RICHMOND, Va – goHappy, the leading frontline employee engagement platform, is thrilled to announce an expanded partnership with Villa Restaurant Group (VRG), a global multi-brand restaurant operator and franchisor. This collaboration will leverage goHappy to enhance communication and engagement with VRG’s frontline teams, ultimately improving employee retention and elevating the guest experience.

The partnership with goHappy brings a host of benefits for VRG, including streamlined processes for new hires, including critical surveys such as 30/60/90 new hire surveys and exit surveys, and being able to send real-time information on everything from employee recognition for a job well done, to weather alerts and policy changes. By leveraging goHappy’s dynamic platform, VRG will now have improved communication channels and feedback loops with their frontline teams, helping them maintain a strong employee culture and deliver on their high standards for guest experience.

Mike Serchia, VP of Talent & Culture at Villa Restaurant Group, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “The goHappy team is incredibly hands-on, taking the time to listen to our goals and finding creative ways to leverage their tool to achieve them. The automated onboarding messages are a game-changer as we now have consistent communication going to ALL new hires from Day 1 through the entire employee lifecycle. This includes Team Member testimonials, sharing Guest experiences, links to download our scheduling app, benefit spotlights, and information on who to contact for shift coverage needs, creating a seamless experience for our team. We truly feel that this will enhance our employee engagement and commitment to deliver an Exceptional Guest Experience.”

Shawn Boyer, Founder and CEO of goHappy, also shared his excitement about the partnership, emphasizing how VRG’s reach and focus on innovation helps goHappy make progress toward its mission of helping all frontline employees feel more valued and connected.

VRG will brand the communications as the “Villa Voice,” reinforcing their commitment to empowering their employees and ensuring their voices are heard.

With goHappy’s Feedback module, VRG anticipates a high participation rate, as the surveys are sent via text and optimized for frontline employees. Early feedback from new hires will provide valuable insights that help VRG avoid costly turnover. Additionally, the ability to segment and analyze survey responses by region, restaurant, job title, manager tenure, and more will provide deeper insights into performance and areas for improvement.

This partnership between goHappy and VRG represents a significant step forward in employee engagement and communication within the restaurant industry. By harnessing the power of goHappy’s platform, VRG is poised to create a more connected, engaged, and empowered frontline team, resulting in exceptional guest experiences and business success.

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About goHappy

goHappy is transforming how employers communicate and engage with their frontline workers by providing the most inclusive and simple app-free frontline engagement technology. Key to goHappy’s success is enabling employers to reach 100% of their frontline employees where they already are – in their text messages. The team at goHappy has been operating in the frontline employee space for over 20 years, and its mission is to help ALL frontline workers feel more valued and connected so they can reach their full potential. In turn, employers not only improve communication to maximize engagement and happiness within their frontline employees, but also benefit from the bottom line impact that those improvements deliver.

About Villa Restaurant Group

Villa Restaurant Groupᴿ (VRG) is a global multi-brand restaurant operator and franchisor. Founded in 1964 by Michele (Mike) Scotto, a Naples, Italy native, VRG began as a small pizzeria next to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Today, VRG is an international organization and has developed over 400 restaurants through its history principally in venue based, high-traffic locations.

VRG’s quick-service restaurant brands, including Villa Italian Kitchen®, Green Leaf’s Beyond Great Salads®, Bananas Smoothies & Frozen Yogurt®, South Philly Cheesesteaks & Fries®, Far East Asian Fire®, and other proprietary brands, can be found throughout the United States. VRG also operates full-service restaurants under the 40North Restaurant Group® brand including The Office Tavern Grill ®, The Black Horse Tavern & Pub®, Town bar + kitchen®, NOM Mexican Table + Tequila Bar®, Piattino A Neighborhood Bistro®, and Steelworks Buffet & Grill®. For more information, please visit www.villarestaurantgroup.com