Waitbusters, LLC announced today that they have partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) to assist in rebuilding the restaurant industry post COVID-19. Through its commitment to empower and advance today and tomorrow’s foodservice workforce, the NRAEF launched the Restaurants Advance initiative. Restaurants Advance is a special initiative dedicated to helping restaurant workers acquire grants, career resources, growth opportunities for current workers, a path to restaurant ownership and further training to push the industry forward. In conjunction with their partnership, Waitbusters is pledging 5-20% of all its subscription costs to Restaurants Advance.
According to Shane Gau, CPO of Waitbusters, LLC, “It is with great honor that we have partnered with the NRAEF. We have seen a lot of our restaurant partners suffer over the past year due to lack of revenue caused by the pandemic. Many of our partners had to temporarily close their doors and/or significantly reduce staff in order to survive. Every worker is vital to the whole of the restaurant, and the fact that the Restaurants Advance initiative is training and guiding the future workers is such a gift. We couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of such a tremendous endeavor.”
The initiative couldn’t come at a more crucial time. According to the National Restaurant Association, 17% (about 110,000) of restaurants closed permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of workers lost their jobs due to the unprecedented circumstances and restaurants are down approximately 2 million jobs below pre-coronavirus levels. Now more than ever, it is imperative that these fundraising efforts take place to assist current and future restaurant workers discover the training, education and guidance to set them on the right career track. 100% of every dollar donated to Restaurants Advance will go directly to support the NRAEF’s mission.
“While the pandemic has caused historic pain for restaurants and restaurant workers, it has raised the public consciousness for just how important this industry is to the health and well-being of our society,” said Rob Gifford, President of the NRAEF. “What we do now will shape the industry’s future and the lives of millions of people for years to come. We are grateful for the strong support of Waitbusters and all of our Restaurants
Advance partners as we stay committed to leading this vital industry and its workforce into a new era of hope and opportunity.”
Waitbusters LLC, a service-disabled veteran owned company, is a provider of innovative restaurant technology solutions. Its Digital Diner solution offers restaurants the ability to create better experiences for their guests, save money, create new revenue streams, become more profitable, and find and retain happy customers.
Waitbusters Digital Diner provides:
- Online Ordering & Commission Free Delivery
- Delivery as a Service
- Delivery Driver Logistics
- Contactless Dine In
- Wait Line, Reservation & Table/Server Management
- Social Media Marketing
- Loyalty Program
- SMS Text Message Marketing
E-mail sgau@waitbusters.com to schedule a demo or check out www.waitbustersdining.com.
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include:
- ProStart – a high school career and technical education program;
- Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organization to provide opportunity youth and previously incarcerated individuals with skills training and job opportunities;
- Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice career;
- Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees, and,
- Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry.
For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
