Dear Friends & Family,
Now that the immediate challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic are coming to an end, I am going to begin sharing how Cavalryman Steakhouse and Cavalryman Catering are working to address the lingering challenges that the pandemic has caused or uncovered.
First up: restaurant labor wages. As you may have read in the news, restaurants are struggling heavily to rehire sufficient staff to be able to operate as they did pre-pandemic. And we believe the number one reason is that restaurant workers have for a long time been among the lowest paid workers in the country.
We are experiencing this ourselves – we cannot meet all of the demand for our dinner and caterings. This struggle is especially acute in our “back-of-house” staff – the people that work hard to prepare our foods quickly and consistently while spending very long hours in crowded, hot quarters.
Today, I’m asking you to join us in supporting our kitchen staff so that they can begin to receive more appropriate wages. For our part, we are sharpening our pencils, running the numbers and preparing to give broad raises to all of our wonderful existing and new kitchen staff.
For your part, we ask you to participate in the Tip the Kitchen Initiative, started in Charlotte, NC this year by the 5th Street Group. The way it works is that we have added a second tip line to our checks – one for the server and one for the kitchen. If you have a great experience, thank the people who made the food by adding a tip on the kitchen line. (Obviously, we do not want you to feel obligated to ever tip – in fact, if your experience is less than stellar, let me know and I’ll make it right.)
The pandemic tested us, and we responded by quickly pivoting to new and innovative safety measures and home delivery models. It’s time to emerge wiser, more creative and stronger than ever. Let’s ride together and do just that.
Sincerely,
Justin Taylor
General Manager
Cavalryman Steakhouse