Wow! Next week’s calendar says, “Texas Spring Break” already. That means the time for owners of successful independent restaurant companies to get out and enjoy the success they have earned is NOW – not when they retire or sell (if they ever do).Last month, I met … Continued

I was having a drink with one of my clients and we were talking about the roles he and his wife were taking in their own business—which was very successful by any measure. They were working a lot. A lot. And seemingly forever. “We’ve decided … Continued

Every restaurant closing or personnel change has a backstory you never read about in a magazine. So much goes unsaid and unprinted. As an insider, I know. You may, too. Challenges in the Restaurant Industry I have heard a lot of talk and read a … Continued

Are you working hard this holiday season – feeling the frustrated pull of your family asking you to peel a few days here or there so everyone can be together? Or are you more like many of my clients, who have structured their business so … Continued

Live your own life, not someone else’s. Customize your life. You have the power to do that.  Most people who don’t feel they have that option would be shocked that you don’t choose to take advantage of it.   Do This Now  I can hear … Continued

Michael Jordan and Tom Brady had coaches. The CEO of Ford has a coach – I’ve met him (the coach, not the CEO!). However successful you’ve been, and no matter how talented you are, coaching will bring out even more from you. So, who coaches … Continued

If you want to really improve your restaurants and your restaurant company, act like you just bought it.  Instead of looking at it like the founder, developer, and shepherd you have been for years (or decades), look at everything with new eyes. When I begin … Continued

If I asked you, “What kind of company do you own and operate?” how would you answer?  Would you say, “A restaurant company”? Maybe if you’re a wise guy, but it doesn’t give me or you a whole lot to work with.  It reminds me … Continued

For many of my most successful clients, it might have been several years – or even several decades – since they’ve worked in a company that wasn’t their own. That can result in a lack of perspective that holds them back. And sometimes, “It’s lonely … Continued

In the history-spanning and never-ending competition between chain restaurants and independents, the conditions for independents today look more favorable than at any time since before the pandemic. Why? Because chains can’t create the memorable and authentic experiences the independents can. And those are the experiences … Continued

It turns out the roller coaster CAN go up! My clients are starting to feel like the economy and the restaurant industry are finally stable for the first time after recent years where the roller-coaster only seemed to go down. This is leading to (dare … Continued

While you still have the power to impact restaurant results in 2023, use it. At this point in July, you’ve had enough time to digest your company’s results for the first half of the year. Did you exceed plan? Did you fail to meet plan? … Continued

Everyone at the recent Texas Restaurant Show in Houston produced by the Texas Restaurant Association wanted to know how to find, keep, and grow managers.  Why? Because it’s vital – especially when operators are forced to fish out of a talent pool that’s even shallower than the kiddie … Continued

As a young nightclub owner, I would get a physical feeling of excitement and adrenaline every year after Christmas – along with a sense memory reminding me that New Year’s Eve, the biggest night of the year, was about to happen. Now, after decades of … Continued

Part of our DNA can also become a dilemma.  In the dining room, we have the superpower of peripheral vision: a hyper-awareness when a guest is in peril.  At Brinker International, they call it “GWAP” (guest with a problem). Over time, we learn how to … Continued

I nearly spit out my cornflakes, sitting at the breakfast table on my deck recently, as I read the headline on the home page of the New York Times: “For Diners With Deep Pockets, Dallas Is the New Dubai.” First of all, Dallas is not … Continued

One of the most important and underrated aspects of success? Your ability to get away.  Even before we start working together, my clients tend to already be successful beyond their wildest dreams. Together, however, we make their businesses and lives even better.  Birth of the American … Continued

The most successful restaurant owners I know use three different methods to move initiatives forward. Which one to use? That’s the question. Figuring out the answer to that question demonstrates a leader’s greatest value, since everyone and every issue has its own set of requirements, … Continued

Once, at a client’s weekly operations meeting, I waited and waited to hear someone speak the word “guest.” I heard about production, maintenance, organization, policies, personnel, money, and training. Surely, one of the 10 experienced managers at this mature, legacy-brand, high-volume unit would talk about … Continued

Take a look back all the way back to the beginning of the year. With the first quarter just ending, my best clients take stock of what they’ve achieved. Then, they adjust to ensure they have a great 2023 – no matter how they started … Continued

Where do you go for advice on building confidence, concepts, loyalty, professionalism, and taking smart risks? You go back to high school.  The Texas ProStart High School Competition Recently, as part of a team of 25 restaurant industry leaders, I continued my streak of judging … Continued

Chains beat independents on a cycle of refreshing their concepts, décor packages, signage, logos, menu design, and offerings. Unfortunately, independents who ought to go big tend to go small. The consequences? Results that are obviously insufficient. Don’t let the chains beat you.  Investing in upgrades … Continued

For a large part of their days, restaurant owners try to figure out ways to give hourlies and managers more flexible lives. That’s just part of the world now: offering flexible scheduling for hourlies and groundbreaking benefit packages for managers. When you do this quality … Continued

I have new clients in the startup phase complaining that not all their new managers are getting the job done. I also have longtime clients worried their best people may leave for that hot new brand. The best strategy for both these clients is the … Continued

Walt Disney did not say, “If you can dream it, you can do it” – no matter how many Web posts and truckloads of World Market, hardware store and Etsy-sold canvas wall art attribute that to him. The saying, “If we can dream it, we … Continued

I’ve gone back and chosen five especially popular or meaningful posts from 2022 – a year of adjustment to new challenges and, on the whole, a successful year for the restaurants I work with.     My clients and my readers told me that these messages turned … Continued

Often (unfortunately), when they’re asked to solve problems, too many management teams don’t have the information or education they need to solve them. If your managers remain P&L illiterate, don’t defend their P&L in a meeting of their peers and then go right back to … Continued

When you spend your whole day dealing with rising costs and a soft market, leadership development might be the last thing on your schedule.  That’s a huge mistake.  Why? Because leadership development applies to everything you do in operations.  Restaurants really live in the branding … Continued

The less qualified people available to work in your restaurants earn more money than ever before. So you only have two choices: I can’t make this any simpler.   Matthew’s 5 Key Training and Education Concepts Recently I wrote to you about planning for 2023 … Continued

Don’t waste another year not handling chronic issues in your organization.  Look at your calendar. The end of the year dictates that you have a plan in place for your company for next year. In a world that’s rapidly changing and uncertain, shorter ranges of … Continued

Last week, Restaurantowner.com asked me to do a webinar on 2022’s five most valuable multi-location initiatives. You can view the webinar here.  In a hurry? Short attention span? Read this summary of my message.  Over to you. Which one of this Top 5 offers the most benefit to … Continued

If you’re feeling stuck, frozen, or worried about what happens next in the economy, you’re in danger of succumbing to short-term fears. Don’t do it! Stay focused on the big picture. Continue to build your company to support your long-term vision.   Win the Marathon … Continued

Success creates the time for you to work on only those things you like to do – and what no one else can do.  So it pains me to see restaurateurs who don’t take advantage of their success.  Why do people miss this opportunity to … Continued