Expert Insights
August 12, 2026
What if the key to higher profits wasn’t better food, but better staffing? In this must-listen episode of Restaurant Strategy, host Chip Klose explores how to retain hourly restaurant employees in an industry rocked by labor challenges.
Joined by TimeForge CEO Anthony Presley, Chip unpacks how restaurants can compete with the gig economy, improve retention, and build a workplace that top talent won’t want to leave. If you’re serious about solving your labor headaches, this conversation is your playbook.
Restaurants aren’t just competing with restaurants for labor: The gig economy has expanded the talent pool, and restaurants now compete with companies like Uber, Amazon, and healthcare providers.
Understanding employee motivation is critical: Different generations have different priorities—flexibility, stability, or growth—so retention strategies must be tailored.
Restaurants market to guests—but forget to market to staff: Operators invest heavily in guest marketing but often neglect internal messaging that highlights culture and employee benefits.
Forecasting is the foundation of profitability: Predictive scheduling driven by AI helps manage labor costs and align staffing with real-time business needs.
Job descriptions need a complete overhaul: Listings should lead with benefits and reasons to work there, not just duties and requirements.
Transparency in hiring improves retention: Being upfront about pay, schedules, and expectations helps reduce mismatches and costly turnover.
Training gaps lead to turnover: Many employees leave simply because they weren’t properly trained; consistent onboarding and development are crucial.
Culture must be intentional, not accidental: Employers should proactively define and communicate what makes their workplace great to attract and retain talent.
Scheduling tech has come a long way: TimeForge uses AI and 42 different algorithms to automate labor forecasting based on sales, weather, and local events.
If it’s been more than a year, it’s time to reevaluate: From scheduling practices to job ads, what worked last year may not work now—regular reviews are essential.
Join our community of industry leaders and stay updated on the latest trends and technologies in labor management. Subscribe to our newsletter or contact us for expert advice on implementing AI-driven workforce management tools in your operations.
Gig Economy: A labor market characterized by short-term, flexible jobs often facilitated by platforms like Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart.
Hourly Worker: An employee who is paid based on the number of hours worked, common in restaurants and retail.
Retention: The ability of a business to keep employees over time, reducing turnover and associated costs.
Turnover: The rate at which employees leave a business and are replaced, often high in the restaurant industry.
Predictive Scheduling: Using historical and real-time data to forecast staffing needs in advance.
Forecasting: The process of estimating future business activity—such as revenue or labor demand—based on data and trends.
Labor Management: The systems and strategies used to schedule, monitor, and optimize workforce performance and cost.
POS (Point of Sale) System: Software and hardware that manage sales transactions; often integrates with labor and inventory tools.
Recruitment: The process of finding and hiring new employees.
W2 Worker: An employee classified under a W2 tax form in the U.S., typically full-time or part-time with benefits and taxes withheld by the employer.
AI (Artificial Intelligence): Technology that simulates human intelligence to automate tasks, such as generating schedules or analyzing trends.
Institutional Knowledge: The valuable experience and understanding employees gain over time working within a specific business.
Fair Workweek Laws: Regulations that require predictable scheduling practices, including advance notice and compensation for last-minute changes.
Churn: Another term for employee turnover, often used in contexts where high volumes of staff changes occur.
Job Listing: A public posting that advertises an open position, typically including responsibilities, requirements, and (ideally) benefits.
00:00 – Chip Klose:
In business, they say to control the controllables. And in our business, our controllables are revenue, COGS, and labor. Manage those, and you can run a wildly profitable restaurant business. On today’s episode, we’re talking all things labor—how to limit churn, increase retention, and manage payroll weekly to stay profitable. I’m chatting with the CEO of TimeForge, Anthony Presley. Very smart guy. Can’t wait for you to hear this conversation.
01:02 – Chip Klose:
This is the Restaurant Strategy Podcast, where we help you build a more profitable and sustainable business. We focus on operations, marketing, leadership, and everything in between. I run a mastermind called the P3 Mastermind where restaurant owners from around the world meet weekly to focus on profitability. That connects perfectly with today’s topic.
01:39 – Chip Klose:
If you’ve got a busy restaurant but struggle with profitability, check out the program I run. Set up a free 30-minute call at restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule to learn how we drive 20% profit margins again and again.
02:20 – Chip Klose:
Are you tired of juggling schedules, tracking hours, worrying about HR compliance, and dealing with no-shows? It’s time to say goodbye to the headaches and hello to TimeForge. TimeForge is a labor management solution built for restaurants, offering tools from recruitment to retention.
03:05 – Chip Klose:
TimeForge integrates with most POS systems to give full visibility into labor and sales. Whether you run one location or dozens, it saves you money, time, and stress so you can focus on growing your business.
03:54 – Chip Klose:
Thousands of restaurants trust TimeForge. Visit timeforge.com/restaurantstrategy to see how it can help your team run like clockwork. My guest today is Anthony Presley, CEO of TimeForge. Let’s welcome him to the show.
04:20 – Anthony Presley:
Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.
04:22 – Chip Klose:
We’re going to talk about TimeForge—what you’ve built, why, and how it’s evolving. But the real value is that you’re an industry expert who sees behind the curtain of many businesses. That’s invaluable for our listeners who often feel siloed.
05:05 – Chip Klose:
So, how many restaurants are you currently working with?
