For the third time in the past fifteen years, Surrender turned it’s organizational development expertise to the staff and board of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association (GDRA). Matthew Mabel and his team applied the same methodology, tools and coaching techniques used in their hospitality consultancy for clients like Original Pancake House and i Fratelli. In … Continued
I just spent a day with 12 teams of aspiring high school students competing for national recognition in restaurant management. I had two big takeaways: 1. Show true, heartfelt hospitality even when you distracted with handling your business. 2. Take advantage of what’s not working. The best business people are always thinking about their customers … Continued
Beyond Buzzwords: Making “best practices” a reality – View Source Article Nation’s Restaurant News 5/8/12 By: Matthew Mabel Recently the term “best practices” proudly took its place among Forbes.com’s list of “the most annoying, pretentious and useless business jargon.” “Best practice” was deemed “the most pompous confection the consulting industry has ever dreamed up.” In … Continued
I’ve been thinking back on the recent Southwest Foodservice Expo, reflecting on the technological advances available to the industry. Which are real and which are ephemeral? Technology marches on. Who needs a buzzer to tell you table is ready when a restaurant can text you? I had started to think about this during the show. … Continued
When the best companies aim to increase sales, the first thing they do is evaluate and improve the customer experience. Then, once it is up to standard, they use that to define their brand and enroll frequent users. What is the point of focusing on bringing people through your front doors before you have something … Continued
The Texas Restaurant Association has asked me to moderate SW Foodservice Expo panels on both Branding and Creating Regular Customers. I appreciate the opportunity to make important contributions to thinking in the industry. The panel discussions will take place at the Texas Restaurant Association’s upcoming Southwest Food Service Expo – Education Idea Center June 24-25 … Continued
New on our website is a report sharing our observations and documenting our analysis of the current state of the restaurant industry. This information grew out of our interpretation of 2012 Restaurateur Issues and Challenges, 12 key findings from the recent survey we conducted in a partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association. More here. We invite you … Continued
Here in Dallas, we know there’s good news and bad news about working in the restaurant industry. When Raising Cane’s CEO Todd Graves announced a corporate relocation to Dallas, he called it “the best restaurant city in the country.” Yes, there is a lot of hospitality industry talent here, and millions of hungry people. On the other hand, … Continued
12 key findings from the recent survey we conducted in a partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association. 2012 Restaurateur Issues and Challenges March 1, 2012 2012 Restaurateur Issues and Challenges Survey Results We now know several new things about restaurateurs these days: • They are generally optimistic about their future. • They identify their top … Continued
In their February 2012 issue, Restaurantville Monthly profiles the work we recently did in partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association on our 2012 Restaurateurs Issues and Challenges Survey. The publication notes the connection between operators’ focus on living their culture and their optimism for 2012. “By maintaining a high level of cultural integrity, restaurants will … Continued