Foodservice Worker Week highlights how empowering and investing in foodservice workers is essential to the growth, quality and competitiveness of foodservice at retail.
By: Andrew Brown, Senior Manager, Industry Relations, FMI
Pride in Foodservice Week offers an important opportunity to recognize the people who bring skill, passion and creativity to foodservice at retail every day. From preparing signature items to managing production to engaging directly with customers, foodservice workers shape the fresh, flavorful and convenient experiences shoppers expect from their grocery stores.
At FMI, we see the impact of these workers through the Foodservice at Retail Leadership Council, or FARLC. As we celebrate this week, we also underscore a core truth that guides the Council’s work. To compete with traditional foodservice, grocery retailers must equip their teams with the tools, training and support they need to succeed. When retailers empower their teams, customers feel the difference.
Foodservice at retail continues to grow as shoppers seek ready to eat meals, convenient solutions and restaurant quality options inside the store. FMI research shows customers increasingly turn to retail foodservice for value, taste and ease. The people behind the counter make that growth possible.
At the same time, rising expectations add complexity for retail foodservice teams. Workers must adapt to new menu designs, evolving wellness preferences, digital ordering platforms, streamlined production models and higher quality standards. FARLC recognizes that meeting these demands requires more than sound strategy. It requires sustained investment in the people who bring those strategies to life. Workforce empowerment sits at the center of the Council’s mission.
FARLC supports foodservice workers in several key ways:
- Ensure teams have the right tools and training. To compete with restaurants and other foodservice operators, retail teams need clear production models, efficient workflows and technology that helps them work smarter and more consistently.
- Share insights that improve customer experiences. Through research reviews, virtual meetings and peer discussions, FARLC helps retailers strengthen speed, taste, consistency and service in ways that benefit both employees and shoppers.
- Elevate best practices through store level learning. In person meetings include experiential store tours that highlight layout, production styles and customer facing innovations leaders can apply to better support their teams.
- Advocate for foodservice workers as strategic contributors. FARLC reinforces that foodservice teams are not only back of house operators but also ambassadors of the customer experience and key drivers of departmental success.
This Pride in Foodservice Week, we thank the individuals who bring foodservice at retail to life. Your expertise, creativity and commitment continue to shape the future of fresh food at retail, and our industry is stronger because of you.
To get involved, download FMI’s latest foodservice resources, including the Power of Foodservice at Retail and the Framework for Retail Foodservice Success, or join the Foodservice at Retail community to take part in upcoming conversations and events.
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