Bagel Company Making Dough

About Bruegger’s Bagels

When Nord Brue and Mike Dressell started Bruegger's Bagels in 1983, they actually founded the retail bagel concept. Up until that point, bagels were considered mostly an ethnic food and were not known much outside of New York. At that time, less than one-third of Americans had ever tasted a bagel!

From their home base in Burlington, Vermont, Brue and Dressell pioneered a new concept that expanded the traditional bagel bakery into a quick service bakery with premium specialty cream cheeses, custom-made sandwiches, signature soups and exceptional coffee. They worked with a professional bagel baker from New York City for 2 1/2 years to perfect their recipe and baking process.

In 2003, Bruegger's welcomed new ownership and expanded beyond bagels into breads, wraps and other lunchtime menu items. In addition, it began updating bakeries to reflect the welcoming feel of the New England farmhouse-inspired bakery-café that Bruegger's has evolved into.

Today, more than 20 years after the first Bruegger's opened in Troy, New York, Bruegger’s is a leader in the quick, casual restaurant segment with approximately 265 neighborhood bakery-cafes in 21 states throughout the U.S.

Bruegger’s and Assessments

Bruegger’s strategy of selecting individuals who will easily adapt to the corporate culture of guest satisfaction is a critical element in ensuring an engaged workforce. While exceptional service for guests results in positive sales and positive guest counts, exceptional guest service for Brueggers team members also results in a positive workplace, higher morale and improved retention.

High employee turnover is a challenge that plagues many companies in the Quick Casual restaurant market, with many restaurant owners feeling that turnover is inevitable and must be accepted as a matter of course. Bruegger’s felt overall turnover was high, and the financial burden of turning over General and Assistant Managers was inhibiting the company’s financial performance.

To combat this trend, Bruegger’s developed a strategy to reduce turnover by identifying managers who show a passion for customer satisfaction. This strength is then capitalized upon across the workforce to drive both financial and team-building goals.

"Turnover of managers and employees has decreased significantly, resulting in substantial savings each year"

To support their goal of hiring and retaining the very best, Bruegger’s partnered with Profiles International to identify the traits present in an ideal candidate. By utilizing both the Step One Survey II™ and ProfileXT™, Bruegger’s now has the ability to select candidates who are best suited for these types of management positions. Turnover of managers and employees has decreased significantly, resulting in substantial savings each year. ProfileXT™ is now being implemented for selection of corporate employees as well.

Moving forward, Bruegger’s plans to continue using these assessment tools and will expand usage into coaching and leadership development activities. Pattern reviews are also on the horizon and the future is certainly bright for this blossoming partnership!