More and more foodservice industry leaders are recognizing their role in creating responsible and inclusive environments. From improved hiring practices to accessible seating arrangements and food that’s safe for all to enjoy, inclusivity is swelling to a level beyond that of moral high ground. It’s becoming a differentiating imperative.
Inclusivity in both the workplace and the dining experience has to be more than checking off boxes and doing the bare minimum to meet optics or “perception” builders. The integrity and validity of inclusive practices come through when people feel comfortable and valued. Chefs and foodservice directors are expanding their mindsets to embrace what’s good for business and feels like the right thing to do. And it’s catching on.
Here are five ways we see champions of inclusivity in foodservice making new waves.
- They dig deeper to source foods that offer cross-menu utilization while also meeting diverse dietary needs and demands. They evolve menus to be more innovative and reflective of authentic food experiences. This means manufacturers/suppliers, distributors, and brokers must be able to communicate exactly how their portfolio supports inclusivity initiatives for the operator.
- In non-comm environments, they move away from “allergy stations” and create entirely allergy-friendly facilities. Many K-12 and C&U directors are implementing school-wide policies to ensure the whole environment is completely safe for individuals with allergies, rather than just providing a designated area.
- Looking at all aspects of the operation, they think of inclusivity as more than a human resources challenge. Inclusivity becomes an adopted platform to inform all touchpoints – including buildings and facilities (e.g. using cleaning products that maintain good air quality), education and training, and certainly food services and menu adaption (e.g. meeting dietary needs like nut-free, gluten-free, kosher, halal, etc.).
- They make the entire dining experience more inclusive, from seating considerations for body types and special needs, to putting pet-friendly policies in place. They look at micro-level ways to prioritize comfort and confidence, like labeling foods and listing ingredients when possible, keeping shared condiments away from meat, or providing utensil options and variants.
- With an eye towards growth and optimization, they see what matters to people in terms of comfort and safety. They push themselves and others to survey, assess, and identify for gaps and then create plans against inclusion goals. They take care to train staff on the importance and benefits of inclusive practices and then create feedback loops to make sure they continuously grow in this space. They make hard choices in the name of inclusivity. And finally, they celebrate their commitment to inclusive practices by communicating, marketing, and adopting “value, safety, and comfort” into their foodservice cultures.
So what does all this mean for foodservice marketers?
It’s time to be LOUD about how your company and your product portfolio support inclusivity goals. And it’s time to get real about making sure they actually do.
- Create ambassador kits and enablement materials for the sales force and broker teams so they’re armed to lead a conversation around inclusivity with buyers
- Show cutting videos and content that emphasize inclusive attributes
- Build new recipes around inclusive attributes that chefs can implement across menus
- Add values-driven content to your owned and social channels so you’re effectively showing operators how your company aligns to and supports inclusivity initiatives – by way of comfort, safety, and human value – and connect it to your services and products
- Offer consulting services to help build plans together – organize goals by foodservice dining experiences versus the workplace, separating the two for distinguishable initiatives
