting towards sustainable, locally sourced, and organic food as a way to stand apart. Now, a growing number of restaurants are exploring ways to add equity to their menu — making the fair treatment and compensation of employees a prominent part of their mission, operations, customer appeal, and overall brand. There’s an increased interest — and appetite — for equity, not only among customers, but also among restaurant owners, and of course, restaurant workers.
The Equity Toolkit for Restaurant Employers provides restaurant management with practical resources for assessing, planning, and implementing steps toward racial equity. No step is too small; every action you take helps your business thrive and fosters stronger local relationships with your workers and consumers.
The toolkit combines the expertise of three national organizations: Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), Race Forward, and the Center for Social Inclusion. Collectively, these organizations have decades of experience in restaurant-standards innovation and racial-equity consulting. To ensure this tool is useful, realistic, and accessible for real-life people in the industry, we partnered with two respected fine dining and casual dining restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area: Alta (San Francisco) and Homeroom (Oakland).
This toolkit can help you:
- Identify where racial bias — whether conscious or unconscious — might be operating in the functions or policies of your restaurant, thus creating barriers to success for employees of color and your business as a whole.
- Craft a plan to eliminate those barriers.
In addition, ROC United has launched a racial equity coaching service to provide more one-on-one expert support, connect you with our network of other experienced restaurateurs, and help you avoid common pitfalls on the path to racial equity.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that restaurants fully utilize and reward the skills that all workers bring to their workplace, as well as bolster the success of the business for both owners and patrons.