Though we can and should honor our military veterans every day, November 11th officially marks Veterans Day — a set day to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who have served and to show appreciation. 

Being a leader in the foodservice industry presents many ways to give back and show gratitude to not only veterans in our community but also to those who may work alongside us as well.

Hire Vets

Perhaps the biggest impact someone can make within the industry is by hiring veterans. Not only are veterans top-tier employees due to their extensive training and experience surrounding leadership, stressful situations, and quick thinking, but you'll also be helping some servicemembers who might be struggling to re-enter the civilian workforce after deployment.

Adopt veteran-friendly hiring practices such as committing to hiring a certain number of veterans per year, attending veteran-centric hiring fairs, and establishing a vet status option on applications.

Appreciate Your Staff

According to the National Restaurant Association, there are more than 250,000 American military veterans working in the food industry, and about 14% of veterans working in restaurants hold supervisory positions. It's worth noting that many veterans don't expect — or necessarily even want — a public display of recognition. But there are still many ways to honor veteran employees.

First, simply taking your employee aside and offering personal recognition goes a long way. Next, think of benefits you could offer your veterans — sure, as a sign of appreciation, but also to assist in retention — providing PTO for VA healthcare appointments or mental health days for example. Offer Memorial Day and Veterans Day as paid days off as well to recognize the importance of these remembrance holidays in their lives.

Offering a complimentary meal to all veteran employees and their families might also be meaningful to the families who have had to sacrifice time away from their loved ones. If you have one or two employees, set aside a couple of your best tables and invite their families in during regular dining service. If you have many, you might consider closing for the day to host a family picnic, and potentially open it up to the community as a BBQ charity event.

Veteran-Owned

If you yourself are a veteran operating a business, announce and display that proudly on your socials, website, and menu. You can also register your business with the VA, which offers outreach programs for veteran entrepreneurs.

People are being choosier with where they spend their hard-earned dollars and are now actively seek out small businesses they want to support, such as women-owned and veteran-owned. As a result, you have the opportunity to help more vets looking for work at supportive locations, and you'll have more networking opportunities with fellow vet-owned businesses and organizations looking to host fundraisers and other events.

Consider also putting together a free listing of your top ten entrepreneur tips on starting a business, or host a "master class" day at your restaurant for vets interested in starting their own businesses. Be a valuable resource to your community and it won't go unnoticed.

Light Up the LTOs

Get creative, and most of all, be generous on November 11th. According to the Pew Research Center, today there are an estimated 18 million veterans in the United States, whose service spans from WWII to Afghanistan. Advertising complimentary deals for ALL veterans could be a great way to show your gratitude when it comes to honoring these heroes.

Another idea would be to create a limited menu for the month of November and have proceeds from those items go directly to a cause that directly benefits veterans. Create friendly competition among staff so that whoever racks up the most donations gets a gift card or paid days off.

The most important thing when holding charitable events is to ensure your money is going to a worthy cause. Look locally first and meet with the founders to see what fits right for your business. Keeping the money within your community when possible is hugely beneficial. You can also head to organizations like charitiesforvets.org and search their list of vetted highly-recommended charities — those that pass their financial integrity tests and spend at least 90% of their budget on programs and services.