Transforming restaurant managers into leaders

Leadership development programs for hospitality professionals

Who says leading in hospitality has to be so stressful?

Let’s be honest: working in restaurants means that you’re always on and under pressure. In a fast-paced industry like hospitality, mindset and habits matter. Tableside’s research-backed leadership development program builds your staff’s self-awareness and people skills, so they can effectively manage and lead others. A more reliable and stable workforce means you can stop putting out fires and start focusing on big-picture priorities.

Our program

"Great service cannot exist without great leadership."

— Simon Sinek, Foreword, Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
"True hospitality consists of giving the best of yourself to your guests."

— Eleanor Roosevelt
"Leadership creates an environment that makes people want to, rather than have to, do.”

— Horst Schulze, Co-founder, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group

73.9%: Average annual restaurant turnover rate in 2023 according to Toast + BLS data

$5,000+: Restaurants lose $5,000+ annually due to high employee turnover according to research by Cornell University

THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER

People are your biggest asset.

It’s no secret that hiring, staffing, and turnover is a huge challenge in the hospitality industry. But here’s a lesser known fact: research shows that investing in employees’ professional development leads to higher engagement and higher retention. Plus, career development is a top 3 reason hospitality professionals stay in a job longer or consider a job in the first place.

Investing in your staff’s professional development not only supports their career goals, but also strengthens your organization’s talent pool and bottom line.

It’s a win-win.

Our approach

No more being stuck in the weeds—

In our 8-week Leading in Restaurants program, gain the skills and know-how you need to successfully lead people and meet business objectives. Learn more →

IT’S YOUR TURN

Hospitality centers around serving others, Tableside centers around serving YOU.

Tableside started in 2023 when certified leadership coaches Deirdre Auld and Cassie Francisco wanted to provide support to leaders in high-stress, high-impact careers who serve others.

Driven by Deirdre’s 10+ years of experience leading restaurants and Cassie’s experience coaching restaurant managers, they built a leadership development program targeted specifically at hospitality—an industry that gives so much to others and the communities they call home.

Our story

Testimonials

"I'm so grateful that Shy Bird decided to participate in the Leading in Restaurants Program. As a newly minted leader in the hospitality space, I can certainly bring elements of my previous experiences in other industries to this role. However, the collective wisdom of my peers in the program, as well as the skills development that the curriculum provides, has set me up with a much stronger foundation than I started with. Deirdre and Cassie provide a great conversational framework to translate the concepts from the course into real world situations. The practical applications of this course cannot be overstated."

— Shannon Cassidy, Assistant General Manager, Shy Bird Kendall
"Cassie and Deirdre have created an incredible balance between coaching, informing, and mentoring. Cassie's style of active listening and questioning has helped me recognize where I can improve myself professionally and personally. Deirdre’s dedication to being supportive and patient is unparalleled. It has pushed me to give the same level of support to my team. I’ve gotten incredible perspective from both parties that I have been able to utilize at work and beyond."

— Toni-Lynn Maiorino, People and Wine Director, Coda Group
"Cassie and Deirdre are an absolutely dynamic duo. At their core, they both bring an extremely empathetic and intentional approach to anything they do. They complement each other extremely well, both with their experiences and styles. From her time in hospitality, Deirdre is able to move at a fast pace while having a keen awareness of how to ensure every person can truly grasp a concept, idea, or activity at their own pace. Simultaneously, thanks to years working in the communications and education fields, Cassie brings her contagious positive spark and creativity to keep sessions engaging and relatable. I cannot recommend these two enough—anyone working with Deirdre and Cassie will be in for an A+ growth and learning experience."

— Adam Reinhart, Former Assistant Resort Manager, Club Med
"I really enjoyed this course. I've taken leadership trainings for other careers and jobs, and I enjoyed that this was restaurant specific. Sometimes we face really nuanced situations other leaders in the working role don't often see, or we have to get creative in how we problem solve. It was really nice to hear from people who have been in restaurants offer leadership skills specific to our industry."

— Kayla Peterson, Service + Events Manager, Shy Bird Southie