A big VSAG shout out to our very own Dan Simons on being quoted recently in national restaurant industry news coverage for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Even as a seasoned restaurant professional, it’s always a thrill to be asked to impart your experiences in the media. Hence, we wanted to share Dan’s coverage.
The New York Times recently approached Dan to share our company culture and thoughts on advising our restaurant client, DC area’s Founding Farmers, where Dan is also the concept developer and one of the owners, regarding the timely topic of providing (and labeling) restrooms for all of us on the gender spectrum.
In part, Dan revealed that, “There is no mistaking who can go where at the Founding Farmers restaurant in Washington, D.C.; its restroom doors read Men, Women, and the Rest of Us.”…. “Why don’t I make it clear? We need a label that says no label.”
To gain more perspective on this issue from this piece, read the full article here.
The Wall Street Journal then asked Dan to comment within an article highlighting the travel trend of unplugging and venturing away on vacation alone, where Founding Farmers was named “One of the Top 20 U.S. Restaurants for Dining Alone.”
With that, Dan imparted his method of training restaurant staff to take additional steps in order to ensure guests dining alone feel welcomed, engaged, accommodated, and in the end… special.
Dan said, “I’ll forego the revenue of their dining companion for the opportunity to really bond with someone and get positive word-of-mouth and maybe a long-term relationship.”
For more information on Dan’s service/training practices, read the full article here.