If you could take a time machine back to early March, you probably wouldn’t recognize yourself, your guests, or your employees. Remember that carefree childhood? The COVID-19 crisis has changed us all. We are living through one of the toughest times we will ever face (as grownups). We have new concerns, perspectives, and needs that … Continued
You may have heard the opinion that, when this crisis ends, chain restaurants will still be standing, but independents will be gone. That idea is supported by the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), which says 85% of independent restaurants will fail. That 85% number may generate headlines but, while the IRC does a lot of … Continued
When a new restaurant opens: For the first few weeks, everyone runs around chaotically excusing every misstep saying, “We just opened – things happen!” After a while, though, that excuse rings hollow and gets in the way of progress. Typically three or four weeks into operations, I walk in and say, “We are not going … Continued
The past few weeks have been a violent wake-up alarm that ended fleeting dreams of “best-case” COVID-19 scenarios. Negativity and challenges can be overwhelming. Like me, do you have strong feelings about the missed opportunities that have made this crisis much worse than it could have been? Instead, focus on the indicators that tell you … Continued
The COVID-19 crisis has spread chaos throughout your top line, bottom line, life’s work, savings, and future. While you think deeply about repairing those things, never forget how this has impacted the managers and staff who make your business go every day. What you say to them – and how you talk to them – … Continued
You’ve just finished the weirdest July 4 of your life. In a normal year, all you would have had to deal with was Independence Day falling on a Saturday – something that wreaks havoc with your sales even in a good year. But on top of that, you have a crescendo of COVID-19 cases being … Continued
At some point every day, think about your cash position and borrowing ability. Imagine the letters C-A-S-H in red letters 12 feet high on your front lawn. I know you have a lot of things to think about (and do), like running your partitioned and socially-distanced dining rooms, studying your newly-installed curbside to-go stations, encouraging … Continued
The pandemic has completely changed the mindset of restaurant guests. It’s like you went to sleep on a beautiful summer night and woke up in the middle of the winter and there is frost on the ground. The restaurant groups that listen to and react quickly to their guests during this crisis will be the … Continued
These days, owning restaurants feels like the scene in the horror movie where the most dangerous demon has been vanquished. For the first time, the protagonist sees an inkling that better days are coming. But they just can’t forget about that demon. An essential aspect of owning restaurants now has nothing to do with food, … Continued
The COVID-19 crisis has segmented your guests into three distinct groups, each with different needs, wants, feelings, and thoughts – but all needing three meals a day. It’s like your three kids turned out so different; at dinner every night, one talks about their fantastic athletic achievements, another excels academically, and the third just wants … Continued