Rewarding FOH staff showcasing ingenuity, versatility, and grit at GoTab-operated venues

Today, next-generation restaurant commerce platform GoTab announces the Grand Prize Winner of the inaugural Hospitality First Service Awards, a program designed to reward front of house staff who go above and beyond to provide a superlative hospitality experience. Recognized by his peers for his outstanding work ethic and positive attitude, Santa Anita Park team member Chris Salazar was selected as the very first recipient of the award. He will receive a $2,000 cash prize along with recognition on the GoTab website, via a video testimonial, certificate and premium swag kit.

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Front-of-house staffer Chris Salazar mastered GoTab very quickly and was instrumental in providing a high level of service at the Santa Anita Park concessions, all the while fully leveraging the innovative contactless ordering and payment platform. He utilized GoTab’s features while remaining available to guests, assisting them and providing a superlative dining experience. “With GoTab, we’ve seen Chris grow and become an even better team member,” said Santa Anita Park Deputy Director of Hospitality Alexis Donahue. “Chris is the living proof that great service can be further enhanced with contactless ordering and payment solutions,” she added.

GoTab launched the Hospitality First Service Awards in November 2021, aiming to recognize the waitstaff that embrace smart technology and deliver an excellent dining experience. Many associate the use of technology in the hospitality industry as a detriment to the guest experience, but the submissions received over the past three months proved that contactless technology can help staff elevate the on-site hospitality experience from a service perspective. With limited workers available, many hospitality operators have had to evolve their service model, implementing hybrid systems that satisfy both tech-savvy guests (who have fully adopted contactless ordering) and more traditional guests (who still prefer to place their orders with a server).

The Hospitality First Service Awards recognized servers at GoTab-operated venues every week in November and December 2021, offering cash prizes and swag kits to FOH staff nominated by their co-workers, guests, or managers. The Grand Prize winner was selected among the program’s recognized servers: “I’m truly honored to receive this award – it’s particularly gratifying to see that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed,” said Santa Anita Park team member Chris Salazar.

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