RESTAURANTS OFTEN DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES by their delicious cuisine, unique menu, top-notch service, inviting atmosphere, and/or value pricing. We have all witnessed the wave of restaurants shifting towards sustainable, locally sourced, and organic food as a way to stand apart. Now, a growing number of restaurants are exploring ways to add equity to their menu — making the fair treatment and compensation of employees a prominent part of their mission, operations, customer appeal, and overall brand. There’s an increased interest — and appetite — for equity, not only among customers, but also among restaurant owners, and of course, restaurant workers.
The purpose of this Racial Equity Toolkit is to provide restaurant management with practical resources for assessing, planning, and implementing steps toward racial equity at your business. There is no step too small: every action you take helps your business thrive and fosters stronger local relationships with your workers and consumers. This toolkit combines the expertise of three national organizations: Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), Race Forward, and the Center for Social Inclusion.
Collectively, these organizations have decades of experience in restaurant-standards innovation and racial-equity consulting. To ensure this tool is useful, realistic, and accessible for real-life people in the industry, we partnered with two respected fine dining and casual dining restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area: Alta (San Francisco) and Homeroom (Oakland).
