Millions of guests remember restaurants and venues, yet rarely know the names of the professionals who actually create those memorable experiences. The hospitality industry has created celebrity restaurants, celebrity chefs, and well-known venues. However, it still lacks a reliable way for everyday hospitality professionals to build a portable reputation that follows them throughout their careers. Every time someone changes jobs, much of the recognition they’ve earned stays behind with the business instead of moving with them.
This challenge has long since haunted one of the world’s largest service industries.
“We’ve spent decades helping people discover restaurants. We’ve done almost nothing to help people discover the professionals inside them,” says Joshua Scott, a leader in hospitality technology. As a seasoned software engineer and data analytics professional who grew up surrounded by restaurants and hospitality, he observed how hard hospitality workers worked and how much customers relied on them. Those early experiences in the hustle and bustle of busy kitchens and in close relationships with skilled professionals instilled in him a profound appreciation for the people who work tirelessly. While pursuing his studies in Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, he became frustrated by how these workers struggled to showcase their skills, build their reputations, and connect with patrons in meaningful ways. And so, empowering these heroes of the industry became his mission, to which he has dedicated years of his life.
“Hospitality professionals deserve a professional identity that’s as portable as their talent,” he says, explaining how great service should build careers, not disappear when a shift ends.
Creating the “Window into the World Behind the Counter”
Scott’s platform, Quench Marketplace, thus serves as “a window into the world behind the counter.”
Professionals can finally build a reputation that belongs to them, not just the venue where they currently work, through features like the leaderboard and verified customer reviews. “A bartender shouldn’t lose years of earned reputation simply because they changed employers,” explains the founder.
Just like all creatives, talented servers, bartenders, hosts, chefs, bottle girls, mixologists, and other workers can also ensure that they have a long-term portfolio that serves them throughout their careers. They can build profiles that showcase their experience, specialties, and achievements. They can also post photos to display their work and demonstrate what makes their service memorable.
Every exceptional hospitality professional deserves to be discoverable, and now they can be, especially through the geolocation feature.
Further, patrons no longer have to hunt down or chase their favorite professionals; they can simply discover them in the app, send them tips directly, view their work, and browse verified ratings and customer feedback.
Quench also enables patrons to follow professionals they enjoy. By following workers’ posts, they can stay updated on where they are working. If a patron wants to experience that same level of service again, they can easily find or even book that professional for private events.
And so, this “window” gives patrons visibility into the people creating exceptional experiences while giving those professionals the recognition they’ve long deserved, because hospitality professionals deserve a reputation that belongs to them, not their employer.
At the same time, business owners also gain valuable analytics on performance and customer satisfaction.
“This symbiotic relationship strengthens the industry from the inside out, raising standards and celebrating the talent that often goes unnoticed,” he explains.
The app is a significant step toward solving the hospitality industry’s biggest challenge.
Changing the Hospitality Landscape
The hospitality industry has always been powered by professionals who, more often than not, disappear into the background rather than receiving the recognition they deserve. Joshua Scott, a hospitality technology leader, observed this phenomenon for a long time and concluded that, as the hospitality landscape evolves, this will no longer be enough. Recognition, visibility, and trust will become even more important with time.
A professional identity does more than just establish a name. It connects talented professionals directly with the people who value their work. And so, Quench Marketplace is on its way to becoming the world’s largest professional network dedicated exclusively to hospitality and creating a future where the people behind every great hospitality experience receive the same recognition as the venues themselves.
