28 Days of Love Letters

Hannah Brencher has started a movement in my restaurant. It's one based on kindness and love - the spirit of the service industry, if you ask me. It started small with her in New York City, as a way to cope with depression in college, leaving uplifting letters, notes of encouragement tucked in the corners of the city. Soon it exploded into an organization that reaches out to those in need by fulfilling letter requests for those in need.

The World Needs More Love Letters. 

From the website www.moreloveletters.com:

"The world doesn't need another website. Not another network. Not another app. What she needs is really basic. Simple. Bare-boned. & Often forgotten in the race to get followers. & "Likes". 

Love. Pure, old-fashioned never goes out of style Love."

The idea is simple. Write a letter to a stranger. Something positive, uplifting, kind, and filled with love. Maybe it's exactly what you need to hear from someone else. And then you leave it behind for someone else to find. And maybe your kindness touches that person and she moves on with her day with a lighter step than before and a small smile on her face. And maybe she'll pay that kindness forward by helping another stranger smile. Spreading love. That's the idea.

As I learned more about The World Needs More Love Letters, I began to realize what a unique opportunity we have in the restaurant industry to really touch people's lives. Already they invite us into their lives by celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and all sorts of other life events with us. How many people could we touch with a movement like this, confined in our own four walls? In a perfect world, every guest that comes through our doors walks out of them happier than they were when they walked in. What a great way to take that to the next level.

So starting February 1st, in my restaurant, I'm leaving behind one or two love letters on random tables, or tucked inside menus, and even hidden away somewhere in the kitchen for the crew to find. Maybe I can make a difference in my city, the way Hannah Brencher did. Maybe I can lift the spirits of a few dozen people in my community. At the very least, I hope my crew sees the heart and spirit of this endeavor and understands that this is the heart and soul of the service industry. Surprising people with kindness. Making them feel welcome, at home, happy, and loved. Here is a photo of the first love letter I wrote. I wrote it a few weeks ago, but I've been saving it to use in the restaurant.

And then here is one left behind in the kitchen for one of our valued teammembers:

I'll be posting every few days about my observations - how the guests are receiving it, the affect it has on the crew, any comments from others, and such. So be on the lookout! And please go visit the website. If you do nothing else, watch Hannah's TEDTalk.