Content

We’re excited to announce the new names for DiscoverLink products, following the acquisition of DiscoverLink by CrunchTime! last year: DiscoverLink Talent LMS is now CrunchTime! TalentLink & DiscoverLink Content Library is now CrunchTime! MainCourse   The new names are a great reflection of the value these offerings provide at the core of CrunchTime’s new Talent… Read More

With employee turnover rates at an all-time high and the labor market tighter than ever, hospitality organizations are constantly looking for ways to improve retention and attract new talent. When vacancies occur, many hospitality businesses dive into a mad scramble to fill the position as quickly as possible, often settling for less-than-ideal external candidates or… Read More

Jason Lechner, Director of Training and Development for Pizza Ranch, and Mike Andrews, Account Manager for DiscoverLink, recently presented a CHART webinar called Going Mobile: A Strategic Plan for Driving Adoption. During this informative presentation and live demonstration, they shared how a 225-location chain leveraged a mobile training and communications app to drive messages directly… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, May 25, 2021 – DiscoverLink, Inc., a CrunchTime company, is pleased to announce that Ryan Addison has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. Addison brings eight years of experience delivering digital and mobile training solutions to restaurants. In this position, he will use his extensive knowledge of restaurant operations to… Read More

Cotton Patch Cafe recently launched the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) plus 20 courses from the DiscoverLink Content Library to all locations after a successful pilot program. This 31-year-old, Dallas-based casual dining chain has almost 50 locations in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and is committed to humbly serving their scratch-made food, to #LOA… Read More

As we ramp up operations post-COVID, a new era has dawned that requires a new mentality for above-store leaders. So much has changed in such a short time – technology disruptions, new customer expectations, and evolving employee needs are all coming together to create a perfect storm requiring new best practices for managing across locations…. Read More

We often hear from restaurant training administrators who are frustrated with the challenges of having to track multiple certifications in different programs across their organization. Whether for food safety, OSHA, harassment, PCI compliance or other certifications, keeping track of who is up-to-date on which programs when they’re all managed through disparate systems can be a… Read More

We are incredibly proud to share the exciting news that DiscoverLink has been acquired by CrunchTime Information Systems, Inc., the leading back-of-house operations platform provider for the restaurant industry. This brings together two leaders in the restaurant technology space to create an end-to-end restaurant management solution that includes inventory and supply chain management, operational analytics,… Read More

John Poulos, president and co-founder of DiscoverLink shares his Thoughts That Rock in this podcast episode, “When you find your passion, share it.”

The past months have undoubtedly been some of the most difficult of our careers. With hospitality businesses having to close locations, convert to carry out only, and/or furlough or lay off 80-90% of their staff, the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have been nothing short of heartbreaking. And in the midst of adapting our businesses… Read More

According to a study conducted by Gallup and Black Box Intelligence, only 27% of restaurant general managers are engaged. Even worse, 18% are actively disengaged. When manager engagement is low, employees are more likely to leave, disengage themselves, or be less productive. That said, you can have a tremendous impact on performance and culture overall… Read More

At LinkUp 2019, Cajun Operating Company (Church’s Chicken®) was awarded the Success Story of the Year for an e-learning competition that resulted in double-digit sales increases on a limited time offer (LTO). The Atlanta-based quick-service restaurant chain with nearly 1,400 locations also achieved a 10% higher product mix, raised guest satisfaction scores by three points,… Read More

The Luby’s Fuddruckers training team recently launched the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) to all 115 locations. Based in Houston, Luby’s Fuddruckers operates under the brands Luby’s, Fuddruckers, and Cheeseburger in Paradise. With locations primarily in Texas, Luby’s is a cafeteria-style chain, while Fuddruckers and Cheeseburger in Paradise are both casual dining restaurants. They… Read More

Moe’s Southwest Grill is a fast-casual brand with more than 700 locations throughout the United States and Jamaica. Except for four locations, Moe’s is almost completely franchised and works with a diverse group of 158 franchisees. To serve the needs of many different franchisees, Moe’s must set their food safety standards at the corporate level… Read More

Last week at DiscoverLink’s client conference, LinkUp, co-founders John Poulos and Jeff Tenut honored seven of their long-standing clients with Customer Loyalty Awards. The awards were presented on October 1, 2019 at the LinkUp Celebration Dinner held at McCormick & Schmick’s in Oak Brook, Illinois. Five clients were acknowledged with 5-year loyalty awards, one client… Read More

