He Founded a Groundbreaking Employee Management Tool in the Back of a Sandwich Shop. A Decade Later, His Company Has 1 Million Users. 7shifts CEO Jordan Boesch shares how the tool came to be — and why now is the best time to be a restaurant operator.
By Shawn P. Walchef Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- 7shifts collects data in real-time, which helps employers adjust to employee feedback on the fly.
- As it expands, the company continues to focus on ways to make restaurant operators' jobs easier.
- With so much technology available, 7shifts’ Jordan Boesch believes there is no better time to become an operator.
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7shifts CEO Jordan Boesch wants to improve the employee experience at restaurants through technology.
Founded in Canada in 2014 in the back of his father's Quiznos franchise, 7shifts was born out of Boesch's desire to create simple solutions for complex team management challenges. The company provides a scheduling, payroll and employee retention app designed to enhance restaurant performance.
Today, more than 50,000 restaurants use 7shifts to save time, reduce errors and control labor costs. More than one million people — about one in every 15 restaurant workers in the country — use the app.
Boesch emphasizes the importance of employee satisfaction and engagement as key metrics for success at restaurants.
"As we evolved and focused, we realized a lot of this has to do with the employee experience that led us into this whole concept of asking for shift feedback," Boesch explained to host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media at the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.
By capturing real-time feedback, 7shifts helps operators identify and address issues before they lead to employee turnover. It aims to fill the gap and illuminate blind spots by providing insights that allow operators to react proactively.
"Ninety percent of restaurant operators do not do an exit interview," Boesch added. "This meant there was a huge opportunity to give restaurant operators insights earlier and in real-time so they can react."
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Technology helps restaurants run better
Given the wealth of available technologies, the 7shifts founder believes there has never been a better time to be a restaurant operator.
"There's a ton of amazing products out there," he says, encouraging aspiring operators to research and select the best tools for their needs. "Look at what integration means in those worlds because the level and the depth of integration can mean different things to your experience."
Under Boesch's leadership, 7shifts is dedicated to elevating the standards of what restaurant teams can achieve together, driving innovation in the industry and helping operators focus on what they do best — running their restaurants successfully.
As 7shifts continues to grow, it remains committed to simplifying the lives of restaurant operators with innovative products and services. Boesch is particularly excited about the new tip payout and payroll products.
"We've been hard at work, going deep on our tip payout product and our payroll product," he shares. The goal is to make these products so intuitive that operators can onboard themselves. "We're here saying we believe operators can do more with their time if we give them more time back."
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