Upon entering a Texas Roadhouse (TRH) restaurant, you know this is not your typical restaurant chain. Maybe it’s the 6-12 hostesses greeting you in their “I ♥ my job” t-shirts. It could also be the freshly baked bread station or hand-cut meat display.

Behind each of these features is the mantra, a “Happy Staff = Happy Guests,” or so says Todd Skull, General Manager of the Royersford, Pennsylvania location. And TRH does have happy guests. As the PeopleMetrics 2008 Most Engaged Customers Study found, TRH has the most engaged customer base of all casual dining establishments measured¹.

In an economy where many of his competitors are struggling

to get guests in the door, Skull’s sales and traffic are just as strong as normal, if not better. Other locations throughout the US seem to be doing equally well. How are Skull and the rest of TRH doing it?

¹ Casual Dining Establishments Measured in the 2008 Most Engaged Customers Study: Applebee's, Bob Evans, Chili's, Cracker Barrel, IHOP, Outback, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Texas Roadhouse

1. Engaging Employees:

Like Skull says, “It’s all about the employees.” At the start of every shift, Skull holds an Alley Rally to announce the employee contest for the evening and make sure everyone knows their duties for the night. Not only does this

help employees better understand their responsibilities for the night, but it also creates a sense of team spirit. Plus, the contest injects some fun into the evening. Contests vary but can include best sales for the evening or most ‘wowed’ guest. Prizes range from free dinners to gift cards.

In addition to the nightly contest, managers at each location are given $500 every month to spend solely on employees. This can be used for staff trips to baseball games or pooled among various locations for a softball game and BBQ. If you don’t use your $500, Skull says “it is a difficult conversation to have with corporate management.”