One of the toughest things hospitality training departments face is proving that the work they do has value so they can secure management and operator buy-in. When budgets are tight, training departments are often among the first to face cuts because they tend to lack tangible proof that their programs are delivering real business results…. Read More

Nashville, TN-based American Blue Ribbon Holdings (ABRH) has launched DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) to five brands, totaling more than 520 locations and nearly 30,000 employees. ABRH is a diversified food services company operating four family and casual dining groups in the U.S., including O’Charley’s, Ninety Nine Restaurant and Pub, Village Inn, and Bakers… Read More

Church’s Chicken® officially rolled out the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) in April after a successful pilot program. The Atlanta-based brand is a quick service restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken and its signature Honey Butter Biscuits. Church’s® has almost 1,000 locations throughout the United States and 400 international locations. With more than… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   DiscoverLink Delivers Instant-access Training with Launch of Mobile App West Chicago, Illinois—June 18, 2019—DiscoverLink, Inc., the leader in e-learning solutions for the hospitality industry, announces the availability of the DiscoverLink Talent Mobile App. The new extension to DiscoverLink Talent, a learning management system (LMS) optimized for restaurants and hotels, provides clients’… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   New Feature Improves Experience for Low Bandwidth Locations West Chicago, Illinois—May 17, 2019—DiscoverLink, Inc., the leader in e-learning solutions for the hospitality industry, announces the launch of Tin Can to the DiscoverLink Talent Mobile App beta program. Tin Can improves the completion rate of online learning and provides a better learner… Read More

Perkins partnered with DiscoverLink in the Spring of 2017 to implement DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) for all company restaurants. By replacing paper-based training with online training, Perkins was able to boost the capability of trainees in the same amount of time or less. In addition, Perkins reversed the turnover trends seen in recent… Read More

Top 3 Takeaways from the Restaurant Leadership Conference Innovation Forum   When restaurant concepts pursue rapid growth or embark on a new franchising initiative, they often struggle to maintain the culture and brand experience that drove their early success. In addition, according to a study conducted by Gallup and TDn2K, only 27% of restaurant general… Read More

Countless sexual harassment allegations have surfaced in the entertainment industry, which has prompted outrage throughout many other industries. Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, not limited to any segment, and the hospitality industry is no stranger to sexual misconduct. According to a report by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, restaurant workers file more sexual harassment claims… Read More

Cousins Subs is a quick service sandwich shop headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin outside of Milwaukee. The restaurant chain has 145 units primarily located in Wisconsin. With technology constantly changing, the Cousins Subs leadership team conducted an internal restaurant technology study over the course of two years to determine the organization’s next steps. As a… Read More

According to TDn2K, one of the best ways to improve employee engagement is to provide opportunities for them to continuously grow and develop within your organization. Failure to respond to this need can result in costly turnover as well as negative impacts that trickle down to your guests. The obvious way to handle continuous learning… Read More

Golden Corral, an all-you-can-eat buffet and grill concept, has been DiscoverLink’s client since 2003. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Golden Corral has more than 500 locations and more than 35,000 employees. With thousands of new employees to train each year, Golden Corral ran into an issue that many restaurants face. New hourly employees were spending… Read More

Rubio’s Coastal Grill is home to coastal inspired Mexican food with dishes like surf and turf, fish tacos, and lobster burritos. The restaurant chain has a total of 203 units with locations throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado. Each state has a final pay law that determines the legal amount of time in which an… Read More

Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group (LVRG) owns and operates 21 Red Robin locations in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, making it the brand’s largest franchisee group. LVRG initially started as a basic learning management system (LMS) user to deploy sexual harassment prevention training to their managers. Their prevention training includes DiscoverLink Content Library courses like Leading a… Read More

Congratulations to Ethan Stowell Restaurant Group on their rollout of the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) and DiscoverLink Content Library courses. The Seattle, Washington-based restaurant group launched the basic LMS platform to 15 locations. Ethan Stowell is a multi-brand, casual-dining restaurant group that offers classic dishes with seasonal and fresh ingredients. The restaurant group… Read More

