6 Questions with Brianna Borin-Lygizos on Restaurant Owners Acting As An HR Department Of One
Read time: 5 min
By Sophie Braker
First restaurant job?
I started as a Host at Texas Roadhouse in Cheyenne, WY when I was 14 years old. By 15, I was the Host Manager and at 16, a lead server. They have no rules in Wyoming! I loved learning about culture at Texas Roadhouse. They are one of the best in the business- Roadie for life!
2. What’s a food / drink you always have on hand at home?
I always, ALWAYS, have the fixings for a good charcuterie plate in my fridge. Salami and cheese are my favorite foods and I rarely go a day without them. For beverages, sparkling water is a must, but usually a good bottle of rose or sauv blanc and High Noons.
3. What does the term your Snoozers call you, "Mother Hen," mean to you?
It was about 6 months into my time at Snooze when the founder, Jon, lovingly gave me the nickname of Mother Hen. I have always had a motherly instinct or personality to me. I care deeply about how the people around me are feeling: happy, sad, angry, joyful. When things are off, I feel it right away. I am always trying to keep the peace and protect the ones I love. Over the years, this has served me in building a pretty powerful culture of care and respect. However, I think Mother Hen can be good and bad. I tend to be a bit “too motherly” sometimes and in some ways, I have built an overly nurturing company that had opportunities around accountability. I really think the nickname came from being very “Jewish” and “Motherly.” I always want full bellies and happy hearts!
4. You started as an intern at the original Snooze. What do you think is a strength and a potential weakness of internship programs?
Internships are powerful ways to learn and gain experience in a particular industry or field. It seems as if internships are sort of a dying art, but I find them to be incredibly valuable. Many of the internships that I did, led me to where I am today. On the flip side, as an employer, internships can be a bit tricky. They certainly take someone to own them, manage them, build them, and foster them. There is also no such thing as an unpaid internship these days, so while teaching and growing you also need to get your money’s worth. It can be a hard balance. However, if we want to continue to build an amazing industry of dedicated hospitalians, we must be able to create the pathways for them to fall in love with this business, so I am all in!
5. What element of the Snooze company culture are you most proud of?
We could do an entire hour-long podcast about the things that I am most proud of, but I’ll name a few. We have created a culture of inclusiveness where people feel they can be exactly who they are and that has created a safe and welcoming environment for all of our Snoozers. That is easier said than done and it has been incredibly intentional. Snooze has also remained true to our roots through growth. We are committed to our local communities, to Mother Earth, to incredible food sourcing, to being great partners with our vendors, to being a people-first organization, and to keeping our Guest Experience as our true north. We have maintained a really powerful decision-making framework that has allowed us to keep our culture alive from 1 restaurant to 57- People, Planet, Profit, and Pancakes.
6. Best advice for those HR departments of one (independent operators) who are desperately struggling to attract and retain talent?
Being an independent operator is one of the hardest jobs out there. My husband and I own Leven Deli Co as well, so I get equal big-scale HR and small-scale HR on a daily basis. Both are extremely challenging. I would encourage the HR department of one to focus on building the systems and tools that make managing all of the day-to-day stuff easy (onboarding, offboarding, unemployment, etc.), so that you can focus on the things that attract and engage talent. Flexible working models, competitive compensation, inclusive cultures, and great training. I would also encourage all restaurants to create a strong referral bonus program that allows your top talent to find more top talent. The best always find the best!
Watch the Videocast interview with Briana and Jensen (Best Served’s Founder) - BSP400: Role of Feedback and Effective Listening in Building Restaurant Workplace Culture
Brianna Borin-Lygizos, affectionately referred to as “Mother Hen” by her coworkers, represents the heart and soul of Snooze. Raised in Wyoming, Borin began working in the hospitality industry when she was just 14 years old and came to Denver to obtain her BSBA in Business and Hospitality Management from the University of Denver’s Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. She eventually found her way to Snooze, where she started as an intern and host at the original Ballpark Denver location. Almost 15 years later, she has held a myriad of roles within the company and is as passionate about the restaurant’s mission as she was on day one.
Borin-Lygizos believes that Snooze is about so much more than just serving up amazing breakfasts — it’s also about mindfully sourcing and preparing sustainable food, giving back to local communities, creating a sense of home for Snoozers and guests and allowing each Snoozer to show up authentically as their true self. She dedicates most of her free time to serving her community and sits on the boards for a variety of local organizations, including Urban Peak, Downtown Denver Partnership, Metro State Hospitality School and the Community College of Denver. She also enjoys exploring new restaurants with her husband, being active outdoors and preparing meals for friends in her home kitchen.
