Rainbow Mbuangi from TPT’s Young Voices volunteers starred in a film to improve VI awareness among Five Guys’ 4,000 staff.
The fast food chain launched a new training programme after a diner with a guide dog was refused entry into one of its restaurants. It resolved to improve training across the whole organisation and contacted Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) for advice.
The team set out their plans to produce a training module to sit on Five Guys’ learning portal which would include a video specifically on how to greet and serve blind and partially sighted customers.
TPT provided guidelines Sight Loss Councils had prepared for restauranteurs. This formed the basis of what the training needed to cover.
Rainbow from the Young Voices group and members of Greater Manchester Sight Loss Council agreed to take part in the training video, How can I help?
They gave their personal accounts of dining out and how small details can make a massive difference to their experience.
Rainbow’s co-stars in the film were Lora Fachie MBE and her guide dog Tai, Neil Fachie MBE, Pete Forrester, Mary Gilbertson and Abu-Bakr Ishtiaq.
All members gave tips for Five Guys staff and agreed that someone greeting them would really help.
Rainbow said: “Things that would help a blind or visually impaired person coming into a Five Guys restaurant would be definitely at the door, a member of staff, so they can come and help. That can be for blind and visually impaired, but also other disabilities. It doesn’t just single out blind and visually impaired people.”
Lora shared her experiences when her guide dog has been refused entry into restaurants, how she has to explain it is illegal to refuse a guide dog and how this makes her feel each time.
The training will be a mandatory module for all of Five Guys’ staff, which operates 136 restaurants across the UK.
Sarah Salzer, Head of HR at Five Guys, said: “We have a young workforce. Most of our staff are between 18 and 24.
“This training sits within our larger diversity agenda for which we are promoting greater awareness and engagement among our staff.
“We want to increase their knowledge and confidence and take away some the questions they may have. We absolutely live by our values. If you don’t have diversity – you don’t have innovation.”
The first Five Guys location opened in Arlington, USA, in 1986. It has expanded its operations to over 1,100 locations in over 47 states, 6 Canadian provinces and Europe. Since the first Five Guys was launched in 2003, it now operates 136 restaurants in the UK.
The restaurant prides itself on serving burgers and fries how they are meant to be. High-quality Scottish beef, hand cut fries and as many fresh toppings as you wish in any combination you’d like. You can also create your own flavoured shakes with a range of different mix-ins.
Learn more about Five Guys here.
Sight Loss Councils, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust and led by blind and partially sighted volunteers, advocate the needs of blind and partially sighted people, and influence positive change.
Each SLC is made up of around 10-12 blind and partially sighted members who meet monthly to discuss accessibility issues and plan projects in their regions under the priority themes of health & well-being, employment & skills and inclusive communities.
Learn more about Sight Loss Councils here.
Young Voices is a group of volunteers from across England, aged 11 to 18, who want to bring about positive change for their communities.
Our volunteers are a voice for blind and partially sighted children and young people. They inform and educate society by challenging negative perceptions of vision impairment and advocating for positive change at a local and national level.
Young Voices will make a difference by working to improve experiences within education, employment and engagement whilst also helping young people support health and wellbeing in the VI community, making sure communities are inclusive and helping young people who are blind and partially sighted to develop life and employment skills.
This online community is for blind and partially sighted students, family and friends, education providers and other staff in the sector. It forms a supportive environment where relevant news, advice, questions and pieces of work can be shared to enable students with visual impairments to get the most out of their time at university.
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