Last month at DiscoverLink’s third annual client conference, LinkUp, attendees voted for winners of the Best Custom Login Page and the Success Story of the Year contests. The winners were announced on October 9, 2018, at the LinkUp Celebration Dinner held at Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg, Illinois. A&W Restaurants was crowned this year’s winner for… Read More

One of the quickest ways to get started in e-learning is by automating labor-intensive administration and manual grading of quizzes and exams. And it also happens to be a super-easy way to deliver immediate return on investment (ROI) for an e-learning solution. In this article, we’ll take a look at four ways to use validation… Read More

At DiscoverLink’s client conference, LinkUp, co-founders John Poulos and Jeff Tenut recognized two of their longstanding clients with Customer Loyalty Awards. The awards were presented October 9, 2018 at the LinkUp Celebration Dinner held at Bahama Breeze in Schaumburg, Illinois. Pizza Ranch was recognized for 5 years of loyalty, and Golden Corral was acknowledged for… Read More

Have you decided to take the leap from paper-based materials to online learning but are not quite sure where to start? You’re not alone. Since this transition can seem overwhelming, many companies find it helpful to approach the shift to online learning in phases. Often, Phase 1 is simply putting your paper materials online. Next,… Read More

According to the 2017 Trends in Hospitality Training & Development Study conducted by TDn2K People Report and the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers, hospitality companies that spend 10% of their ongoing management training on human resources related topics tend to have much lower management turnover rates than those that spend little or no time… Read More

Last September, Perkins launched the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) and DiscoverLink Content Library courses, and now their sister brand, Marie Callender’s, has joined the DiscoverLink family. Marie Callender’s rolled out the LMS and library courses in March to 31 stores. Marie Callender’s is a 92-unit family dining restaurant with a bakery and frozen… Read More

Clyde’s Restaurant Group recently rolled out the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS), DiscoverLink Content Library courses, and internally developed courses to all 13 of their restaurants. Clyde’s Restaurant Group is an upscale restaurant group with five brands including Clyde’s, 1789 Restaurant, Old Ebbitt Grill, The Tombs, and The Hamilton. They have locations in Washington… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   DiscoverLink client paves the way for the restaurant industry West Chicago, Illinois—March 12, 2018—Taco Mac, a 28-unit casual dining restaurant chain based in Alpharetta, Georgia, recently became one of the first restaurant chains to participate in the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program. The program,… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, February 23, 2018 – Last week, CHART 95 spiced things up in San Antonio and the DiscoverLink team was there to participate in all the hospitality fun. The conference went off without a hitch all thanks to the CHART San Antonio board members. John Poulos, President of DiscoverLink, volunteered to serve on… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, February 1, 2018 — DiscoverLink is excited to welcome another new member to the team. Alexis Garoufalis has joined DiscoverLink as a full-time employee after interning for the company part-time for two years as both a Marketing Intern and a Quality Assurance Intern. Garoufalis has joined as Quality Assurance Analyst and is… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, January 18, 2018 – DiscoverLink, Inc. is excited to announce that Andrew Robinson has joined the company as Customer Success Rep, as part of our ongoing commitment to customer success. In this position, Robinson will support clients by answering their questions and monitoring a live chat application. Robinson previously worked as a… Read More

  We’d like to give a big round of applause to the Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG) training team on their recent launch of the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) to 13 locations. The LMS campus was named CRG University, specifically designed for CRG. Founded in New York City more than 25 years ago, today, CRG… Read More

2017 is coming to an end, and you still have some cash left in your training budget. And if you don’t put it to good use, you will lose it. So, what can you do? Here are five quick ideas that you can put into action right now to maximize your remaining training funds: Shore… Read More

Congratulations to the Blake’s Lotaburger training team on their recent launch of the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) and DiscoverLink Content Library courses to 75 locations. Founded in 1952, Blake’s offers New Mexico cuisine in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona and holds the crown when it comes to their green chile. Phased Rollout The… Read More

DiscoverLink Talent has been awarded “Most Recommended” LMS and “Best Support” by Capterra, a free resource that helps companies find the right software system by sourcing reviews from real users and allowing them to compare products. DiscoverLink Talent is an employee development solution specifically designed for the hospitality industry. With 489 learning management software products… Read More

No matter how much time and effort you put into creating just the right learning programs, designing beautiful courses, and hiring the best trainers, if trained employees are not performing at their best, your program falls short of the mark. It’s like training someone without paying attention to learner feedback signals or going to school… Read More

