Frontline Employee Culture in Hospitality: The Real Revenue Driver

Frontline Performance Group (FPG) has been around for over 30 years and has always supported frontline teams across a variety of industries, from car dealerships to theme parks, and now hospitality. Hospitality has become FPG’s strategic focus: hotels, restaurants and bars. Today, much of FPG’s work centers on strengthening frontline employee culture in hospitality, because that’s where guest experience is truly won or lost.

Toffetti explains that the way FPG helps create a great guest experience is by improving and developing the frontline, "because the frontline is the brand." Many business owners and corporate leaders forget that the entire brand experience lives with frontline employees. "They can make or break any guest interaction," he notes. When the frontline approach is refined, employees are empowered, and a strong culture is built around them, it translates directly to guests.

According to Toffetti, the way guests are treated is a direct reflection of how leaders treat their teams. He emphasizes that culture flows from the top down, and that investing in training, support, and development creates a ripple effect that benefits employees, the business, and the guest experience alike.

Related reading: Master Top Down Selling at the Front Desk

FPG operates in environments where revenue is in play, so revenue becomes the benchmark for its model’s performance. The way FPG helps is through a software platform (IN-Gauge) that provides a full toolkit to optimize frontline performance. It supports recognition, goal setting, incentive calculations, and training. At its core, the platform helps frontline teams engage guests in a service-focused way that drives revenue, by listening, responding to cues, and fulfilling the brand promise.

Toffetti explains, that means being attentive, aware and actively listening, but also learning how to promote the right way. Instead of asking, “Do you want this or that?” employees are taught to recommend. For example, if someone orders a steak and an add-on is appropriate, rather than asking, “Do you want asparagus with that?” the recommendation becomes, “Most people who order this steak really enjoy our asparagus.” It’s a nuance, but it shifts the dynamic from being sold to being served.

Toffetti points out, the same applies in hotels. Instead of asking, “Do you want a bigger room?” the conversation becomes, “Since you’re traveling with your family and could use more space, you’d really enjoy a suite.” These small shifts reinforce a strong frontline employee culture in hospitality, where service feels personalized rather than transactional. When that happens, revenue increases and guest experience improves as well.

FPG promotes what it calls the Khoury Performance Equation, developed by founder Ziad Khoury. It’s a framework for leadership and culture built on three elements required to properly motivate frontline teams: reward, recognition and accountability.

Toffetti explains that motivating frontline teams requires a balance of reward, recognition, and accountability. Reward ensures employees see a tangible benefit when they perform well, whether through tips, incentives, or performance-based programs. Recognition reinforces the behaviors that matter most by consistently acknowledging people when they get it right. Accountability, however, is what ensures standards don’t become optional. In hospitality, Toffetti emphasizes that culture can’t rely on encouragement alone, clear expectations and follow-through are essential.

According to Toffetti, that clarity begins with defined standards. Many organizations say they want employees to be “friendly,” but fail to specify what that looks like in practice. Because friendliness varies by brand, region, and environment, leaders must model the behaviors they expect. When leaders consistently treat their teams with respect, patience, and clarity, those same behaviors naturally show up in guest interactions.

Measurement plays a critical role. Accountability isn’t possible without performance measurement. FPG’s platform focuses on answering simple questions: How are people doing? Are they responding to training? Are their metrics improving? Leaderboards create visibility and accountability without confrontation. Employees see where they rank, which naturally drives self-awareness and improvement.

Toffetti points out that without clear goals, teams are left guessing. In hospitality, that’s dangerous. If teams don’t know what they’re striving for, they’re standing on quicksand. Goalposts have to be set.

A simple thought experiment illustrates this clearly. Toffetti says if a restaurant has a beautiful space, an incredible menu, and a superstar chef, but rude staff, does the food prevail? Conversely, if there’s a dive bar on the beach with basic food but outstanding staff, does that overcome the environment? The intuitive answer is yes. Staff defines the experience. That’s why frontline employee culture in hospitality matters more than décor, menus, or concepts alone.

