A lot of restaurateurs forget to ask for the results they want – then feel puzzled when they don’t get those results. If you suffer from lack of specificity, learn to ask “why” over and over. Borrow a three-year-old or remember when you raised a three-year-old. You want people to develop managers, boost service, comb … Continued
Chains won the pandemic – independent restaurants lost. Chains leveraged their financial and resource superiority and, in a frightening (for us in the independent world) turn of events, learned to act quickly. Chili’s created a virtual brand across 1,000 units in a few months. Chipotle waved what looked like a magic technology wand, and built … Continued
We live in uncertain times – in a maybe-recession, maybe-not recession, maybe-shallow recession. In the big cities where most of my clients operate, restaurants experience softer sales. Guests are spending, but that spending happens while on vacation in France, Spain, the Bahamas, Florida, Colorado, California, Galveston, the Gulf Shores, or Padre Island. When school goes … Continued
Right now, the kiddie pool in the hotel your family visits this summer is deeper than the management pool in the restaurant industry. Every few days I have a conversation where one of my clients complains that the management talent in their organization is not prepared to operate up to standards. Owners are frustrated about … Continued