Inclusion/Diversity

The Diversity in You

For many of us in the hospitality industry understanding diversity seems so simple. We are born to welcome, share and give a lot of otherwise personal time to all of our customers and our staff. And the rewards, becoming the head chef, promotion into management or the owner of one or several restaurants are the daily encouragers we wake up with as we all chase the American dream.

The restaurant is the catalyst for opportunities for all ethnic and racial groups. English pubs, German smokehouses, Irish pubs, soul food joints and Chinese kitchens are the tangible success measures of individuals who initially worked for some other group and then found their way to become owners and then employ their own and others.

Certainly diversity has been beneficial for our industry, hasn’t it? Are we an industry that provides employment and opportunity for all? I think so personally. However do the faces of our front of the house staff reflect those images of the community we serve? Not always to not at all, but why?

We are risk managers for product and not risk takers for people. We will take a chance that our guests will like our Chianti Shallot sauce on the Tilapia, but will they like, as a server, cornrow hair, ebony skinned single mom from the Southside as their server? Is it that our customers are not ready for that much diversity or is the fairer question – are we ready? How and why do we welcome diversity changes?

It begins and is fostered by you, the individual. Each one of us has the challenge to make diversity a natural part of doing business. And many times we may do it better than the non-restaurant businesses around our restaurant. We embrace the need for our personal business survival. Our experience with diversity shapes our personal destiny too.

Diversity created our uniqueness. My restaurant expertise was formulated by an Anglo female blond general manager, an African American grill cook, and a Jewish hotel owner. Gay servers taught the nuances of customer service. My great learning gift came from a very young married couple, one from Texas the other from Massachusetts (that’s diversity in marriage). They taught me the best way to nurture my hourlies. My well rounded development would have less richness without the mentoring and sharing from people who do not look like me.

So what do we learn about ourselves because of our appreciating others? Seeing yourself through others’ eyes develops personal courage. This courage makes you more comfortable with yourself creating more appreciation for diversity. Therefore you constantly want to improve yourself for the added courage.

The business case for diversity? A better person- You!

Web Resources:

• National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
   

• National Council of Community and Justice
   

• 100 Black Men
   

• United States Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
   

• Women's Foodservice Forum
   

• National Society of Minorities in Hospitality

Bio:

Joseph Larry Jackson, Vice President, All Concepts
Outback Steakhouse Inc.

Joseph is a Vice President for Outback Steakhouse, Inc., the parent company for Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmon’s, Bonefish Grill, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Roy’s and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Joseph is a 27-year veteran of the restaurant industry and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Houston (1977). Joseph owned an Outback in San Antonio, TX, before coming to Tampa and has served as General Manager for Steak and Ale, Bennigan’s, and Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

After a promotion brought him to Tampa four years ago, Joseph has been actively involved in the Tampa community. He is Chair of the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA) Board. In addition, he is on the Board of the Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance and the National Council for Community and Justice (NCCJ). He has worked with Tampa Bay Academy of Hope, Hillsborough Organization of Progress and Equality (HOPE), the Nation Urban League, local Urban League affiliates and the African- American Advisory Board at the University of South Florida, which last year established the Kente Awards recognizing community leaders and university personnel who work together to support scholastic achievement and race relations in Tampa. Joseph is married to Suzanne, the Director of Diversity Programs for the Medical School at the University of South Florida. He is the father of Gylon Amiri, Marissa-Lauren, and the grandparent of Nicole and mentor to 16-year-old Gregory Forrest.