Employee Ideas Built Into the Equipment

“Hélène can be proud of how far she has come. St-Hubert Bar-B-Q has made its mark not only with the public but also among restaurant professionals. Driven by René, the rotisserie kitchen is constantly improving. This is also the result of teamwork. Indeed, René does not hesitate to consider suggestions from his employees… and to implement them when they prove effective. Thus, one day, one of his assistant cooks, Mr. Marcotte, draws his attention to something seemingly trivial. He is tired of buttering his rolls one by one with a brush. The task is tedious and takes too much time. While he is busy with this, he cannot do anything else. As a result, during the rush, he doesn’t know where to turn. To solve the problem, he proposes a curious solution. “What if we cut in half the small table where I butter my bread?” he asks his boss. “In the center, I would install a wringer roller and roll it over the butter. I would then just have to slide the rolls across it.” A week later, Mr. Marcotte’s table is installed. The invention makes everyone happy. Besides making the work easier and speeding up service, this device also allows the bread to be buttered more evenly. Such creativity benefits the customers, the restaurateur couple’s number one priority.”

“In 1964, the modest rotisserie of the early days is a distant memory. St-Hubert has four rotisseries, more than a hundred employees, thousands of customers, and an excellent reputation. Managing such growth requires some administrative adjustments. From now on, management will delegate more responsibilities to branch managers. In case of trouble, they will still be able to reach the boss at any time. As René Léger’s right-hand man, Exélire Moquin, for his part, ensures that administrative directives are followed. These measures are complemented by the creation of the first management committee, on which management and managers sit. Distinctive feature: all its members are trained at the “university” of St-Hubert and know the company inside out, both its workings and its spirit. The boss always listens very attentively to the remarks and suggestions of his “partners.” He takes them very seriously, asks questions, takes notes. When he likes an idea, the response usually doesn’t take too long. “Is it your idea? Try it.” It is clear that Mr. Léger likes to encourage initiative and innovation within his team. It is his way of developing responsible and enterprising people.”