Working To Stay Open, Restaurant Focusing On Employees For Survival

Throughout the pandemic we’ve shown stories of the ways small businesses have adapted to survive.today, Dan Grossman has the story of one business who has been able to stay open by focusing on their employees’ morale.

THROUGHOUT THE COVID CRISIS...WE'VE SHOWN YOU STORIES OF THEWAYS SMALLBUSINESSES HAVE ADAPTED TOSURVIVE.TONIGHT ...DAN GROSS-MAN HAS THESTORY OF ONE BUSINESS THAT'SBEENABLE TO STAY OPEN... BY FOCUSINGON THEIR EMPLOYEE'S SPIRIT.LIKE ANY PICTURE-PERFECT LOVESTORYNATS OF LAUGHS @1:22MATT CHASSEUR AND ASHLEY FEESCHASSEUR SHARE INTERESTS,SNAP OF NEW PHOTOBONDS,SNAP OF NEW PHOTOAND A PROPENSITY TO FORGETWHEN..

EXACTLY..

THEY MET22:27 "WE'VE BEEN MARRIED FORTWO YEARS.

LIKE TWO AND A HALFYEARS.

AND LIKE 10 YEARS MAYBE?IT'S SO TERRIBLE I DON'T EVENKNOW.

IT'S OK YOU GUYS DEAL WITHFOOD NOT NUMBERS"IT WAS TEN YEARS AGO- AT ANUPSCALE RESTAURANT IN CHICAGO.MATT WAS A CHEF, ASHLEY AHOSTESS, ANDLIKE THE KITCHEN IN WHICH THEYSHARED SO MANY HOURS- A FLAMEERUPTED AND A PARTNERSHIP WASBORN IN MORE THAN ONE WAY21:08 "WE KNOW WHEN WE NEED TOBE PROFESSIONAL TO EACH OTHER,AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT'S "CHEFMATT" TALKING TO ME NOT MYHUSBAND MATT TALKING TO MELAUGHS"SO HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THEPANDEMIC?

WELL, IT'S ALL LED TOTHEIR GREATEST STRENGTHS-THEIR COMMUNICATION- THEIRPASSION FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, ANDHOW IT'S ALLOWED THE CHASSEUR'SRESTAURANT, PECHE, TO SURVIVEONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGESTHEIR PARTNERSHIP HAS FACEDYET IN A TOWN NOT KNOWN FOR THISTYPE OF DINING10:07 "IN CHICAGO YOU WERE IN AKITCHEN WITH 25 OTHER COOKS ANDEVERYONE HAD SPECIFIC TASKS.

YOUWALKINTO THIS ENVIRONMENT ANDYOU'RE LIKE I DON'T KNOW HOW ALLTHIS WILL GET DONE, AND THEN YOULOOK AROUND AND EVERYONE ISWILLING TO JUMP IN AND DIVE IN."WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT- PECHE WASLIKE ANY OTHER RESTAURANT TRYINGTO MAKE ENDS MEET.

MOSTEMPLOYEES WERE LET GO, BUDGETSWERE CUT- BUT THEN MATT STARTEDDRAWING FROM PREVIOUSJOBS; ONES WHERE THE MENUS WERESIMPLIFIED- ONE DISH, INSTEAD OF5- AND THE CONTENTS OF THATDISH HAD A PRACTICAL PURPOSE11:43 "YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT AVERY HARD FIGHT.

THAT WAS ONETHING THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TOUS- IS MAKING SURE THAT WE WEREPRODUCING FOOD THAT WAS NOT ONLYDELICIOUS, BUT HELP BOOSTYOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM."THE MOVES ALLOWED MATT TOCONSOLIDATE WHAT WAS HAPPENING,CUT COSTS, AND KEEP MORALE HIGHAMONG HIS REMAINING EMPLOYEES-AFTER ALL- THAT WAS THEIR MOFROM THE START12:19 "WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OURBEST SHOT AT THIS.

EVERYONE HASINVESTED SO MUCH IN US SO WE'REMAKING SURE WE'RE INVESTING INTHEM AS WELL."NATS OF UPBEAT MUSICWHAT'S HAPPENING NOW MIGHT NOTBE PICTURE PERFECTNATS OF PHOTOBUT IT HASN'T CHANGED A THINGABOUT WHO THEY ARE AS PEOPLE- ORPARTNERS 21:24 "IS THAT CHEFMATT OR HUSBAND MATT?

THAT'SHUSBAND MATT.

LAUGHS"NATS OF PHOTOI'M DAN GROSSMAN REPORTINGTHERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME ONFOX 47 NEWS AT 10....