22 Food Safety Solutions Fall 2013

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Texas Roadhouse:LEGENDARY FOOD, SERVICE – AND SAFETY

For more than 20 years, Texas Roadhouse’srestaurants have been the kind of neighborhoodplaces that customers visit again and again. Thecompany’s casual, sit-down restaurants average5,000 guests per week — one of the industry’shighest — thanks to fun, friendly service and amade-from-scratch menu.

By Lara Carls-Lissick

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What guests may not realize is thatbehind their delicious dinner lies acareful plan designed to ensure thehighest levels of food safety and quality, including a unique “coaching”program that addresses every step ofthe operation.

“We have an amazing culture – a culture where our employees careabout their customers, their jobs andour company,” says Kent Taylor, thecompany’s founder, CEO and Chairman. “Along with that comes atrue commitment to food safety,which is our No. 1 concern in terms ofprotecting our guests and our brand.”

HAPPY WORKERS, HAPPY CUSTOMERSDo you love your job? If you work atTexas Roadhouse, the answer is probably “yes.” From energetic pre-shift team rallies to communityservice projects to social gatherings, thecompany fosters a sense of fun andteamwork among its associates.

The restaurants, which typically seat250 guests, are lively establishmentsfull of repeat customers who enjoythe chain’s famous hand-cut steaks

and homemade fare. The companymakes nearly everything fromscratch, including all side items,dressings, and even the croutonsand bacon bits.

Each restaurant employs a dedicatedbutcher to hand-cut its steaks, aswell as a baker who creates freshbread each day. Portion sizes aregenerous, giving customers morefood for their dollar.

Texas Roadhouse also invests in its legendary service by staffing moreservers – who each handle fewer tables than the industry average – toprovide unsurpassed attention toguests.

“We don’t rely on national advertising –only local store marketing – and weput that money where it should go:into the food,” says Travis Doster,Senior Director, Public Relations,Texas Roadhouse. “That quality andvalue shows in our large number ofloyal, repeat customers.”

The successful concept has drivensteady growth for the Louisville, Ky. - based company, which openedits first restaurant in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. Today, it operatesmore than 400 establishments in 48states, the majority of which are corporate-owned, and three international

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Kent Taylor : Company founder, CEO and Chairman

locations in Dubai and Kuwait.

COACHES IN THE KITCHENAsk Product Coach Director JasonMennie what he likes best about hisjob at Texas Roadhouse and hedoesn’t hesitate for a second.

“I love the people, and my team’s ability to help spread knowledge andpassion for the brand,” Jason says.

His 40 coaches don’t run athletic drillsor blow whistles; instead, they arefood safety experts in the field, wherethey each support between six and 12restaurants.

“From an operating perspective, wewant to be seen as a helping hand – agreat coach and partner, rather thanan internal auditor or finger-pointer,”Jason says. “We aim to create a positive message and environmentevery time we walk into an operation.”

These regional associates spend entire days at each restaurant doingexactly what their title implies: coaching.They provide hands-on training forfood safety standards, sanitation, machine checks, recipe adherenceand more.

All Texas Roadhouse coaches areServSafe-certified culinary expertswith a deep base of knowledge in foodsafety and operations. In addition, allcoaches have earned a prestigious

Certified Professional – Food Safety(CP-FS) credential from the NationalEnvironmental Health Association,which tests applicants on food micro-biology, HACCP principles and regula-tory requirements.

AN AUTHENTIC TEAMTexas Roadhouse founder, CEO and Chairman Kent Taylor once attended acountry music concert at the WhiteHouse – wearing jeans, a cowboy hatand cowboy boots.

That’s because he’s true to his rootsand to his company, which encouragesemployees to dress casually at itsLouisville, Ky.-based headquarters.Company leaders don’t want field employees, who often visit the home office, to ever feel underdressed or uncomfortable.

“It’s a small detail,” says Travis Doster,Senior Director of Public Relations forTexas Roadhouse, “but it sends a bigmessage that we are one team with acommon mission: to provide legendaryfood, service and fun for our guests.”

