The owner of Heavenly Pizza in Findlay, Ohio, wanted to demonstrate his gratitude to workers, so on Monday, Josh Elchert gave an entire day’s sales to his employees.
“You can have the best pizza in the world,” he noted. “If you have no one here to make it, it doesn’t matter.”
According to WTOL, Elchert has been doing business while relying on the same principle for 11 years, which is respect and love for his customers and employees.
In light of that, he wanted to do something big to show his appreciation for his workers.
“I put it out to our customers to really kind of show the love to our employees and they did, a lot,” he explained.
In a video posted to Facebook on Monday, Elchert told viewers every cent coming in that day would be given to the workers for “Employee Appreciation Day”:
“During the pandemic, especially the last couple months here, we’ve all seen the help wanted signs everywhere, and we’re not exempt to that. We’ve definitely been short-staffed, but we have always had the employees to operate at a sustainable level,” he explained.
During a usual Monday, the eatery fills approximately 100 orders. But this week, it did 220 orders, which resulted in more than $6,000 in sales and more than $1,000 in tips that all went to the workers.
Every employee made about $78 an hour during that shift.
Worker Timmy Lemire said, “It’s a big gift.”
Lemire has been employed at the restaurant since he was 15, and five years later is an assistant manager.
“That kind of giving nature is why this place runs so well, works so well,” he said of Elchert.
By focusing on delivery and takeout, Elchert’s restaurant has done great, but he said he could not do it without his employees.
“It’s a family,” Lemire noted. “Find a place where you feel purpose and you won’t feel like you’re meaningless, you’ll feel right where you’re supposed to be.”