2023: A Year of Growth and Achievements at Harri
- By Harri Insider Team | December 21, 2023
Reflecting on 2023, we’re filled with pride and excitement over the strides made at Harri. This year has been a testament to our growth and dedication, marked by significant milestones, influential events, and impactful collaborations. As we celebrate the vibrant community we’ve built, 2023 stands out as a year where Team Harri solidified its position as a leader in hospitality workforce management.
We are immensely grateful for the numerous opportunities 2023 has presented, allowing us to expand, innovate, and lead by example. Please join us as we revisit the standout accomplishments and moments that defined this extraordinary year.
Customer Stats: A Banner Year with Team Harri
Customer Stories: Celebrating Success and Community Spirit
In 2023, our customers continued to make waves in the hospitality industry, showcasing growth, community engagement, and innovation. Take a look at these inspiring stories from our clients.
Dave’s Hot Chicken: Fast-Casual Industry Growth Leader
Dave’s Hot Chicken witnessed remarkable growth in 2023. The brand expanded ambitiously, planning to end the year with a total of 170 units across the United States, Canada, and the Middle East. This expansion was fueled by new franchise agreements, strategic leadership hires, including a new CMO and CTO, and an increased social media presence. Jim Bitticks, President & COO, attributes their success to their dedicated team, strong vendor partnerships, and a network of multi-unit operators. Starting as a pop-up in 2017, Dave’s Hot Chicken now boasts over 140 locations and continues to grow.
Jersey Mike’s: Making a Difference with the Day of Giving
Jersey Mike’s Subs raised a record-breaking $21 million for local charities during their 13th Annual Month of Giving in March. Throughout the month, participating locations accepted donations, culminating in the Day of Giving, where nearly 2,500 restaurants donated 100 percent of sales to local charities. This year’s total surpassed the previous year’s $20 million, contributing to the over $88 million raised since the initiative began in 2011. This effort highlights Jersey Mike’s commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, supporting various local causes, including hospitals, youth organizations, and food banks.
Broadwick Soho: A New Jewel in London’s West End
Broadwick Soho, the newest gem in London’s luxury hotel landscape, has opened in the lively Soho district. Designed by the renowned Martin Brudnizki, known for his work at Annabel’s and The Beekman, the hotel captivates with its unique decor, featuring pink elephant sculptures and a fusion of Jazz Age elegance, Italian style, and British charm. Its art collection, boasting works by famed artists like Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol, alongside emerging talents, further enhances its appeal. Broadwick Soho stands as a significant addition to London’s hospitality scene, blending luxury with cultural vibrancy.
Savory Fund Sees Near-Immediate 1-2% Cost Savings in HCM Wherever it Deploys Harri
Savory Fund, owning 120 restaurants across 8 brands, saw immediate cost savings of 1-2% in HCM after deploying Harri. Josh Boshard, COO of Savory, highlighted the importance of Harri in providing a positive, streamlined onboarding experience. The customizable dashboard offered by Harri gives a clear view of critical metrics, aiding frontline employees in understanding their store’s performance. This strategic approach, combining employee surveys with Harri’s data analytics, has been pivotal in addressing HR issues and improving overall performance.
“The results from implementing Harri are lower labor costs, easier onboarding, and a better employee experience.” Josh Boshard, COO of Savory
Caravan Restaurants Reduced Their Time To Hire To Just 7 Days
Caravan Restaurants faced challenges in candidate screening and onboarding across their extensive portfolio. With Harri’s talent acquisition software, they reduced their time to hire to just seven days. Fernanda Antonio, Head of People & Culture, emphasized the ease of use and the sense of community within Harri. The integration of features like Employee Social Referral and TrustID greatly streamlined their recruitment process, leading to more efficient interviewing and smoother first-day experiences for new hires.
Boparan Restaurant Group Achieved a 91% Offer Success Rate
Boparan Restaurant Group, with a history of manual talent sourcing and onboarding, partnered with Harri to enhance their recruitment process. Their implementation of Harri’s talent acquisition software enabled them to post jobs easily, review resumes, conduct video interviews, and onboard candidates efficiently. This led to a significant increase in their offer success rate, with a noted 91% efficiency. Aimee Pigott from HR and Recruitment Support highlighted the platform’s utility in organizing restaurant open days and improving the overall recruitment process.
Service in 2023: Giving Back
We always put service first and strive to partner and work with companies that have service at the heart of their business. In 2023, Harri, along with our valued peers and customers, embraced the spirit of giving back. Here’s a glimpse of what we achieved together:
RLC: We pooled resources with our partners to donate $500 to CORE, aiding families in the restaurant industry during challenging times.
NRA: Thanks to collaborative support, we raised $3,000 for the Chicago Vocational Career Academy Culinary Program, investing in the future of culinary arts.