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In addition to their daily duties, productcoaches conduct four unannouncedaudits per year for each operation.Any opportunities for improvementare “coached” and addressed immediately. These internal audits areeven tougher than state inspections,Jason says.

“Sanitation is black and white; thingsare either clean or dirty,” Jason says.“Nobody in the restaurant businesswants a guest to get sick. As coaches,we strongly believe in explaining the‘why’ behind our food safety practices.Once we do that, employees feelmore personally responsible andwant to do the right thing. In otherwords, they care.”

DESIGNED FOR SAFETYFrom their conception, Texas Roadhouse’s training programs andkitchens were designed for safety.

“Food safety is part of our cultureand is built into every one of ourrecipes, which each start with thesame first step: ‘Wash your hands,’”Jason says. “When it’s done right,food safety practices become a matter of habit.”

To that end, ongoing food safety training and education is provided forall employees. Each restaurant alsohas key hourly employees who areServSafe-certified, which helps maintain aconstant focus on food safety.

In Texas Roadhouse kitchens, single-taskstations keep raw and cooked productsseparated. Color-coded cuttingboards and utensils, along with designated storage containers, helpprevent cross-contamination. Handsinks are available at every station,and ingredients such as produce,chicken and potatoes are eachwashed in separate sinks.

Multi-lingual signs throughout the kitchens promote proper handwashing,which the company strongly emphasizes.Every kitchen even has its own “glowgerm” kit with special lotion and ablack light that lets employees checktheir hand hygiene. The company is alsotesting several new, automated,touch-free sink models.

Labeling is another big priority forTexas Roadhouse, which uses theportable Prep-n-Print automatedfood rotation system.

“We’ve used other systems in thepast, but Prep-n-Print is wonderfulbecause we can control the data basefrom the corporate level,” Jason says.“The labels give us all the informationwe need about rotation, freshnessand quality – and the residue fromthem doesn’t stay on our pans.”

Temperatures are another key foodsafety practice at Texas Roadhouse.Managers fill out “Taste & Temp” reports twice daily to ensure quality,consistency and safety. Storage areasand coolers are organized by productand follow first-in, first-out (FIFO)guidelines. All food is checked after reheating and every 15 minutes duringcooling.

Most food is sourced nationally, with theexception of locally purchased produce.All suppliers undergo an intense inspection by Texas Roadhouse,which sends its product coaches topotential vendors’ facilities for onsiteevaluation. Deliveries are acceptedonly by managers, who check quality,

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COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS• Is based in Louisville, Ky.• Operates more than 400 restaurants in 48 states and three international locations

• Is famous for its hand-cut steaks andmade-from-scratch food

• Employs about 45,000 people• Trades on the NASDAQ (TXRH)• Is open for dinner during the week andlunch and dinner on weekends

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verify proper temps, labelproduct and put it away.

EYE ON THE FUTURETexas Roadhouse expects toopen about 30 new restaurantsin 2014, driven by a commit-ment to its core values and anentrepreneurial spirit sharedby managing partners ateach restaurant.

And behind the scenes, thecompany’s employees continueto ensure the highest levelsof food safety and quality,bringing loyal guests backtime and again.

“Eating out is about thefood, the service and theenvironment,” Jason says.“We strive to be the best atall three – and that’s whatour coaches, employees andmanagers live and breatheevery single day.”

When it’s done right, food safety practicesbecome a matter of habit.

FUN FACTS• Is ranked No. 1 steakhouse in Nation’sRestaurant News’ 2012 Consumer Pickssurvey

• Serves 300,000 meals each day• Features unique, hand-painted murals ateach restaurant that reflect the local community

• Employs a butcher and a baker at eachproperty

• Has about $1 million worth of meat cut annually at each store

• Has an “Andy Armadillo” company mascot

• Operates the most restaurants in Texas(55), followed by Pennsylvania (24), Ohio(21) and Indiana (21)