Your 3rd Spot takes home the award for Best Hospitality Training Program. Photo courtesy of Your 3rd Spot.Your 3rd Spot was recognized recently as having the Best Hospitality Training Program at the Bar & Restaurant Expo Industry Excellence Awards in Las Vegas. The restaurant was selected out of submissions from all over the country and evaluated by a panel of industry experts from Johnson & Wales University. For the second year in a row, Your 3rd Spot also was one of three finalists in the Bar of the Year category.
Your 3rd Spot’s eatertainment concept takes the guest experience seriously with small plates, craft cocktails and an array of games and activities. Servers—called Connectors—take food and drink orders alongside encouraging guests to bust out of their comfort zones and explore new flavors and experiences. Experience Leaders are the hosts and hostesses who orient guests and show them how to maximize their fun while at Your 3rd Spot.
“We attract team members who take joy in connecting with others and who exemplify our core virtues: Grit, Self-Awareness, Optimism, Adaptability and Empathy,” says Josh Rossmeisl, founder and chief vision officer of Your 3rd Spot. “They have an innate heart for hospitality, but they also are receptive to coaching that takes them above and beyond.”
Two key figures in the brand’s employee training programs are chief people officer Chris Barrows and director of team support Portia Yates. Barrows has focused on recruitment, onboarding and mentorship strategies from front of house to corporate level, and Yates has built out exceptional recruitment processes and staff training programs based on Barrows’ strategies.
“Our training programs recognize the importance of servant leadership, which helps bring out the best leaders in our restaurant,” says Rossmeisl. “Together, Chris and Portia have built training strategies that embrace different learning styles and empower employees to take charge of their journey with us.”
