NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) -- The Stockpot in Norfolk gained social media traction after responding to an online complaint regarding their decision to close during business hours, in order to host a staff meeting. The Stockpot in Norfolk is one of three locations in Hampton Roads. The oldest location in Virginia Beach has been around for nine years. Their Norfolk location has been open for just under six years and a new Chesapeake site opened recently, this September. WAVY Photo: Cortez Grayson WAVY Photo: Cortez Grayson WAVY Photo: Cortez Grayson WAVY Photo: Cortez Grayson The restaurant is open seven days a week, and tries to host an all-staff meeting every quarter, said Amber Kostka, COO of Stockpot and co-owner of Stockpot in Chesapeake. After someone left a Facebook comment criticizing the restaurant for conducting an employee meeting during business hours, Kostka responded, defending the company's actions. "We closed for a couple hours between service for a needed meeting," the restaurant responded, in part. "Our staff also have lives, families, and obligations outside of work. As a company, we do our very best to respect that." A screenshot of the initial comment and the company's reply was then uploaded to Reddit, where more responses ensued in support of Stockpot's decision. Many replies came to the restaurant's defense, highlighting injustices of how service industry employees are often treated. In the service industry, it's not uncommon for employees to work long shifts on their feet all day. Most restaurants include kitchen staff who need to prep, servers who ensure the restaurant is ready to open and who stay after hours to clean, roll silverware, etc., and managers having to close up. "I don't think people realize sometimes just how much work it is in the service industry," Kostka said. It's possible for the business to conduct these meetings "after hours," however, it could require a larger portion of employees to come in on their off days or take away from other obligations, Kostka said. The social media rebuttal from Stockpot regarding the "loss of revenue" cited in the complaint said that it was worth losing a small monetary value in order to maintain the respect of the business' employees. The restaurant is typically a lunch and breakfast establishment, staying open until 3 or 4 p.m. most days, and extending later into the evenings on Wednesdays and Mondays. "If this was a 'normal job,' you know — an office job — they have the ability to have team meetings during their team hours," Kostka said. "They aren't asking their employees to come outside of their working hours." Kostka said it was important to help maintain some level of work-life balance. Studies have shown that businesses that support work-life balance tend to increase productivity, lower turnover rate and improve employee morale, according to Harvard Business Review. According to Statista, 79.1% of U.S. employees worked in the service industry in 2022. While the restaurant doesn't always have a time that works for all employees — being open seven days a week as well as having morning and nighttime shifts during the week — they try their best to accommodate. "It's never perfect, but that's the goal," Kostka said. Kostka was born and raised in the area. Both her parents were in different aspects of the service industry -- her father in automotive while her mother was in retail. She started as a host at Red Lobster before working her way up into her current position at Stockpot. "This company is just one business, but we see it as a chance to maybe do things a little bit differently," Kostka said. "When I was coming up in service, there were times when I was expected to work even when I was sick, I was expected to show up when it was snowing, and I didn't feel safe driving to work — it didn't matter. And that's just not really our values." The company also includes other benefits including health insurance, maternity leave and paid time off. According to Restaurant365, only 9% of restaurant and bar employees receive paid family leave — significantly below the national average for other industry employees of 20%. If the employees feel like they are important, then they will extend that to the customers because they care about the company and want to perform well, Kostka said. "A lot of great people in this industry you lose because they feel like they can't have a work-life balance," Kostka said. Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.