DiscoverLink Recognizes Loyal Customers with 2019 Client Appreciation Awards
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 was honored with a 10-year award, and one client was recognized with a 15-year award.
15-Year Loyalty Award Recipient
Ted’s Montana Grill: This 43-unit casual dining chain, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has been a DiscoverLink client since November 2004. Ted’s Montana Grill is a DiscoverLink Talent learning management system (LMS) user, utilizes custom content, and licenses courses from DiscoverLink’s Content Library, which replaced 20 instructor-led courses. In their first year as a DiscoverLink customer, Ted’s Montana Grill was able to reduce their existing MIT program from four weeks to two weeks and save more than $400,000 in travel expenses. Additionally, their course on burger toppings reduced grill cook training time from two weeks to just 45 minutes. Today, Ted’s Montana Grill is an active user of DiscoverLink Talent and has more than 2,000 employees using the LMS.
10-Year Loyalty Award Recipient
American Dairy Queen: A client since July 2009, American Dairy Queen is a 6300-unit international quick-service chain, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. DiscoverLink has worked with Dairy Queen over the past 10 years to build custom courses for their training curriculum. Their courses have been primarily created in English and Spanish with a few in French Canadian as well. At LinkUp 2017, Tami Peick, Instructional Designer at Dairy Queen, shared one of their courses during the E-Course Show & Tell session. Most recently, DiscoverLink teamed up with Dairy Queen to focus on their Breakfast program.
Tami Peick, Instructional Designer for Dairy Queen, sharing one of their courses during the E-Course Show & Tell session at LinkUp 2017
5-Year Loyalty Award Recipients
FOCUS Brands: This multi-brand restaurant operator headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia has been a DiscoverLink client since July 2014. Brands include Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky’s, and Jamba. Moe’s Southwest Grill initially engaged with DiscoverLink, which later bloomed into a full-fledged partnership with all of FOCUS Brands’ corporate locations. The opportunity began with a consulting project designed to help FOCUS Brands define its e-learning strategy, and evolved to FOCUS Brands licensing DiscoverLink Talent and a selection of courses from the Content Library. Currently, FOCUS Brands has 1,640 units with more than 30,000 users on the LMS, making them one of DiscoverLink’s top clients. During LinkUp 2019, representatives from Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, and FOCUS Brands International were in attendance to accept the award on behalf of FOCUS Brands.
Front row (left to right): Angi Lamkins, McAlister’s Deli, Jessica Durrance, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Anthony Walden, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Jessicah Pounds, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and John Poulos, DiscoverLink; Back row (left to right): Jeff Tenut, DiscoverLink, Allen Northrop, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Ryan Sparrow, FOCUS Brands International, and Michael Jones, FOCUS Brands International
Ivar’s Restaurants: Based in Seattle, Washington, Ivar’s Restaurants has been a DiscoverLink client since the end of 2014. They currently have 37 locations throughout the greater Seattle area. This seafood-specialized restaurant group started with the basic version of DiscoverLink Talent for the purposes of running Harassment Prevention for managers. Ivar’s Restaurants has since added Workplace Security Awareness.
From left to right: Jeff Tenut, CEO at DiscoverLink, Patrick Yearout, Director of Innovation at Ivar’s Restaurants, and John Poulos, President at DiscoverLink
Taco Mac: Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, this casual dining restaurant concept is a 26-unit brand that has been a DiscoverLink client since January 2014. Taco Mac has more than 1,500 learners on the DiscoverLink Talent system and has licensed a large majority of content from the Content Library. More recently, in 2018, Taco Mac secured $50,000 in grants from the United States Department of Labor to become one of the first restaurant chains to participate in the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) program. This program is designed to help employees who want to become managers to develop their talents and skills while working.
Not Your Average Joe’s: A DiscoverLink client since April 2014, this casual dining chain has 23 units and is based in Milton, Massachusetts. Not Your Average Joe’s originally licensed Harassment Prevention courses before deciding to move forward with DiscoverLink Talent. They currently license AGM to GM content for all of their locations along with multiple other Manager Development courses.
Bru’s Room Sports Grill: This Florida-based restaurant group was named after the famous football player Bob “Bru” Brudzinski, who played for the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the late 1970s. Bru’s Room Sports Grill has 9 locations and has been a client since July 2014. As a growing brand, Bru’s Room Sports Grill decided to invest in DiscoverLink Talent. Today, they are still active users and have also licensed AGM to GM content.
