Why Forward-Thinking Restaurant Groups Are Finally Investing in L&D

This one's for the trainers -- all the Chief People Officers, Chief Human Resources Officers, Chief Talent Officers, Heads of People and Culture, and Chief Labor Relations Officers out there...

“If someone quits on day 10, it wasn’t a hiring problem. It was a training problem.”

That’s what one multi-unit operator told us recently—and she’s right. Restaurants aren’t losing people because of pay alone. They’re losing them because people walk in excited… and walk out confused, unsupported, or invisible.

That’s why forward-thinking restaurant groups are finally investing in Learning & Development (L&D)—not as a perk, but as an operational necessity.

For years, L&D was treated as something to build after expansion—when there was more time, more budget, or more headcount. But that model is changing fast. Restaurant leaders are realizing that investing in people up front is one of the smartest, most scalable ways to improve performance and retention—and they’re turning to tools like Shifty to do it.

The CPO Pain Equation

If you’re a CPO at a restaurant group with 10, 50, or 200+ locations, you’re likely juggling some of these pain points:

• Inconsistent Training: Each GM or trainer “does it their way,” leading to wildly different guest experiences.

• High Turnover: New hires often feel overwhelmed or unsupported in their first 30 days—and leave before reaching full productivity.

• Lost Institutional Knowledge: Veteran staff carry the know-how, but it rarely gets passed down in a structured, scalable way.

• Pressure to Perform: CPOs are expected to impact retention, guest satisfaction, and culture—without increasing labor costs.

It’s a lot. And the old-school “shadow someone for a few shifts” training model just doesn’t cut it anymore.

The Shifty Solution

Shifty was built by restaurant people, for restaurant people—with a single goal: to make training consistent, scalable, and human-centered.

At its core, Shifty is a Learning Management Solution (LMS) that blends structured content (like flashcards, video walk-throughs, and quizzes) with real-time scheduling, feedback, and check-ins. But it’s more than software—it’s a culture enabler.

Shifty gives operators:

• A unified training system across every location

• A clear path to role readiness for every new hire

• Real-time visibility into onboarding progress

• Empowered shift leaders who coach, not just supervise

And it gives CPOs something they’ve long wanted: a way to measure and improve culture at scale.

The Value to the CPO

Here’s what happens when restaurant groups implement a real L&D strategy with Shifty:

Faster Ramp Time

• Employees reach full productivity weeks faster, reducing the drag on labor and service quality.

Increased Retention

• Structured onboarding builds confidence, clarity, and connection—leading to lower first-90-day turnover.

Elevated Culture

• Teams share a common language and standard. Feedback becomes routine, not reactive.

Operational Consistency

• Every location trains to the same standard, reducing variance in performance, safety, and guest experience.

Strategic Clarity

• CPOs gain visibility into who’s trained, who’s thriving, and where support is needed most.

How That Value Scales Across the Group

When training is intentional and embedded into daily operations, the impact ripples outward:

• GMs stop reinventing the wheel and start coaching with confidence.

• Hourly team members feel seen and supported, not thrown into the deep end.

• Regional leaders can spot talent pipelines and fix culture issues before they spread.

• The brand grows stronger—because every guest interaction, across every location, reflects the same standards.

In short: L&D becomes a lever for growth, not a line item to cut.

You Don’t Rise to the Occasion—You Fall to Your Training

In hospitality, every moment matters. And when the shift hits the fan, your team won’t magically perform—they’ll default to how they were trained.

That’s why investing in learning and development is no longer optional for restaurant groups that want to grow with integrity.

Shifty helps you get your shift together—at scale.

📞 Want to see how it works?

Let’s talk. Schedule a demo with our team and we’ll show you how Shifty can transform your training, retention, and team culture—location by location, shift by shift.