Franchisee Support · Hiring

Hiring support

A practical hiring kit for Sunrise Social locations: where to post, what to ask, how to interview consistently, and how to get a new hire started. Each location is independently owned and operated. The franchisee is the employer and chooses the platform, pays any platform fees, interviews candidates and makes the final hiring decision.

Download the branded employment application (PDF) Open the fillable / printable application

Platform Picker

Choose the tool that fits the hiring problem

Platform	Best use	Watch-outs
Indeed	Broad reach for servers, hosts, line cooks, prep and dish roles when you need applicants quickly.	Sponsored-post spend can add up. Track cost per qualified applicant, not just clicks.
Culinary Agents	Hospitality-specific candidates, especially experienced cooks, back-of-house roles and managers.	The pool is more targeted and may be smaller than a general job board.
Poached	Restaurant-focused posting and candidate search for kitchen and service roles.	Results vary by market — test it against your other sources before making it the only channel.
Workstream	Text-to-apply, automated follow-up and interview scheduling when a store hires often or loses candidates to slow responses.	A subscription makes sense only when hiring volume justifies it.
Referrals & community	Employee referrals, local groups, schools and community partners. Often the lowest-cost source and a strong retention signal.	Use the same screening and interview process for every candidate, including referrals.

New hiring platforms are reviewed before they are added to this list. A sales pitch alone does not make a platform an approved recommendation.

Job Posts

Master job-post template

[Position] — Sunrise Social, [City, State]

Sunrise Social is a made-from-scratch breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant known for warm hospitality and a fast, upbeat pace. This location is independently owned and operated by [franchisee legal entity].

Schedule: [days / hours] Pay: [hourly range or salary] Employment type: [full-time / part-time]

What you will do: [add the role points below]

What we are looking for: [experience, availability and role requirements]

How to apply: Apply through this posting or complete the Sunrise Social employment application and return it to [location / email].

Role points to copy in

Server	Own the guest experience from greeting to check-back; know the menu and pairings; run food, pre-bus and reset tables; handle POS orders accurately; keep a calm, friendly pace during brunch rushes.
Host	Greet and seat guests, manage the wait list and quotes honestly, answer the phone within two rings, coordinate large parties and keep the entry welcoming.
Line cook	Work assigned stations to recipe and ticket standards; communicate timing; keep a clean, stocked station; follow food-safety and allergen procedures.
Prep cook	Complete prep lists accurately and on time; label, date and rotate product; follow recipes, yields and storage standards.
Dishwasher	Keep dishes, smallwares and the dish area moving and clean; support trash, floors and closing duties; flag shortages or equipment issues early.
Shift lead / manager	Run the shift, coach the team, handle guest recovery, manage cash and opening/closing checks, and communicate issues to ownership the same day.

Include the schedule and pay range whenever possible, and always where local law requires it. Keep requirements tied to the actual job.

Screening & Interview

Screening questions

Which position are you applying for, and what days and hours are you consistently available — including weekends?
Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
Tell us about your most relevant restaurant experience. Which stations or roles have you worked?
What food-safety, allergen or point-of-sale experience do you have?
How do you keep your work moving when tickets stack up or a guest needs help at the same time?
When could you start, and is there anything about the posted schedule that would not work for you?

Interview scorecard

Score each area 1–5. Use the same questions and scorecard for every candidate for the same role.

Reliability & schedule fit	Availability matches the need; start date and expectations are clear.
Role skill	Experience and answers show the candidate can learn and perform the role to standard.
Hospitality mindset	Warmth, guest awareness and a “positive no” approach — helpful even when the answer cannot be yes.
Communication & teamwork	Clear, respectful and direct; gives examples of helping a team under pressure.
Cleanliness & safety	Understands sanitation, labeling, allergen awareness and speaking up about problems.
Coachability	Open to feedback, asks good questions and takes responsibility for mistakes.

Suggested decision guide: 24–30 = strong hire candidate · 18–23 = consider, check references and gaps · below 18 = not a fit for this role.

Start Strong

New-hire onboarding checklist

Complete all employer paperwork with the franchisee entity, including tax and work-authorization forms handled by the employer.
Confirm start date, first-week schedule, trainer, pay rate, pay schedule and who to contact about a schedule problem.
Collect uniform sizes and order directly from Floor Three Designs.
Issue the training materials for the role and schedule training shifts from the Training library.
Cover food safety, allergen communication, handwashing, uniform standard and the store's emergency basics before the first solo shift.
Check in at the end of week one, then at 30, 60 and 90 days: what is going well, where is coaching needed, and is the schedule still working?

Measure what is working

Time to fill	Days from posting to accepted offer.
Interview show rate	Interviews attended ÷ interviews scheduled, by source.
Qualified applicants	Applicants who meet the role and schedule requirements, by source.
Cost per hire	Platform and advertising spend ÷ hires made.
30 / 90-day retention	New hires still employed and meeting standard at 30 and 90 days.

Review the numbers monthly. If a source produces clicks but no qualified applicants or no-shows dominate, change the source or the follow-up speed before spending more.