Chains beat the cr*p out of independents on technology during the pandemic. You must now have a technology adoption plan that addresses three areas – guests, unit-level operations, and your office. The only people who did not learn that in the last year, distracted themselves just coping. I used to want to take a time machine … Continued
With Texas allowing 100% capacity, the honeymoon with our guests is on. But honeymoons don’t last forever. And what about this crisis? It won’t really be over until the case load is low, we understand new post-COVID guest behavior, when the unready or hesitant guest returns – and work our way through all the … Continued
You live your restaurant brand – treating it as your precious, much-loved baby. To you, every tiny change and improvement you make to your restaurant is obvious, just like parents notice their kids changing every few days when they are young. Unfortunately, what is great parenting turns out to be a trap for a restaurant … Continued
Give yourself credit. You made it through the past year. You will never forget it, and definitely never want to repeat anything like it. A year and a week ago yesterday, my daughter and I were at a Dallas Mavericks game, and the person who had sat in front of me for years – a … Continued
The great Texas Experiment begins next Wednesday. That’s when Governor Greg Abbott has announced he will rescind his statewide mask mandate and capacity limits on businesses. The governor also said, “Personal vigilance to follow the safe standards is still needed to contain COVID. To stay safe, Texans should continue to follow medical advice on preventing … Continued
They run restaurants and are an organization’s highest VIPs. So it’s not unreasonable that my best clients are continually growing the capability of their general managers. You want them to act like they have ownership, or spend less time on task, or take on activities you currently undertake – involving them in menu development, education … Continued
At first, it was a surprise that the younger entrepreneurs I work with today – people in their 30s and 40s, building great brands and futures for themselves and their families – don’t suffer from the ego problems that obstructed their predecessors. They are much clearer on the advantages of learning from others, and they … Continued
During the pandemic, the pendulum swung in the battle between independent and chain restaurants – now favoring chains. Over time, supremacy has switched from one to the other – and back again. Like between Federer and Nadal Republicans and Democrats The Avengers and Thanos At the beginning of this crisis, chain restaurant companies were better … Continued
At breakfast before school one day last week, my eight-year-old daughter looked at me over her yogurt-covered waffles (her self-created entrée) and asked me a great question. She asked what would make COVID-19 go away. We’ve all asked the same thing. As we usher in a new administration in Washington we can see (regardless of … Continued
We now exist in the planning range for what happens to your successful multi-unit restaurant company after the pandemic ends. Write that down on a post it note, or take a picture of it on your phone and look at it every day. Take action on this every day. Pay Attention and Don’t Forget When … Continued