DiscoverLink is excited to announce the creation of our new Customer Success team and the promotion of Josh Lowry, who is to lead this initiative as Senior Director of Customer Success. The main objective of this new team is to emphasize our commitment to our clients’ success and build upon our e-learning expertise to ensure… Read More

Recently, employees of the DiscoverLink Content Development team organized a photo shoot at Donatos, a DiscoverLink client, in Nashville, Tenn. The purpose of the photo shoot was to capture photos for the DiscoverLink Guest Service micro-learning program that is currently being developed. Using Donatos as the location allows DiscoverLink to continue building our fast-casual photo… Read More

For the third year in a row, DiscoverLink sponsored the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF) Force In Training (FIT) event held across California high schools on October 24th. FIT teaches job skills that are necessary to excel in the restaurant industry like resume writing, workplace behavior, and leadership building. This year, 46 schools participated in… Read More

  WEST CHICAGO, IL, October 24, 2017—DiscoverLink, Inc. is pleased to announce that Zach Golden has joined the company as Account Manager. In this position, Golden will work with clients in the Eastern Territory to understand their training objectives and challenges, and help them develop e-learning programs that deliver high return on investment. Golden previously… Read More

This month, we’re celebrating DiscoverLink’s 15th birthday by thanking our clients who have supported us throughout the years. Without the commitment and loyalty of our clients, we would not be here today. To celebrate, we’re taking a walk down memory lane to share the history of how we came to be DiscoverLink. Before DiscoverLink Prior… Read More

Congratulations to the Perkins Restaurant & Bakery training team on their recent rollout of the DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) and DiscoverLink Content Library courses to 130 corporate and franchise locations. Founded in 1958, Perkins is a leader in the family restaurant segment with more than 300 restaurants in 32 states and Canada. During the… Read More

Reposted with permission from our partners at MenuTrinfo. DiscoverLink is an authorized reseller of AllerTrain and AllerTrain Lite e-learning courses. Are you a restaurant manager or owner with locations in the state of Illinois? FORT COLLINS, Colo. (August 30, 2017) — On August 25, 2017, Illinois House Bill 2510 was approved by the governor, adding… Read More

DiscoverLink was honored with the Granite City Supplier of the Year Award at the recent Granite City Food and Brewery Conference. The award is granted to a company that has shown to add exceptional value to Granite City, based on nominations provided by department heads throughout the business. Key values that contributed to the selection… Read More

In Part 1 of this three-part series, I talked about the importance of selecting a learning management system (LMS) that is easy to use, not only for learners, but also for managers and administrators. In Part 2, I shared the hidden dangers of non-learning feature creep when selecting and LMS, especially with attention span of… Read More

In Part 1 of this three-part series, I talked about the importance of ease of use in selecting a learning management system (LMS), not only for the learners, but also for managers and administrators. In this article, I will address the hidden dangers of feature creep, which can distract from actual learning and waste valuable training… Read More

The mission behind any successful learning management system (LMS) deployment is to help facilitate, manage and track the growth of knowledge within an organization, and do it more efficiently and effectively. Knowledge can come in a variety of forms, but generally the most important to food service operators is the knowledge of “what, why and… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   DiscoverLink Learning delivers enterprise-level e-learning at a small business price West Chicago, Illinois—June 5, 2017—DiscoverLink, Inc., the leader in e-learning solutions for the hospitality industry, announces the availability of DiscoverLink Learning, a new e-learning solution designed for independent operators and small chains. This new solution enables small restaurant businesses to improve… Read More

During the 2017 DiscoverLink Client Conference, DiscoverLink founders Jeff Tenut and John Poulos recognized eight of their longstanding customers with Client Appreciation Awards.  Crystal awards were presented at a celebration party held at Rainforest Café in Schaumburg, Illinois. Six clients were recognized with 5-year loyalty awards, and two clients were honored with 10-year loyalty awards…. Read More

We’d like to officially congratulate Rubio’s on the completion of Phase 1 of their rollout of DiscoverLink Talent, our hospitality-optimized learning management system (LMS), and several DiscoverLink Content Library courses, to 207 stores. Rubio’s is a growing, fast casual concept based in San Diego, and is known for introducing The Original Fish Taco to America. Before… Read More