FSTEC: Together, we assembled and provided over 100 “new intern backpacks” with Cafe Momentum, offering practical support to students entering the program.
HR Tech: Our joint initiative led to a donation of 10,000 meals to No Kid Hungry, equivalent to $1,000, helping to alleviate child hunger.
Only a Pavement Away: We continued our longstanding partnership with charity Only a Pavement Away by attending the charity Cook & Dine event, taking part in the 24 hour relay, and a couple of Harriers even did a sponsored hike up Mount Snowdon!
Springboard: 2023 saw Springboard Ambassadors from Harri visiting schools and speaking to young people about the merits of working in hospitality.
Milestones
While we at Harri don’t chase accolades, we’re honored when our hard work and dedication to improving the hospitality industry are recognized. Here’s a quick rundown of the awards we were thrilled to receive in 2023:
- Talent Tech Innovation Award at the Tiara Awards
- G2 Fall & Winter Reports Recognition
- Best Frontline-Focused Solution in the Employee Experience Category by Lighthouse Research and Advisory’s 2023 HR Tech Awards
- Finalist for Best HR / HRMS Solution in The Cloud Awards
- Silver in the ‘HR Technology Solution Provider of the Year‘ at The Stevie Awards
- Winner in the Human Capital Management Category of Ventana Research’s Annual Digital Leadership Awards: Michele Corkins at Hawaiian Bros Island Grill for using Harri
Each of these awards serves as a humbling reminder of the impact we’re making and fuels our passion to keep innovating.
Celebrating Growth Funding
2023 marked a significant milestone for Harri with the successful close of our growth funding round. We secured $43M in growth equity capital, led by Atalaya Capital Management and supported by existing investor Golub Growth, along with strategic partners. The investment will accelerate Team Harri’s innovation, growth, and scaling efforts in response to increasing market demand. Harri’s Frontline Employee Experience platform, uniquely designed for the needs of frontline workers, has gained significant traction in the hospitality sector for its user-friendly interface, comprehensive features, powerful scheduling, and compliance capabilities.
“Never before has there been a clearer link between employee and business performance for service industries. The components of a high-performing team are also more complex and dynamic than operators have ever experienced. Harri is playing the long game, we’re building solutions that help our clients navigate seemingly endless challenges and seize timely opportunities related to their most valuable resource. Our investors’ confidence in Harri and valuable guidance will be instrumental as we expand our go-to-market strategies as well as deepen our business intelligence and intentional AI solutions that increase worker productivity, satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, profitability.”
Luke Fryer, CEO & Founder of Harri
Product Innovation
Introducing Harri Engage
Additional Product Enhancements
- Simplified HR Experience with a Next-Generation Open API Platform
- New Look Talent Acquisition User Interface
- Supercharged Carri AI Onboarding Experience
- Above Store Manager View for our manager app – Harri Live
Events
In 2023, Team Harri proudly participated in eight key industry events, which allowed us to connect with the vibrant hospitality community, collaborate on solutions, and tackle the industry’s pressing challenges.
The Caterer People Summit
Pete Willis, Commercial Director, represented Harri at The Caterer People Summit, engaging in a fireside chat with Peter Martin of Peach 20/20. Their discussion revolved around key issues like flexibility for frontline staff, strategies to empower new hires, and the effectiveness of employee referral programs.
These events not only highlighted Harri’s thought leadership and innovation but also provided valuable opportunities for industry collaboration and addressing the pressing challenges within hospitality.
HRTech
Our time at HRTech was buzzing with excitement, especially during our thought-provoking conversation with Brian Sommer, MBA. It was a rapid-fire exchange that truly resonated, as Brian quickly grasped the essence of Harri’s story. Brian Sommer later noted:
“Harri was, to me, the surprise star or sleeper vendor of the show. Unquestionably, this company had the strongest story to tell but was the lowest-key player I encountered. I thought that they were underplaying their hand more than any other vendor. Harri is all about the hospitality industry – an industry with chronic War for Talent woes. Any vendor that can drive positive change in that vertical can probably do wonders in others.”
RFDC
More than 3,000 restaurant leaders came together, creating a vibrant forum for the best and brightest in the industry. Discussions focused on the challenges and opportunities that nearly 1 million businesses across the USA face, particularly the exponential rise in minimum wage, with California often at the forefront. Harri’s CEO, Luke, along with Sarah Lockyer from The Elliot Group, Josh Boshard of Savory Restaurant Fund, and David Birzon of Snooze, engaged in a critical panel discussion on “Improving the Profitability of Labor.”
Thank you for your support in 2023!
2023 has seen an incredible amount of growth, change, and innovation at Harri. We couldn’t do it without the support of our clients for which we are so grateful.
We have so much in store for 2024, and we can’t wait to continue to grow and develop our product for our current and future customers!