Pop quiz: What did you learn last week from your guest count tracker, the one that compares each day in each unit with their counterpart last year? When restaurant owners start to think about guest count first – and they see it either holding, eroding, or slowly increasing – it inspires and demands action. It … Continued
It may seem like “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” (thank you, Winston Churchill, for the quote), but one of the great advantages you have as an owner of a small (or even medium-sized) business remains making big moves quickly. And in times like these, big moves are what you need if … Continued
Do you think your level of re-investment is too high, too low, or just right? Independent restaurant owners who understand the critical value of re-investing know that their real margins come from smart investments that help them keep up with guest expectations as well as their own mastery of profit. These owners typically operate at … Continued
Operators succeed in this challenging market by understanding the difference between a meal and an experience. Not by being like the operators who offer bundles and discounts. That’s a one-way ticket to nowhere. When you begin to understand that you no longer just sell meals, that’s when you start the process of increasing guest count. … Continued
I returned from the recent Texas Restaurant Show reflecting on the fact that people I have known for decades, as well as people I have just met, have at least one thing in common: They don’t walk around with PTSD after enduring an industry wide life-threatening crisis followed by the longest period of headwinds I … Continued
“Fake it ’til you make it” is a horrible strategy for developing a multi-unit team, building a restaurant company, or come to think of it – anything else. So how do you supervise your first operations director or marketing director? Or business manager or CFO? Or learning-and-development person? Successful restaurateurs look in the mirror and ask themselves … Continued
You can’t afford to have multi-unit supervisors just run the machine. That’s always true, but especially in volatile and uncertain times like these. Instead of running the machine, your multi-unit supervisors must be building a better one. Two Different Outcomes For people who work in your company, do the alarms in their phones wake them … Continued
To be a front-runner restaurant brand in 2026, your business needs to have three solid pillars: Learn how to be strong in all three on Sunday, 7/12 at 11 AM at the Profit Lab,at my upcoming Texas Restaurant Show session “The Experience Economy: Crafting Your Concept to Compete in 2026 and Beyond.” See me there in San … Continued
Let’s take a vacation from focusing on issues (aka “opportunities”) you might have at your restaurants and ask you, “What’s your latest victory?” Does anything come to mind quickly? Hopefully – after a day spent dealing with the competition, workforce issues, beef prices, renewing your insurance, and retaining and motivating your team members – you’re … Continued
Today’s workforce operates in so much more balance than my generation. They don’t buy into the idea of delaying gratification and quality of life until some vague point in the future. Admirable, for sure. But also, annoying when my generation thinks we need them to work the way we did. With summer beginning, how about we … Continued