We’d like to officially congratulate Fazoli’s on their recent rollout of DiscoverLink Talent, our hospitality-optimized learning management system (LMS), to 214 corporate and franchise stores. Branded Noodle University (NU), the new LMS features a custom login page that reflects the Fazoli’s brand, and will become the cornerstone of Fazoli’s e-learning initiatives going forward. The implementation… Read More

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, March 10, 2017 — At this week’s CHART Conference at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, attendee interest in e-learning solutions matched the altitude of the venue. Here are some of the highlights. DiscoverLink fully supported the Saturday service event with John Poulos, Mike Andrews, Jason Jones and Michelle Killian all donating their time,… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Best Advance in Learning Management Technology Awarded to DiscoverLink Talent   West Chicago, Illinois—March 6, 2017—DiscoverLink, Inc., the leader in e-learning solutions for the hospitality industry, won a coveted Brandon Hall Group Silver award for excellence in the Best Advance in Learning Management Technology category. The award was given to DiscoverLink… Read More

Recently McAlister’s Deli, a DiscoverLink client, graciously opened the doors of its Franklin, Tenn. location for a photo shoot. For the DiscoverLink content team, this presented an opportunity to capture photos for an upcoming micro-learning program in a contemporary and vibrant fast casual setting.             Shortly before 6 a.m. on… Read More

By now you probably know that micro-learning techniques can help overcome the ever-shortening attention span of our workforce, and increase absorption and retention of the material. Gone are the days of hour-long training videos, courses that cover a dozen competencies at once, and learners sitting at the computer for hours on end. With its minimalist… Read More

One of the most challenging jobs for training departments is gearing up for new store openings. It’s a frenetic, fast-paced time that can challenge even the most organized trainers. A comprehensive training plan is required to ensure that the entire crew is up-to-speed and ready to represent your brand, perform their skill positions effectively, and… Read More

For the second year in a row, DiscoverLink sponsored the California Restaurant Association Foundation (CRAF) FIT™ Day on October 25, 2016. This year, FIT™ Day was held at 44 schools for 2,800 students. More than 130 industry volunteers facilitated the 3-hour program. “We believe CRAF’s FIT™ Day is a great way to inspire high school… Read More

The CHART Regional Training Forum (RTF) held at Hopsmith Tavern in Chicago on Thursday attracted 45 restaurant and hotel training professionals, a record-breaking group for Chicago RTFs. The theme of the event was employee engagement and retention, and featured five presentations focused on best practices followed by round-table discussions where attendees shared their ideas and experiences. Sara Anderson, Workforce… Read More

DiscoverLink is proud to support the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) in its fall Regional Training Forum (RTF) series by presenting at four RTFs in the month of October! RTFs are free events and are open to both members and non-members. Click the locations below for more information about each event.   Southern California: Wednesday October… Read More

According to a 2014 report by TDn2K and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, 28% of hourly employees in restaurants are Hispanic.  Spanish is the primary language for many of these workers, but quite often training materials are only provided in English. In order to properly prepare Spanish-speaking employees to work in a restaurant environment,… Read More

  CHARLESTON, SC, August 1, 2016 — At the CHART 92nd Hospitality Training Conference, Lisa Schweickert, Vice President of Training for Golden Corral Corporation, co-presented with John Poulos, Vice President of Sales for DiscoverLink, on how Golden Corral made the move to 100% online for its Manager In Training (MIT) program. More than 50 attendees learned… Read More

CHARLESTON, SC, July 31, 2016 — DiscoverLink held a Client Networking Breakfast this morning to kick off the first day of sessions at the CHART Conference.  More than 30 clients enjoyed the full breakfast buffet and the opportunity to meet other DiscoverLink clients. “At our Client Conference in April, attendees told us they really enjoyed the… Read More

You spend a lot of time organizing your e-learning campus: setting up learning programs, assembling resources, creating exams and checklists, etc.  But the learner experience can be just average if your login page does not generate the same level of excitement that you feel about your campus.  Now, with the release of Custom Login Pages on… Read More

New OSHA Courses Round Out Compliance Programs   Reducing risk and creating a safe work environment is easier than ever with our two new OSHA Compliance courses. Our OSHA courses are restaurant-specific, set in front-of-house (FOH) and back-of-house (BOH) restaurant environments with restaurant workers dressed in restaurant uniforms. At only 10 minutes each, these mobile-ready e-learning… Read More

