In Bandol (83), Michelin-starred chef Jérémy Czaplicki has ended split shifts in favor of two teams. This overhaul came at the right time and has been a success for both him and his staff.
One team in the morning for lunch, another in the evening for dinner. While he had been considering the idea, it was the lockdown that convinced Jérémy Czaplicki , the executive chef of the restaurants (a Michelin-starred gastronomic restaurant, a bistronomic restaurant, and a seasonal beach restaurant) at the Hôtel l'Île Rousse Thalazur in Bandol (Var), to take the plunge. “With the Michelin star, we were welcoming more and more lunch customers. Service times already constituted a normal day. We very quickly started to struggle with preparation, arriving earlier, finishing later, and hiring additional staff,” explains Jérémy Czaplicki . The hotel's director, Nicolas Tricot , also wanted to be more transparent about working hours.
Before the lockdown, a time clock was tested: unsurprisingly, the counter in the kitchen quickly skyrocketed. “ We thought we could manage during the off-season, but it quickly became a headache!” the chef commented. Upon reopening in June 2019, Jérémy Czaplicki attempted to make projections: “ We know that summer is our busiest period. My strategy was to recognize that we couldn't reopen with the same hours as before. It seemed obvious to me then to create two teams; it was the right time to overhaul our organization.”
No more split shifts; instead, the 25 employees now have a morning shift (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and an evening shift (3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.). While this new system has increased the payroll by the equivalent of two or three full-time positions, the benefits have been enormous. “I immediately saw a renewed sense of energy within the team. We've regained the time needed to plan and work more calmly, which also allows us to expand our offering.”
To become attractive again
While salaries haven't changed, the flexible hours offer employees a definite advantage. “Young people today clearly express the need to balance their professional and personal lives. Salary, a project, and their daily routine are their criteria, not a permanent contract. By offering them a project, by giving them visibility on how to organize their personal lives, we've become more attractive.” So much so that the chef hasn't felt the loss of staff, an issue that affects a large part of the profession. Commuting times, especially during peak tourist season, or the fact that restaurants are open 7 days a week are no longer a problem either.
If the gamble pays off, the manager remains vigilant about management: “ We're going from one entire team to two separate teams. We have to be attentive, take into account each person's profile and expectations, and place them in the right role to avoid frustrations.” On the other hand, it also offers the possibility of internal advancement from one team to the other. A career path and a better work-life balance are attractive and facilitate recruitment, even if this isn't the primary selling point. “Hours are no longer a taboo subject. It's doable; it's a matter of will,” concludes Jérémy Czaplicki.
With kind permission from the Journal de l'Hôtellerie