Keep workplace romance from souring your operation

The dining industry has earned a bit of a steamy reputation—and we’re not talking about the dish room. Some view the long, odd hours and tight quarters of the profession as a breeding ground for romances.

Both chefs and foodservice managers have earned a slot on PayScale’s lists of jobs with the most co-worker canoodling. At Old Carolina Barbecue Company, Shirley Hug, vice president of human resources for the chain’s Midwest-based restaurant group, recalls three couples that have married, two that have been disciplined for making out in the back of house, and, recently, a formal complaint that was lodged against an employee after a relationship soured.

People are going to date whom they want regardless of company policy, Hug says, but the restaurant group and others have a few safeguards to help brace for breakups and other relationship drama.  

Nonfraternization policies don’t necessarily work, Hug says. Instead, the group’s employee handbook spells out that the company understands employees will often form close relationships, and even encourages bonding with teammates. But the handbook warns that team dynamics can change when co-workers start dating, and the restaurant might become involved if cohesion is disrupted.

San Francisco-based Back of the House Inc. also embraces the social nature of its business. “We always make sure they understand that we condone their relationship, and we work to help them thrive,” says Ed Onas, director of operations for the group’s Super Duper Burgers.

As soon as Hug spots signs of trouble in paradise, she will move the employees around, transferring them out of the department or unit. Relationships that involve a manager and subordinate are always reassigned to avoid direct supervision.

At Super Duper Burgers, management recognized that one couple’s new relationship could be a conflict of interest, so it worked with the couple to separate them in new units.

As a product of a restaurant love story herself, Loren Hannah, events manager for Michael’s on Naples Ristorante in Long Beach, Calif., says it helps to create an open dialogue with team members. “It’s good to know things about your staff to help prevent any surprises,” Hannah says. Talking with staff also helps set expectations.