GAPCo promotes work/life balance

By Ariana Hajibashi

It’s been a trying time for restaurants. Nearly 18 months out from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are struggling to hire, and restaurants in particular are competing for a shrinking workforce. Greenville Avenue Pizza Company has always prided itself on paying competitive wages and investing in employee growth. Now, the late-night pizza joint is changing its business hours to ensure a better work/life balance for its staff.

Beginning August 2, the Greenville Avenue store will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. The East Dallas store on Peavy Road will open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to midnight.

“Happy employees create happy customers,” says GAPCo owner Sammy Mandell. “We’ve always taken care of our people, and now we’re dialing back our hours to make things a bit easier on our staff, while still offering the same great food (and late-night service) that our loyal patrons have come to love.”

Mandell hopes that the restaurant’s shortened hours will help to attract more prospective workers in a tight market, but that’s not the only benefit he’s offering. New employees receive a $200 bonus after completing their first six weeks on the job, providing an extra perk to new staff who choose to join the GAPCo family. The company also offers higher-than-average wages, from its tipped staff to its hourly employees, with most workers making between $13 and $16 per hour.

“It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing to do,” says Mandell. “And we’ve always operated under the premise that if you treat people right, they’ll pay it forward in hard work and customer service.”

For more information, including locations and menus, visit gapc.co.