DiscoverLink Co-founder and Vice President of Sales John Poulos put on a blue cap and apron to participate in Culver’s Vendor Workday program at the St. Charles, Ill. Culver’s location on Tuesday.  During his four-hour lunchtime shift Poulos assisted Culver’s crew members with greeting guests, delivering orders to tables and maintaining the appearance and cleanliness of… Read More

During the recent DiscoverLink Client Conference, DiscoverLink founders Jeff Tenut and John Poulos recognized eight of their longstanding customers with Client Appreciation Awards.  Crystal awards were presented at a celebration party held at Granite City Food & Brewery, which happened to be a DiscoverLink client and one of the award recipients.  Five clients were recognized… Read More

Today’s ultra-lean restaurant training departments tend to spend most of their time on creation and delivery of outbound training programs, but they rarely focus enough time on obtaining feedback about program effectiveness.  We have seen well-crafted blended learning programs that include an artful mix of e-learning courses, videos, exams, reference materials and confirmation checklists, but… Read More

SEATTLE, WA, February 29, 2016 — Last week’s CHART Conference in Seattle was a grande event with record-breaking attendance and an e-learning buzz that kept the DiscoverLink team hopping.  Here are some highlights of the networking, learning and fun that were brewing: Jason Jones, Business Development Manager for DiscoverLink, kicked off the conference by participating in the Service Palooza… Read More

Food safety is a hot topic in the news lately, and many restaurants are looking for ways to quickly bolster their food safety training programs.  E-learning is an ideal solution for managing food safety training programs, and it has many advantages over both traditional classroom training and on-the-job training.  Let’s take a look at some… Read More

Alycia Harshfield, Executive Director of the California Restaurant Association Education Foundation (CRAEF), presents a placque to Mike Andrews, Account Manager for DiscoverLink in appreciation of DiscoverLink’s sponsorship of CRAEF’s Force in Training (FIT) program. The FIT program is an initiative to bring job readiness training to high school students to motivate, train and prepare the students… Read More

  We’re excited to announce our first ever Client Conference planned for April 19-20, 2016.   This exclusive event, open only to current DiscoverLink clients, will feature best practice client panels, DiscoverLink product and content updates and great networking opportunities. The conference will take place at the beautiful Eaglewood Resort & Spa in Itasca, Illinois, just northwest… Read More

DiscoverLink Founder Jeff Tenut, and two of our clients, Patrick Yearout of Ivar’s and Bryan Frame of Weinerschnitzel, were recently featured in an article published in the October 2015 issue of QSR Magazine.  “Making a Lasting Impression” discusses the role of the human factor in setting limited-service brands apart.  Following is an excerpt from the article: Making… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   MFHA and DiscoverLink Deliver Joint Diversity Training Solution that Builds Customer Loyalty and Improves Employee Retention West Chicago, Illinois—October 27, 2015—DiscoverLink, Inc. and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) announce a joint initiative to deliver online cultural intelligence training on a restaurant-optimized learning management system (LMS). The combination of MFHA’s… Read More

NEW ORLEANS, July 18, 2015 — DiscoverLink held a clients-only luncheon meeting prior to the opening of the CHART Conference this week.  Among the participating clients were training and development representatives from Culver’s, Golden Corral, Ivar’s, McAlister’s Deli, Ovation Brands, Perkins & Marie Callendar’s and The Greene Turtle.                … Read More

NEW ORLEANS, LA, July 18, 2015 — DiscoverLink team members Jeff Tenut, John Poulos and Mike Andrews, volunteered at the CHART service event during the 90th CHART Conference in New Orleans.   They helped the team at Café Reconcile design a new curriculum for developing basic professional skills. Café Reconcile transforms the lives of young adults (ages 16-22)… Read More

West Chicago, IL.  The DiscoverLink team feasts on delicious BBQ courtesy of Alisha Gulden of the National Restaurant Association.  DiscoverLink’s John Poulos won the BBQ dinner in a Silent Auction at a CHART Conference.  West Chicago-based team members gladly helped John enjoy his winnings.   Alisha is donating her awesome BBQ again this year for… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, July 6, 2015 – DiscoverLink, Inc. is pleased to announce that Julie Schroeder joined the company as an Instructional Designer.  Julie is responsible for handling the script development aspects of our course development process, which includes defining learning objectives, writing and designing course scripts, creating project plans and collaborating with the content team and DiscoverLink… Read More

