In a foodservice industry where labor retention remains a persistent challenge, Golden Waffles has secured Great Place To Work® Certification™ for the second consecutive year, with 83% of associates affirming it as a great workplace — up from 82% in the previous cycle and well above the 57% benchmark recorded at a typical U.S. company.
The Glen Mills, Pennsylvania-based company, founded in 1937, supplies fresh-baked waffle programs to more than 50,000 customer locations across North America and in more than 60 countries. Its operator base spans QSR chains, full-service restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, and convenience stores — segments where consistent staffing across route delivery, warehousing, and manufacturing directly affects service reliability.
What the Score Signals
CEO Mike DiBeneditto credited frontline workers rather than corporate initiatives for the recognition. "Our associates are the ones running routes, working in our warehouses and manufacturing operations and serving our customers every day," he said. "This recognition belongs to them. We're proud of the progress we've made, and we're listening closely to where our people say we can improve."
The Great Place To Work® Certification™ is issued solely on the basis of real-time employee survey data, with no jury or editorial component. Research from the certifying organization finds that employees at certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work and twice as likely to report fair pay and promotion opportunities compared to workers at uncertified companies — metrics that carry operational weight for foodservice suppliers competing for skilled drivers and production staff.
Implications for Foodservice Operators
For the restaurant and hospitality operators that source from Golden Waffles, a supplier's internal culture can have real downstream effects. High workforce stability in route-based distribution reduces the risk of delivery disruptions and supports the consistency that operators depend on for high-volume waffle programs. As beverage and food manufacturers compete for the same hourly labor pool, workplace culture credentials are increasingly part of the competitive calculus for attracting and retaining qualified personnel.
Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work®, noted that earning the certification "requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience," and said Golden Waffles "stands out as one of the top companies to work for."
Golden Waffles says it will use this year's associate feedback data to identify additional opportunities to strengthen the employee experience across the organization, suggesting further investment in workforce programs ahead.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
