Hi, we’re Cassie + Deirdre

We believe that leadership has the potential to be a positive force in the hospitality industry.

Co-Founders Deirdre Auld and Cassie Francisco started Tableside after realizing that there was a gap in professional development support for restaurant managers. They wanted to create a way for restaurant managers to develop the people-centered skills needed to successfully lead in a rapidly changing environment.

Deirdre and Cassie met at Northwestern University, where they both earned their master’s in learning and organizational change and a certification in organizational and leadership coaching. Their coursework covered topics including adult development, organizational development, employee learning and performance, design thinking, and change management.

They are excited to bring their knowledge and expertise in leadership development to the hospitality industry, a field that holds personal and professional significance for them both.

Our story

Meet the Team

My story started like so many others in hospitality: as a host at a neighborhood restaurant and a cashier at a national fast casual brand (Panera anyone?). I worked my way up in restaurants moving into serving and bartending roles, developing my tactical service skills and product expertise. But things changed for me after working for two restaurants back-to-back where the managers’ sole focus was partying, power, or both. In those roles, I watched as others were taken advantage of or worse. People with so much potential were being treated unfairly and pushed out of the industry, which already struggles with talent. I woke up one day and decided I wanted to be a leader that others would feel good about following.

I stepped into my first restaurant management role dedicated to creating a space where others felt seen and heard. It was important to me that my team felt good about where they worked and that they could find long-term success. I spent over a decade in restaurant management from fine dining to casual, full-service restaurants. I developed award-winning concepts from scratch and turned around failing businesses; working in Michelin starred and James Beard awarded restaurants. I’m proud to have received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant for one of the properties I helped to conceive and build. But what I’m most proud of is helping so many others develop their skills and become the people and leaders they wanted to be.

In 2019 just before the pandemic hit, I was feeling burned out and wanted to be learning again. In 2021, when the world had largely reopened and our businesses and people were back on their feet, I decided to step away. I dove into an opportunity to get my master’s degree and leadership coaching certification from Northwestern University.

I briefly worked in consulting and strategy in higher education followed by leadership development consulting in private equity before I decided to return to the place I love: restaurants. I’ve always been naturally insubordinate so I knew it was time to branch out as a leader and entrepreneur again. This time, I’m working to help restaurants overcome one of their biggest obstacles—leadership development—with the intention to support those who serve others in high stress careers.

I spent most of my childhood growing up around the service industry. My dad managed a 60-lane bowling alley in my hometown that housed a restaurant and three bars for years (fun fact: my grandma managed the bowling alley before my dad, she hired my dad, and that’s how my parents met!). I spent nearly every Saturday morning bowling in a league and many Saturday afternoons running around behind the bar helping myself to Sprite or in the “pits” (the backstage of bowling lanes).

Because of that experience, I’ve always had a deep appreciation and respect for people in the service industry. I’ve seen first-hand the love and hard work that goes on behind the scenes in order to provide meaningful experiences for others.

Professionally, I have a background in journalism and got my start at the food magazine Cooking Light. After that role, I spent 13+ years as a communications and marketing professional working in health care, non-profit, and higher education environments. In many of my roles, I built processes, procedures, and teams, to ensure that things ran as smoothly as possible. My favorite part of any job has been working with people—helping them solve problems, manage difficult situations, and find common ground. That’s what prompted me to shift my career to focus entirely on supporting people and their leadership development.

I earned a master’s in learning and organizational change and a certification in leadership coaching from Northwestern University. Since then, I’ve been coaching restaurant managers to support their leadership development and management skills.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to blend my personal background and professional interests to support the hospitality industry. I’m also thrilled to be back working in the food industry, since its where my career began. I’m passionate about providing a learning environment that not only is welcoming and approachable, but also challenges people to grow and become the best version of themselves.

 

We’d love to hear from you—

Contact us to learn more about our Leading in Restaurants program and how we can work together. Get in touch→

Testimonials

  • "I'm so grateful that Shy Bird decided to participate in the Leading in Restaurants Program. As a newly minted leader in the hospitality space, I can certainly bring elements of my previous experiences in other industries to this role. However, the collective wisdom of my peers in the program, as well as the skills development that the curriculum provides, has set me up with a much stronger foundation than I started with. Deirdre and Cassie provide a great conversational framework to translate the concepts from the course into real world situations. The practical applications of this course cannot be overstated."

    — Shannon Cassidy, Assistant General Manager, Shy Bird Kendall

  • "Cassie and Deirdre have created an incredible balance between coaching, informing, and mentoring. Cassie's style of active listening and questioning has helped me recognize where I can improve myself professionally and personally. Deirdre’s dedication to being supportive and patient is unparalleled. It has pushed me to give the same level of support to my team. I’ve gotten incredible perspective from both parties that I have been able to utilize at work and beyond."

    — Toni-Lynn Maiorino, People and Wine Director, Coda Group

  • "Cassie and Deirdre are an absolutely dynamic duo. At their core, they both bring an extremely empathetic and intentional approach to anything they do. They complement each other extremely well, both with their experiences and styles. From her time in hospitality, Deirdre is able to move at a fast pace while having a keen awareness of how to ensure every person can truly grasp a concept, idea, or activity at their own pace. Simultaneously, thanks to years working in the communications and education fields, Cassie brings her contagious positive spark and creativity to keep sessions engaging and relatable. I cannot recommend these two enough—anyone working with Deirdre and Cassie will be in for an A+ growth and learning experience."

    — Adam Reinhart, Former Assistant Resort Manager, Club Med

  • "I really enjoyed this course. I've taken leadership trainings for other careers and jobs, and I enjoyed that this was restaurant specific. Sometimes we face really nuanced situations other leaders in the working role don't often see, or we have to get creative in how we problem solve. It was really nice to hear from people who have been in restaurants offer leadership skills specific to our industry."

    — Kayla Peterson, Service + Events Manager, Shy Bird Southie