Did you know that 15 million Americans have food allergies? How about that one in 13 children is allergic to at least one food? These statistics are shocking to many people, as food allergies have become a recent “epidemic.” From 1997 to 2011 food allergies among children have increased by 50 percent. According to Aaron… Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    New Collaboration Delivers Content and Learning Management Solution Designed to Prevent Food Allergy Incidents West Chicago, Illinois—June 15, 2015—DiscoverLink, Inc. and MenuTrinfo LLC announce a joint initiative to deliver online allergen and gluten-free training on a restaurant-optimized learning management system (LMS). The combination of MenuTrinfo’s AllerTrain courses and DiscoverLink Talent gives… Read More

We’re just back from the Restaurant Leadership Conference that took place this week in Phoenix, and it was quite a busy week for us.  In addition to sponsoring the conference with a booth, DiscoverLink also presented the “Using E-learning to Drive Culture and Improve Brand Experience” Innovation Forum, hosted a private dinner for our clients, co-sponsored the TDn2K… Read More

New EEO & Diversity Courses Designed for Hourly Employees The need for anti-discrimination and diversity training doesn’t stop with your managers.  To ensure that employees and guests are treated with dignity and respect, hourly team members also need an understanding of Equal Employment Opportunity laws and an appreciation of diversity in the workplace.  Our newly redesigned, mobile-friendly compliance courses… Read More

The 3.0 version of DiscoverLink Talent is now live, and represents a giant leap forward in LMS administration.  It includes some great enhancements that were developed in direct response to customer feedback. With features that automate learning program assignments, provide better visibility into key metrics and enable more customized experiences, we’ve significantly reduced the burden of LMS administration…. Read More

With the economy improving and unemployment rates low, the labor market for the restaurant industry is getting tighter and tighter. At the same time, many restaurant chains are planning for aggressive growth, especially in the Fast Casual segment. New store openings are key to driving that growth, but staffing those stores, especially finding qualified general… Read More

We’re proud to be sponsoring the 89th Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers Conference in Napa, CA.   We had a great time in the Resource Gallery last night visiting with our friends and talking e-learning! This year DiscoverLink provided two raffle prizes at the Resource Gallery: Devin Games, Manager-Operations Training for Domino’s Pizza, won six… Read More

Your best managers know the value of ongoing learning and development, so help them make it a top priority with our two new Personal Development courses: Improving How You’re Perceived – As leaders take on more responsibility, how they are perceived by employees, superiors and guests becomes even more critical to their success. Help your managers learn… Read More

Develop Excellent Communicators with E-learning In a people-centric business like ours, strong communication skills are absolutely essential.  Help your managers take their skills to the next level, with two new mobile-friendly courses: The Art of Weekly Meetings:  Improve team communication by teaching your managers how to hold effective weekly meetings. In this course managers will… Read More

Improve guest experience with e-learning designed specifically for hospitality managers. With hospitality as the cornerstone of the restaurant and hotel industries, it’s crucial to equip your managers with the skills they need to make guest-centered decisions and set the stage for great service.  Our two new hospitality courses help managers develop and practice critical skills that… Read More

Developing managers is very different from developing hourly employees.  While new general managers are accustomed to coaching and leading team members, they often struggle to make the proper adjustments required to manage other managers.   General managers need to use special techniques to turn their top team members and managers into superstars.  That’s why we’ve introduced… Read More

Check out our new manager development courses! Today we’re introducing two brand new leadership and team development courses that were developed specifically for managers in the hospitality industry.  With engaging features like interactive simulators and situational practice activities, these mobile-ready courses allow restaurant and hotel managers to quickly gain competence in critical management skills.          … Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, January 5, 2015 – DiscoverLink, Inc. is pleased to announce that Mike Andrews has joined the company as Account Manager.   In his new role, Andrews will work with clients to understand their training objectives and challenges, and help them develop e-learning programs that deliver high return on investment. Andrews previously worked in consulting,… Read More

Food Safety Awareness & Workplace Safety Awareness are new and improved in HTML5 These essential employee compliance courses have been rebuilt to work on mobile devices, providing maximum flexibility in deploying this critical content. Supported operating systems include iOS (iPad), Android and Windows. These e-learning courses were created with efficiency in mind.  They focus on teaching important food safety and… Read More

