How Eternal Optimist Hospitality Found a Better Way to Care for Their Team

When Susan Lacoe decided to start her own HR consulting company, she knew the most significant impact she could make was helping small and mid-size businesses give their employees the tools to thrive. After 25 years in HR leadership, she had seen one challenge come up again and again: benefits.

For Eternal Optimist Hospitality (EO), a multi-restaurant group with concepts like Royals Hot Chicken and Feast BBQ, benefits had become a sticking point. Their longtime broker was comfortable but not proactive, and rising costs made it harder to balance employee needs with the realities of running a business.

And when two of their restaurants unionized, the pressure grew. The leadership team needed a benefits solution that employees valued but also one that made financial sense.

During contract negotiations, the CEO of EO discovered Vitable Health's Direct Primary Care offering. At first, Susan was cautious because new benefits platforms can be complicated to implement, and the timing was tight. But what stood out immediately was how well Vitable Health’s care model aligned with what both leadership and union members wanted.

Telehealth wasn’t just appealing to their employees; it was championed by union representatives themselves, who saw it as a modern, affordable option that could make life easier for their members. Suddenly, a path to a true win-win emerged: better access to care for workers and sustainable costs for the business.

The timeline was aggressive, but Vitable Health made it happen.

“Jeremy, our rep, jumped through hoops for us,” Susan recalls. “I talked to him on a Friday, and by Monday everything was set up. I was extremely impressed.”

Vitable Health’s processes stood out because of their seamless support, providing step-by-step onboarding emails, ready-made flyers and employee communications, and a proactive team that anticipated Susan’s needs before she even raised them.

“I’ve worked with benefits groups for years, and this was the smoothest rollout I’ve ever been a part of,” Susan said. “I didn’t have to think about it for a second.”

Employees felt it too. Enrollment was quick, sign-ups were easy, and questions were answered without hassle.

For EO, Vitable Health delivered more than a benefits upgrade. It became a tool to strengthen employee trust, reduce negotiation friction, and set the business apart as an employer that listens.

The outcome?

• A win-win with the union: Employees got meaningful care access, and the company avoided unsustainable costs.
  
• Operational ease: Instead of juggling endless vendors and paperwork, Susan and EO’s leadership had one streamlined solution.
  
• Confidence in care: Employees knew they had a benefit they could use, not just one that looked good on paper.
  

Lessons for Business Leaders and Brokers

Eternal Optimist Hospitality’s journey offers a few takeaways for others navigating today’s benefits landscape:

1. Modernize benefits: Today’s workforce values flexibility and telehealth.
   
2. Partner with the right people: Choose benefits providers who work for your business, not just the big insurers.
   
3. Make it simple: Benefits only matter if employees actually use them.
   
4. Move with speed: In high-stakes moments, implementation shouldn’t be another headache.

At Vitable Health, we believe health benefits should be better than this—better for businesses, better for employees, and better for the bottom line. Eternal Optimist Hospitality’s story is just one example of how putting primary care at the center can transform the way benefits work.

Because when healthcare works, businesses thrive.