The Food Service Strategy Behind Texas Roadhouse's Line Dancing

If you've ever been to a Texas Roadhouse, you already know all about its line dancing. A quick internet search will procure YouTube videos of TXRH employees line dancing while masked during the pandemic to "Build Me Up Buttercup." At locations nationwide, Roadies have danced (mere feet away from dining guests) to songs from "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" to Alan Jackson's "Good Time." Why? (I'm just trying to eat this cactus blossom).

To answer this question, an apparent TXRH employee of six years hopped on to Reddit, providing detailed explanations for myriad questions from menu items to secret ordering hacks and business practices, including "What's with the line dancing?" The poster explains the method behind the madness: "[I]t's strategic. Loud music makes people uncomfortable and keeps people from eating and then 'camping' and taking up tables. Also, you'll notice servers dancing and not taking out food. It gives 2-3 minutes for [the] kitchen and expo to quickly catch up on ticket times without new orders being put in."

If the loud, busy dancing feels a little "in your face," that's because it's supposed to be. The line dancing might be a subliminal technique for turning tables quickly under the guise of lighthearted fun. The playful vibe doesn't make guests feel unwelcome, but it doesn't make them want to relax and stay a while either, and the kitchen gains a few extra minutes. (Although, if you've had a lousy day, mandatory line dancing doesn't sound super fun).

Another Reddit post similarly inquires, "Why in the world does Texas Roadhouse make [its] servers do a line dance every half hour and disrupt [its] guests' dinner by turning the music allllll the way up?" Also, regarding the intensely physical aspect of working a service industry job, the poster notes, "They are literally running around the restaurant on their feet all day!" Attached to the post is a photo of the back of a TXRH employee's tee shirt, which is printed with the words "I Heart My Job" and the restaurant logo (yikes!). 

Alternatively, other company higher-ups maintain that workers feel positive about the practice. As TXRH Market Partner David Hollinger told local news outlet WNCT, "I think it speaks to the culture of Texas Roadhouse, where we get our employees involved, and reward them for great performance and great effort." Hollinger also mentions that the tradition "brings a great sense of pride" to workers — and indeed, some employees seem to like the tradition. There are even regional and national dance competitions to determine the best TXRH line dancers by location. In 2015, employees at the TXRH in Worcester, Massachusetts (multi-time competition winners) took home the gold for their intricate choreography of Blake Shelton's cover of "Footloose." Last year, the Greenville Texas Roadhouse dance team was flown out to Dallas to be nationally recognized for their win.