23 East 23rd Street at Madison Avenue (Flatiron District) • 212.233.1025

Schnipper’s

Their Success…creating an impeccable guest experience by serving each guest “one at a time.”  Created by founder and former owner/CEO of Hale and Hearty, Schnipper’s manages to make fast-casual feel friendly and personal with a well-trained, service-focused staff and an optimized service flow.

Staff plays a critical role in making guest experiences positive at any fast casual enterprise, where there is often high guest turnover and, frequently, a captive audience that owners mistakenly believe they do not need to court.   This attitude is nowhere to be found at Schnipper’s.  Staff greets guests enthusiastically, help them navigate the menu, and frequently offer to clear tables for guests, who would ordinarily buss their own trays.

These small touches make a huge difference in a guest’s experience in the enterprise.  Guests are often on a lunch break, or bringing their small children out for an easy bite to eat, or taking an order to-go so that they can eat while working a long day.  Being met by a friendly face and having a staff member go out of their way to make the guest’s day easier goes a long way to making the guest feel connected to the enterprise.  They remember it as a positive experience in their day, and are more likely to come back again.

While this level of service could be challenging in a fast casual enterprise such as Schnipper’s, careful planning in layout and operations, and a culture of hospitality starting from the top down, means staff can do their jobs seamlessly and focus on guest service.  In the enterprise, there are clear pathways for staff to walk between the pickup window, kitchen, and guest seating area without getting in each other’s or guests’ way.  There are also designated areas for staff to drop off collected table signs, which are then periodically returned to the cashiers so they do not run out.

These systems and design features means staff are able to focus on serving guests needs, addressing any questions or concerns, and going the extra mile to enhance guest experience without worrying about logistics.

Not only that, this attention to detail signals to the staff that the owners care about their experience as well by ensuring they have a clear, well-designed space in which to work.  Showing care and concern for employees translates into them showing that same care and concern for guests.

Take Aways…Take care of your staff and they will take care of your guests.  Make sure your enterprise has clear systems and a layout that works with your operations so that staff can accomplish tasks and do their jobs easily.  This will keep your guest experience—not operations glitches— at the forefront of staff’s minds.  Furthermore, by being hospitable to your staff with training and a thoughtful service flow, they will take ownership of your enterprise and carry your hospitality forward to your guests.