Inclusion leads to happier employees, which ultimately leads to better business. Restaurants prioritizing inclusivity can help the LGBTQ community feel safe and welcome. Management can start by allowing staff to use preferred pronouns in their employment applications and asking current staff members about their preferred pronouns. They can add LGBTQ-friendly and Transgender Safe Space attributes to their Google listings.
They Have Queer Owners
Food unites people because it is a universal language. Still, for many marginalized groups in our society, it can be challenging to find environments that make them feel safe and welcome. An LGBTQIA+ friendly establishment prioritizes inclusivity through its management team and employee policies. The restaurant industry is the country’s second-largest employer, and creating a workplace that reflects diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices is essential. One way to do that is by hiring LGBTQIA people. As a result, LGBTQIA people will visit your establishment more often and recommend it to friends. To help restaurants with their hiring efforts, the website Intentionalist has created a map of LGBTQIA-friendly small businesses. It’s an easy-to-navigate tool that will help customers spend their dollars at places that matter to them.
They Have Trans Owners
In an increasingly homophobic society, restaurants need to show that they are open and welcoming to marginalized groups. Providing safe spaces for trans people kicked out of their bathrooms or gay people who would otherwise stumble into bars that advocate for shooting them makes an impact.
To make your restaurant more LGBTQIA friendly, you can start by incorporating gender-inclusive language into your menu and advertising. Asking customers to use the pronouns of their choice is another easy way to support the community.
Adding “LGBTQ-friendly” or “Transgender Safe Space” attributes to Google listings is also a great way to advertise your restaurant’s inclusivity. It lets customers find your business quickly and lets them know they will be welcomed. A web optimization specialist can boost traffic and sales. It can also make a big difference in employee retention as well. Especially with the current labor shortage, LGBTQIA-friendly is a vast restaurant selling point.
They Have Ally Staff
While many restaurants promote their LGBTQIA-friendly status during Pride Month, companies must create a safe and inclusive work environment all year round. The restaurant industry is the second largest employer, with more than 15 million employees, including many LGBTQIA+ people. Several restaurant brands have earned top ratings for LGBTQIA inclusion in the workplace. Restaurant managers must train their staff on LGBTQIA inclusion and provide ally training. Additionally, restaurants can implement gender-neutral bathrooms and ensure their marketing matches the experience of non-binary customers.
Ally training for restaurant employees can also include a variety of strategies, such as communicating with each other in ways that respect individual differences, assigning a meeting mediator, and implementing communication guidelines. Lastly, restaurants can connect with local and national LGBTQIA organizations to find direct ways to empower their communities.
They Have a Family-Friendly Environment
Unlike bars that feature drag brunches and disco balls, restaurants tend to take on the task of being LGBTQIA-friendly more subtly. Instead of rainbow flags, they may have gender-inclusive signage and a mission statement that reflects their commitment to inclusivity. Inclusivity is more than just posting a Pride flag for a month or asking new employees what pronouns they prefer. It’s about the ethos of your restaurant and how your employees speak to one another. For example, adding private gender-neutral bathrooms not only makes your restaurant more welcoming to LGBTQIA+ customers but also allows parents and caretakers with children to have more privacy in your establishment.
It’s essential that the LGBTQIA community feels welcome, safe, and valued at your restaurant year-round. That means ensuring your business’s policies reflect this and that your marketing matches up with diners’ experience. For example, if a trans man sees his name on a menu but is called “ma’am” by your staff, it can feel like a contradiction.