Jack’s Pizza, with locations in Alton and Pittsfield, is not just a pizza shop. Rather, says Kathy Menegozzi, Jack’s director, “We use the business of pizza to support our communities and workers, who, as Covid-19 has made especially clear, are front-line workers and are essential to everything we do at Jack’s.”

As a whole, the restaurant industry often treats its workers poorly. Some 52% of all workers who are at or below the minimum wage are in the restaurant industry, yet restaurant workers make up only 15% of all workers in all occupations earning an hourly wage. Add questionable conditions, pervasive harassment and a lack of development/ opportunity, and you have a full-fledged crisis not only for restaurant workers but for owners as well.

Jack’s, however, is exploring how restaurants can better engage and support their employees. It shared its efforts at last year’s NH Business for Social Responsibility’s Sustainability Slam.

“There’s this prevailing mentality in our society that you need to deal with personal life struggles at home and that you can’t bring them into work. Then, on the business end, employers feel that they don’t have the time to help struggling workers,” says Menegozzi. “But supporting your employees doesn’t mean being the one to solve all these issues. There are professionals for that. So it’s really just about pointing your employees in the right direction and supporting them in getting the help they need. Creating the type of environment where this is possible, however, does take thoughtful effort.”

Building trust and self-esteem, leaning on teachable moments and providing the space for vulnerability takes time, according to Menegozzi.

“We had to feel comfortable leading with vulnerability ourselves, admitting that there are days that we struggle and make mistakes and that it’s OK,” she says. “The effort and thought that it takes to create a culture like this may sound significant at first, but the cost of not supporting your workers in this way is far greater.”

Jack’s Pizza continues to prove that it is not just a pizza shop.

When schools shut down amid Covid-19 concerns, Jack’s stepped up to help provide kids meals as Pittsfield and neighboring districts rushed to get their mobile lunch programs set up.

And it’s currently working on releasing a code of conduct that will set the expectation that customers treat their workers with respect and dignity or risk the possibility of being asked not to return again. The pizzeria is also in the process of developing a resiliency training series for essential workers and leaders.

To learn more about Jack’s Pizza contact kathleen@jackspizzanh.com. This year’s Sustainability Slam, will be presented virtually from 4 to 6 p.m., Nov. 12. For more information, visit nhbsr.org/JOT.