Today we released a brand new e-learning course called “Operating Within Your Budget.”  Designed specifically for restaurants and hotels, this mobile-ready course will teach managers to proactively manage their operating budget. Improve profits and achieve corporate goals with better financial management Our hospitality-focused  financial management courses help restaurant and hotel managers become proficient in key skills… Read More

Hospitality E-Learning Deep Dive:  Uncovering Opportunities that Make the Biggest Impact for your Training Dollars. The newly-released 2014 Trends in Hospitality Training and Development Study by CHART and TDn2K revealed that the use of e-learning is on the rise, but it still accounts for less than 10% of total training delivered in hospitality organizations.  Most restaurants… Read More

It’s an understatement to say that the e-learning landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. When DiscoverLink first started in 2002, the number one barrier our clients faced in starting an e-learning program was the technology infrastructure.  Most restaurants did not have computing platforms in-store, and even fewer had internet connectivity.  In fact, in… Read More

The DiscoverLink crew teamed up with Lisa Schweickert, VP of Training for Golden Corral, to take the Warrior Dash Challenge at Warrior Dash Tennessee on Oct. 4th.   Since its inception in 2009, Warrior Dash has raised more than $10 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.    

Today we released the 2.2 version of DiscoverLink Talent, which includes some very useful enhancements.  The new features were developed in direct response to customer feedback. 2.2 Release Highlights The most significant enhancements are: New Exam Question Styles including multi-select, sequencing and matching Enhanced Permissions including improved proctor permissions and give credit options Employee Search Improvements that… Read More

DiscoverLink executives John Poulos, Jeff Tenut and Tom Tankelewicz recently participated in Culver’s VIP Steak Feed fundraiser and sponsored their golf outing at their headquarters in Prairie du Sac, WI.  The event raised funds for scholarships benefitting Culver’s True Blue Team Members. “As one of Culver’s top vendor partners, we were honored to have the opportunity… Read More

WEST CHICAGO, IL, September 24, 2014 – DiscoverLink, Inc. is pleased to announce that Sheila Amidei has joined the company as Director of Finance.   In her new role, Amidei will lead the finance and accounting functions. Amidei previously served as Business Finance Manager for the Consumer Electronics Business Unit of Sears Holding Corporation, where she… Read More

Culver’s of Carol Stream, IL hosted a special Day of Giving Tuesday, August 26, with 50 percent of all sales benefiting the family of two Team Members.  Five members of the DiscoverLink team were there to support Culver’s, one of its top customers. 21-year-old Daisy Martinez of west suburban Carol Stream became the recipient of a new kidney,… Read More

At the Miami Conference, I shared (in less than 9 minutes), the important role that the General Manager plays in the success of your organizations.  It’s critical thus that he/she is given the proper tools and that training is addressed. In our research, we identified specific under-developed competencies which are key in ensuring that the… Read More

I’ve been lucky enough to build e-learning courses since 1992, and over the past 12 years, DiscoverLink has had the privilege to work with more than 85 restaurant chains on their e-learning initiatives.  We’re asked to review and evaluate existing training programs with a goal of converting them to an online program that is paperless… Read More

The often-changing nature of the food-service workforce gives Golden Corral some special training challenges. To combat those, Golden Corral partnered on a customized e-learning system with DiscoverLink, which has a strong focus on the restaurant industry. View this Article originally published in Training Industry Quarterly, Spring 2010.

Jim Sullivan’s article, “How to Leverage Technology to Enhance Learning” from Nation’s Restaurant News (August 2006), explores how technology—effectively harnessed—can be an important step in improving the effectiveness of organizational learning. You can download the article here.

Although e-learning has long been utilized by industries such as health care, energy and finance, until recently, the foodservice industry has lagged behind in implementing this training technology. Cost of developing the technological infrastructure necessary to reach the foodservice industry’s diverse work force is a major obstacle. However, as pioneering foodservice organizations are adopting e-learning… Read More

Plan Your Learning Strategy The key to an effective e-learning training program is a well-developed learning strategy. Identify your overall training objectives, and then determine what role you want e-learning to play in the achievement of those objectives. Some organizations make the mistake of thinking e-learning is their learning strategy, instead of a tool in… Read More