05:24 – Anthony Presley:
We work with about 3,000 restaurants, plus grocery and convenience stores. That gives us broader perspective across food service.
05:50 – Chip Klose:
Right. In tech, we call that verticals. Restaurants, C-stores, grocery stores—they all face different challenges, which provides useful insight. So what are some of the common threads you’re seeing right now?
06:57 – Anthony Presley:
COVID changed everything. It reworked how work is handled and paid for hourly workers. Restaurants often think they’re only competing with other restaurants, but now they’re also competing with Amazon, Uber, and healthcare. Workers can switch to a gig job on their phone in minutes.
08:33 – Anthony Presley:
So how do we keep them? How do we compete with that flexibility? They don’t want to work long double shifts—they want short, flexible work and quick pay.
09:41 – Chip Klose:
Older generations might criticize that mindset, but honestly, if you can make a meaningful living posting YouTube videos or driving Uber, why not? We have to offer something compelling in return—a reason to work here instead.
10:57 – Anthony Presley:
Totally fair. A few years ago, we helped with a Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council study on generational worker behavior. Each generation values different things. Some want flexibility, others stability or upward mobility.
12:30 – Anthony Presley:
The study found retailers spend lots of energy marketing to guests, but almost none on their employees. We should market to job seekers the same way—what do they get out of working here?
13:15 – Chip Klose:
Exactly. It’s like advertising. Lead with benefits. Show them the space, the food, the culture—make them want to be part of it.
16:59 – Chip Klose:
Ritz-Carlton was a great case study. They offered employees the ability to transfer anywhere in the world, but no one was talking about it. Once they led with that, their hiring transformed.
18:39 – Chip Klose:
Same for restaurants. Lead with a top 10 list of why someone would love working here. Add photos, personality. Make the job ad feel like the experience.
18:56 – Anthony Presley:
Absolutely. Be honest about pay and expectations. It saves time for everyone and reduces misalignment. Better to find the right people up front.
19:46 – Chip Klose:
In business school, we talked about values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations—VABEs. Misalignment there causes most workplace issues. Set those clearly from the start.
21:16 – Chip Klose:
Churn is expensive. Does turnover look the same in grocery and C-stores?
21:38 – Anthony Presley:
Yes, though they often track it differently. Some fudge the numbers—for example, excluding anyone who quits within 90 days, which hides training costs and early churn.
23:06 – Chip Klose:
Let’s dig into TimeForge. What is it, and why did you build it?
24:32 – Anthony Presley:
I’m an engineer. Back in 2007, managers were wasting too much time scheduling. We used AI and POS integrations to auto-generate accurate schedules in seconds. At first, operators didn’t get it, but we’ve come a long way.
26:23 – Anthony Presley:
We focused on communication and real-time data to keep managers and staff aligned. That’s key to reducing turnover.
27:27 – Chip Klose:
What about recruiting? How does TimeForge help there?
27:36 – Anthony Presley:
We post to Indeed, but also use our own app with over 11 million job seekers. Think of it like GasBuddy for jobs. Applicants can apply via video, and hiring managers can quickly assess fit based on attitude and proximity.
30:46 – Chip Klose:
That fits perfectly. Now, let’s return to scheduling and forecasting—something I’m obsessed with. Predictive analytics is how we get ahead of those “three moving targets.”
32:47 – Chip Klose:
Revenue, COGS, and labor are all moving targets in restaurants. Unlike Campbell’s, where they know sales months ahead, we deal with constant uncertainty. Predictive tools are essential.
34:45 – Anthony Presley:
It’s hard. One store’s forecast model may not work at another. We’ve built 42 forecasting algorithms that battle weekly per department, per store. We factor in sales, events, weather, even truck deliveries.
39:00 – Anthony Presley:
Some clients use intraday forecasting—we pull live POS data to alert managers if labor needs to be adjusted mid-shift. That’s a game-changer.
39:50 – Chip Klose:
That’s the magic. If you can forecast accurately, you can budget for profit and hit your numbers. TimeForge makes that process scalable.
42:07 – Chip Klose:
You can DIY forecasting, but it’s not practical. There are too many variables—weather, holidays, special events. That’s why tools like yours are critical.
43:37 – Chip Klose:
Final words of wisdom?
44:23 – Anthony Presley:
Don’t keep doing things just because that’s how it’s always been done. Now’s a great time to reevaluate. Also—train your people. A lack of training is one of the top causes of turnover.
46:10 – Chip Klose:
Where can people learn more?
46:10 – Anthony Presley:
TimeForge.com. That’s T-I-M-E-F-O-R-G-E dot com.
46:17 – Chip Klose:
Check it out. Forecasting and scheduling are foundational. Get that right, and everything else gets easier. Anthony, thanks so much for being here.
46:45 – Anthony Presley:
Thanks for having me. I really enjoyed it.
46:49 – Chip Klose:
Thank you all for tuning in. If you got value from this, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts—it helps the show grow. See you next time.
Want to be a labor management pro? Sign up for our newsletter to receive thought leadership, labor management news, and timely insights from industry experts.
We’re committed to your privacy. TimeForge uses the information you provide to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, see our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Don’t miss out! Join the 30,000 subscribers who already benefit from our industry expertise.
We’re committed to your privacy. TimeForge uses the information you provide to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, see our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