Most restaurants are “ok” People aren’t rude, but they’re not fully engaged. FPG sees this clearly in the data. Looking at revenue per guest, within the same shift and environment, there is often a 20–25% difference between top performers and bottom performers. Same guests, same opportunity, dramatically different outcomes.

The difference is engagement. Top performers listen, recommend, follow through, and move the experience forward. Others simply take orders. Those small behavioral differences compound into meaningful gains in both revenue and guest satisfaction.

That is where FPG focuses its efforts: identifying the techniques that separate top performance from average, and reinforcing them through reward, recognition, and accountability. When frontline employees understand what’s expected, feel valued, and see a clear “what’s in it for me,” performance rises naturally.

To conclude, Toffetti says ultimately, leaders must look in the mirror and ask, “Am I treating my employees the way I want them to treat guests?” If the answer is no, adjustments need to be made. It’s never too late to strengthen frontline employee culture in hospitality and when that culture improves, both revenue and guest experience follow.

Q&A: Frontline Employee Culture in Hospitality

Q: What does Frontline Performance Group (FPG) do?

A: Frontline Performance Group helps organizations improve guest experience and revenue by developing, motivating, and empowering frontline employees. FPG has over 30 years of experience working with frontline teams across industries, with a strategic focus today on hospitality, including restaurants, hotels, and bars.

Q: How does Frontline Performance Group measure the impact of frontline culture on revenue?

A: Frontline Performance Group works in environments where revenue is directly influenced by frontline behavior, so revenue becomes the primary benchmark for success. Through its IN-Gauge platform, FPG equips frontline teams with tools for recognition, goal setting, incentive calculations, and training. The platform helps employees engage guests in a more service-focused way—listening, responding to cues, and fulfilling the brand promise—which naturally drives stronger revenue performance.
Q: Why is frontline employee culture so important in hospitality?
A: Frontline employees are the brand in hospitality. Every guest interaction is shaped by how frontline teams behave, communicate, and engage. When frontline employee culture is strong, guest experience improves, revenue increases, and service feels more personal and intentional.

Q: How does employee experience impact guest experience?
A: Guest experience cannot exceed employee experience. FPG believes guests will be treated exactly the way leaders treat their employees. When leaders invest in training, recognition, and support, that behavior flows downhill and shows up in guest interactions.

Q: How does FPG help improve guest experience in restaurants and hotels?
A: FPG improves guest experience by strengthening frontline performance through culture, training, and accountability. Its software platform supports recognition, goal setting, incentives, training, and performance measurement, all designed to help frontline teams engage guests more effectively and drive revenue.

Q: What is the Khoury Performance Equation?
A: The Khoury Performance Equation is FPG's leadership framework built on three elements: reward, recognition, and accountability. These three components work together to properly motivate frontline employees and create a high-performance service culture.

Q: How does FPG define reward, recognition, and accountability?
A: Reward ensures employees benefit financially from strong performance. Recognition reinforces positive behaviors by acknowledging them publicly and consistently. Accountability ensures standards matter by clearly defining expectations and measuring performance against them.

Q: How does frontline behavior directly impact revenue?
A: In restaurants, FPG data shows there is often a 20-25% difference in revenue per guest between top-performing and bottom-performing frontline employees working the same shift. The difference comes from engagement - listening, recommending, and guiding the guest experience rather than simply taking orders.

Q: What's the difference between selling and recommending in hospitality?
A: Selling feels transactional, while recommending feels service-oriented. Instead of asking yes-or-no questions, frontline employees are trained to make thoughtful recommendations based on guest cues, which improves trust, guest satisfaction, and revenue.

Q: How does measurement improve frontline performance?
A: Measurement creates clarity and accountability. Leaderboards, goals, and performance metrics help employees understand how they're doing and what success looks like, driving self-awareness and improvement without constant manager intervention.

Q: What should hospitality leaders ask themselves to improve culture?
A: Leaders should ask, "Am I treating my employees the way I want them to treat guests?" If the answer is no, culture and leadership behaviors need to change. Improving frontline employee culture in hospitality starts at the top.