fresh creativity and innovation to the meal , as well as a splash of beverage alcohol . The concept began to spread in Colorado and added locations in Arizona , California , North Carolina and Texas . This year Snooze has expanded into Atlanta and Kansas City .
CEO David Birzon joined Snooze in 2012 to spearhead the growth . Jaffe came aboard in fall 2017 from the consumer packaged goods world , including several years at Pepsi before shifting to the natural foods industry .
What attract Jaffe to Snooze ? “ I enjoy working with small , mission-driven concepts ,” he notes . “ I get a lot of fulfillment growing and building highly disruptive brands at the forefront of the beverage industry .”
The chain ’ s mission goes beyond perking up breakfast fare , however . Sustainability is a core value , he adds .
“ We have rigorous set of standards we call our Snooze-approved standards to ensure that we get highest quality ingredients from a sustainability standpoint .” For example , the company looks for responsibly sourced ingredients , sustainable environmental practices and ethical farming methods .
Snooze recognizes how wasteful restaurants can be at times : 90 % of its trash is diverted from landfills and going to compost . “ We ’ re really trying to be intentional about our impact on the planet ,” Jaffe says .
At a local level , when Snooze opens a restaurant , it becomes a part of the community and makes giving back a priority . For instance , 1 % of sales goes back to into the community of each location , Jaffe says .
HIRE LEARNING Snooze tries to recognize talent and promote from within , especially with opening new locations , Jaffe says . This helps maintain the Snooze culture and values when expanding into a new market .
“ Snoozers ,” as the team members are known , tend to be motivated by the shared values of community , sustainability and providing an excellent guest experience .
The hours are a draw as well . “ Part of the reason we can get such great talent is that we ’ re a one-shift business ,” Jaffe explains , so Snoozers are done with work by the afternoon .
The Snooze Trotter program helps ramp up locations in new regions . Trotters are best-of-the-best employees , who go out to the new restaurants in the weeks leading up to opening and stay for two to three weeks after the launch .
Trotters will train all the new employees coming in to the Snooze family on the company culture and how the brand does things , Jaffe says . “ That ’ s been a key attribute in maintaining our culture and ‘ Snooziness ,’ if you will , as we continue to grow .”
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