Every day Amelia Gene’s is open, Executive Chef Nate Henssler, Executive Sous Chef Jonathan Lazo and a handful of line cooks arrive an hour earlier than the rest of the team.

And they do so to cook a meal for their coworkers.

Anyone who has ever worked in a well-run restaurant will tell you the team feels like a family.

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There is a sense of camaraderie that comes from working in such a fast-paced and demanding atmosphere. Each team member fills a role, from line cook to dishwasher to server to sommelier, to make the guest’s dining experience memorable and flawless.

Restaurants around the world have implemented one simple daily event that helps build that sense of team: the family meal.

A family meal sets aside uninterrupted time for the entire team to come together and get to know one another before a demanding service.

When Henssler was making plans for the opening of Amelia Gene’s, he knew having a daily preservice family meal was going to be an integral part of the restaurant.

Before coming to Memphis two years ago, Henssler had worked in fine-dining kitchens in larger cities like Las Vegas and Chicago.

“In the restaurants I have worked in, I have seen a noticeable difference in the staff attitude when there was family meal offered and when there wasn’t,” Henssler said.

When deciding how to implement this daily off-menu service for 20-plus people, Henssler turned to his sous chef.

Lazo jumped on the opportunity to spearhead the daily meal.

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As alternated between making homemade pasta for the restaurant’s new tasting menu and stirring a big pot of Chicken Tinga — a spicy Mexican shredded chicken dish — for the family meal on a recent Thursday, Lazo said, “I take joy in this. I don’t mind doing the extra work to make it happen.”

“This is so important. It’s a refresher before service,” Lazo added. “Plus, many of us work two jobs, and this is the only time for them to have a home-cooked meal.

“Plus, it’s not good to have someone hungry when working the line or as a server.”

But both Henssler and Lazo said the benefits of a family meal go well beyond filling hungry bellies.

Henssler remembers vividly the impact that family meal had on him as a young cook, both professionally and personally. He said the value of gathering together instills a sense of fellowship and lets the team know they are appreciated.

“This should be a common practice at every restaurant,” Lazo added.

Amelia Gene’s general manager Jessica Henssler said that family meal has helped bring the whole team, the kitchen and the front of the house, together.

“During service, the kitchen and the front of the house are separated,” she said. “This meal offers the opportunity to learn about the people you work with.”

She said for her, it’s about showing her staff how much they care for them: “We owe it to our staff to set them up for success.”

Family meal is taken seriously at Amelia Gene’s with planning for the menu starting a week in advance.

The goal is to offer a healthful meal made with fresh ingredients. Fried or processed foods are never used. A salad and a vegetable are always included. Sometimes leftovers from the previous night’s dinner service are incorporated, like using mashed potatoes as the topping of a shepherd’s pie, but most days, it’s a unique dish.

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Lazo, who grew up in Memphis and has parents originally from El Salvador, often creates dishes he grew up eating, such as the Chicken Tinga.

Destiny Stewart, a line cook, said family meal is something she looks forward to every shift.

“It gives you the opportunity to mingle with the cooks and the servers,” she said, adding she likes to come in early and help prepare this special meal.

“Everyone eats together like one big family,” said server Antonio Villarreal as he sat at a table catching up with two line cooks and another server about their day.

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Assistant general manager Emma Gold said Amelia Gene’s has been her first experience with a family meal: “I really appreciate that our team can mingle; that’s how they have built their friendships and relationships.”

Nate Henssler also makes sure team members who don’t arrive in time for the 3:30 p.m. family meal are taken care of as well.

“I make sure to box up meals for employees like valet drivers and security,” he said.

Increasing competition and tighter financial margins are two reasons Henssler thinks the industry tradition of a family meal is not as prevalent as it once was.

For Henssler, it's about treating staff with the same respect that is given to guests.

“It’s about hospitality. We give each other hospitality and see each other as a team,” said Henssler. “This is so important.”