Experts Discuss Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Restaurant Franchises

Industry leaders from Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, and HigherMe share insights on building high-performing teams.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 12:00pm

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A minimalist studio still life featuring a metal restaurant bell, stacked dollar bills, and a tablet device, conveying the interplay of human leadership, financial performance, and digital tools in the restaurant franchise industry.A symbolic representation of the human, financial, and technological elements that drive sustainable profitability for restaurant franchises.San Diego Today

At the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, industry experts emphasized that sustainable restaurant profitability and successful scaling depend on prioritizing the 'human heart' of the business through rapid recruitment, authentic culture building, and collaborative leadership partnerships. Speakers from Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, and HigherMe discussed best practices for optimizing compensation, fostering an engaging culture, and retaining top talent.

Why it matters

In an industry facing persistent labor shortages, the ability to attract, develop, and retain skilled workers is critical for restaurant franchises to maintain profitability and fuel growth. The insights shared by these industry leaders provide a roadmap for franchises to build resilient teams that drive bottom-line success.

The details

The panel discussion covered key strategies for recruitment and retention, including the importance of rapid response to candidates, effective onboarding and training processes, and cultivating a strong company culture. Speakers also highlighted the challenges of scaling from a single-unit to a multi-unit operation, emphasizing the need for flexible, collaborative franchisee-franchisor relationships and a shift in leadership mindset from entrepreneur to businessperson. Building an authentic culture that recognizes and rewards employees was cited as a crucial factor in driving long-term employee engagement and reducing turnover.

  • The Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit took place last month in San Diego.
  • Blaze Pizza, Farmer Boys, Mike's Red Tacos, and HigherMe experts participated in a panel discussion on April 9, 2026.

The players

Brittney Wilganowski

Head of revenue for HigherMe, the moderator of the panel discussion.

Stacey Gelber

VP of Human Resources for Blaze Pizza.

John Lucas

VP of brand and franchise development for Farmer Boys.

Lance Salsman

SVP of operations and training for Mike's Red Tacos.

Mattew Walls

President and chief stores officer for Edible Brands.

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What they’re saying

“So, a lot of times it's not necessarily a hiring problem; it's a retention problem. What I've found best that works for most franchisees or brands is actually making sure that you have speed with the candidate. That means as you get your candidates in, that you're responding to them in a really quick way, and that you're staying in contact with them throughout the process.”

— Lance Salsman, SVP of operations and training for Mike's Red Tacos

“Somebody that wants to effectively partner with us looks at us as their business partners rather than the brand police. I think it is really critical. So, somebody that has maturity and has spent time in leadership roles to know that there's value in that partnership. If they're there to connect and be there for the long haul, to me, that makes all the difference.”

— John Lucas, VP of brand and franchise development for Farmer Boys

“Really, truly building a culture where employees feel recognized, they feel like there's room for growth, they feel like they belong and they're building a positive work experience — that's only going to lead to your guests coming in and having a positive experience as well. So, I think that's really important.”

— Stacey Gelber, VP of Human Resources for Blaze Pizza

What’s next

The Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit organizers plan to release a full report on the key takeaways and best practices discussed during the event in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

In an industry facing persistent labor challenges, the most successful restaurant franchises are prioritizing their 'human capital' by investing in rapid recruitment, authentic culture-building, and collaborative franchisee-franchisor relationships. These strategies are proven to drive long-term profitability and sustainable growth.