Toledo Restaurant Takes 60 Staff on Paid Bahamas Cruise

When Chef Jeff Dinnebeil and his wife Megan Lingsweiler closed their Toledo restaurant for three days, it wasn't for renovations. They were taking all 60 staff members on a cruise to the Bahamas.

The owners of The Standard restaurant got the idea after vacationing with their own kids last year. They realized their team of cooks, servers, and hosts deserved the same joy.

So they booked everyone onto a Royal Caribbean cruise stopping at Nassau and Bimini. The restaurant stayed closed to make sure nobody had to miss out while others partied on the high seas.

For cook Andrew Jackson, the trip was life-changing. He'd never flown on a plane or sailed the ocean before. Server Allison Latta had cruised before, but nothing compared to seeing 60 coworkers scattered around the boat, all there together.

"Everybody went on there as employees, and when we left and went back home, everybody was like family," Jackson said.

The three days included karaoke nights, scavenger hunts, catered dinners, and even a basketball competition. Some loyal customers and former team members joined the adventure too.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story shine isn't just the generous gesture. It's what the owners understand about success.

Dinnebeil and Lingsweiler call their team the "lifeblood" of their business, serving upscale American cuisine on Toledo's Monroe Street. They backed up that belief with action, adding the cruise on top of Christmas bonuses.

The best part? They chose people over profit, closing their popular restaurant so everyone could go together. No one left behind manning the kitchen while others made memories.

That decision transformed a workplace into a family, proving that investing in people creates something money alone never could.