Restaurant Owner Rewards Employees With Week-Long Theme Park Vacation

Jan 09, 2023

During the pandemic, many businesses suffered due to the loss of labor and the loss of income. With stay-at-home orders preventing the usual Friday night and Sunday brunch crowds, restaurants, in particular, struggled to stay afloat. Many could not pay their rent, their suppliers, their employees, or even themselves without the steady stream of customers that would normally come through the door on a given day.

Mass vaccinations have led to the world "opening back up" again and allowing for breakfast counters and food trucks alike to slowly limp back to life; however, even in 2022, many still faced challenges when it came to maintaining old standards of service and established expectations. Many felt they were forced into a level of exposure during the pandemic that was not reflected in their pay or even recognized by their customers or employers. This led to a rise in quiet quitting and even walk-puts among restaurant workers who felt unseen in the health crisis.

However, one business in Boston, Massachusetts, managed to treat their staff with requisite respect and, as a result, held on to a roster of dedicated employees throughout the pandemic. Toast, in Boston's Hull, not only kept its doors open but, when the time came, repaid its workers in a truly magical way. 

Restaurant owner, Jessica Travis, spoke to CBS Boston reporters in January 2023 about her decision to honor their work ethic and their sacrifices in such a generous way. She said that, honestly, Toast and herself had "survived Covid because of (her) employees." As a result, she wanted to give them all something, unlike your average Christmas bonus or coffee shop gift card.

Commenting on her leadership style, Travis said, "I feel like if you take care of them, they will take care of you." One employee, Caitlin Ryan, also spoke to CBS about her boss' attitude. She said, "She treats us like family every day that we come in, treats us like one of her own kids."

It is perhaps this family-like dynamic that inspired Travis to give her staff an extra special gift in response to their support over the past few years. She said, "For the last three years, they stuck by me. Dedicated themselves just to make Toast what it is today … So I had the idea, what better way to reward them than Universal Studios and Disney for a week." 

Travis also chose a nontraditional way to reveal to her employees what it was that they were being gifted. Staff member, Sean Lally, recalled being in a meeting in which employees were presented with a 30-piece puzzle. He said, "It spell(ed) surprise we are all going to Walt Disney World." Another employee, Stevie Ryan, remembered his reaction, saying, "I was kind of in shock. I thought it was a joke at first."

Travis had organized an all-expenses-paid seven-day trip to Disney in May 2023 for 27 of her employees, including family. Financially, the gift was made possible by some inheritance Travis has received. She had lost her mother and had been, in the years since, "waiting for just the right opportunity."   

Another employee, Katarina Spear, commented on their success, saying, "I think having a really good team behind you makes all the difference." Sounds like the trip will be truly special. 

What's a unique way you've been thanked by an employer? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, as well as any Toast devotees!