To improve employee productivity and satisfaction, we are continuing our Project Near and Ready initiative, also known as Project Nerdy. This initiative assigns or reassigns staff to stores within a 30-minute commute from their residence. The reduced commute aims to improve employee well-being and lessen their travel expenses.
While this project has been implemented for other brands, in 2025, we expanded Project Nerdy to all company-owned stores for Potato Corner. Project Nerdy reinforced our “hire local, assign local” approach: employees were recruited from communities near store locations, and new hires were intentionally placed in branches close to their residences.
A major function of Project Nerdy in 2025 was improving operational resilience. Staff assigned nearby can report to work faster, and our stores are less affected by issues like traffic disruptions, transport strikes, and weather-related delays—all which can negatively impact employee experience with SPAVI.
Project Nerdy continues to be a strategic workforce initiative that quietly powers SPAVI’s operations. It is essential to our long-term success: demonstrating how internal programs behind-the-scenes can create both business value and social impact.
By the end of 2025, 80% of our casual dining and 93% of our Potato Corner store staff live in close proximity to their place of work. We will continue to expand this initiative moving forward.