You’ve taken the high-touch hospitality principles of a Michelin-recognized dining room and applied them to counter service. What was behind that decision?

What we were doing was no longer sustainable as a business. We no longer wanted, nor could we live with, the stress of owning and running a business that wasn't financially viable without making compromises on core values of ours as owner-operators. With the new model, we retain so much about what we love about dining and going out to eat, but under a much more sustainable model. This model allows us to continue to work seasonally and locally with farmers, it allows us to offer and pay for health insurance and PTO for all our full-time staff and it is a model that allows for a little more work-life balance. 

What have you learned about creating a sense of genuine connection in a format that is designed to be faster and more streamlined?

Counter service doesn't necessarily have to mean faster and with less hospitality. The order of operations is just a little different, and our new model allows a larger swath of guests to choose how they want to experience and interact with Rye Bunny nightly. Some folks are here to eat through the entire menu and have a leisurely dinner, others are making us a quick stop on their night as they explore all the amazing dining options in Adams Morgan.

The most important piece of creating a connection is being kind. It sounds obvious, but it really is the answer. Kindness and curiosity are the key; ask why, of all the restaurants in DC, you chose us tonight. That answer can help us make sure we deliver the experience someone is seeking out. If it's a birthday, making sure a candle makes its way onto their dessert. You just got a job after searching since being laid off, bubbles are needed here! You heard the restaurant was named after our dogs; you also love dogs(!!). Get out your phone and show us your pups. There are many ways to form connections, and I think taking an interest is the key. 

You’ve essentially turned the line—often one of the most frustrating parts of a restaurant experience—into part of the hospitality. What specific systems or service practices make that possible, particularly when the restaurant gets busy?

The line is simply the start of the dinner party. The best dinner parties start with a cocktail hour, and that is what we are making the line each night—a cocktail party (though it doesn't take an hour). If there is a wait to get to the counter, we get drinks in folks’ hands. We've got a tight cocktail program, a fun, ever-changing wine program and some super zero-proof options. Once folks have a drink in their hand, we pop over with a food menu so the great debate of what to order can begin, or you can just enjoy that time catching up with your friends.

All food talk happens once you reach the counter, and whichever team member is working the counter is going to walk each group through the menu, answer questions, chat about allergies/restrictions and course out your meal. From there, you grab a table that suits your party size and a server takes over. We'll keep the drinks coming, get fresh plates and cutlery on the way and take your dessert order at the end.

At Rye Bunny, you’re designing the guest experience around both community and team well-being. How do you structure the operation so that delivering top-tier hospitality doesn’t come at the expense of your staff?

Hospitality can be challenging. It isn't a job where you can check out for a day when you aren't feeling it; you have to be on every day you come to work. We do our best to make sure our team understands that the culture that existed in restaurants for so long of just working through it doesn't have to be the way. We encourage our team to use their sick days; these can be used for mental or physical reasons. Both are valid reasons to call out. Everyone on our team has access to health care, but we pay 100% of the employer-sponsored plan for all full-time employees and offer PTO that begins accruing on day one of employment. These benefits are really important to make hospitality a viable career choice. 

Lastly, we do our best to communicate and show through action that this is a safe space for our team. We make sure to keep lines of communication open and encourage our team to share ideas with us, frustrations with us and raves with us. Many tweaks to how we do things have come from these discussions.

We walk our FOH team through a flowchart upon hiring: Is this guest just an annoying jerk, or are they causing harm? This helps to make sure we all have the same playbook and language to handle an issue if it arises. We really try to make sure our team feels empowered to do their jobs; we couldn't do any of this without them. We also have built sustainable giving into our model with two reservations a night being offered with a $25 booking fee; 100% of this fee is donated to our non-profit partners, Dreaming Out Loud and Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, both organizations whose work and missions resonate with ourselves and our team. 

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