Pizza Express waiter retires after 45 years service

Staff training and retention is a very hot topic at the moment in the Hospitality industry with fears that staff are not being invested in, leading to low staff loyalty and high staff turnover.

One company that has managed to hold onto a model employee is Pizza Express who have recently sadly said goodbye to loyal staff member Ezekiel Martinez who has retired after 45 years’ service!

Mr Martinez started his career with Pizza Express just 5 years after its launch in 1970 and worked out of Coptic Street in London for 21 years before moving on to Fulham Road and Knightsbridge, spending the last 20 years at Bow Street in Covent Garden.

Hopefully Mr Martinez’s story will inspire employees in the Hospitality industry to realise that in order to retain a happy, motivated workforce it is essential to spend time and money on training and developing staff skills. Staff also need to feel that they are working in a supportive environment where their efforts are appreciated by their employer, feeling unappreciated is the key reason staff gave for leaving the Hospitality industry.