At Texas Restaurant Show this weekend at the George R. Brown convention center in Houston – on Sunday, July 20, I’ve been asked to speak on two different topics. First, “Increasing Your Restaurants Performance”, presented by restaurantowner.com where I will talk about the most powerful basic strategies now – addressing people, numbers, menu, tech and growth related issues. … Continued
The “10,000-hour rule” has been debunked. Thankfully – I mean, who has that much time? But there’s another “rule” that still rings true: If you publish almost 1,200 episodes of your podcast and people continue to listen, that nails your credibility. I’m talking about Eric Cacciatore and “Restaurant Unstoppable,” where I recently made my second appearance, … Continued
In the past couple of weeks, I have had two different successful operators with exciting brands contact me because their growth plans only existed in their head. Neither one could figure out where to begin to take action. So we figured it out together. Focus on Four Things If this story seems familiar, focus on … Continued
What are the fastest and best ways to increase your restaurant’s performance these days? How do you grow your company in a flat market? What’s your plan for continuing to grow your net worth and making your successful restaurant company even more successful? We can figure out the answers to these questions together when I speak at the Texas … Continued
It’s June…already! People don’t have to wake up early to take the kids to school, they struggle to keep them doing anything other than looking at a screen, and your Q2 has just a few weeks to go. 2025 has thrown some challenges the industry’s way, with consumer confidence falling due to economic uncertainty. Still, … Continued
Finally finding “the one” – the person your company has missed for its entire life – makes an incredible difference. This missing piece allows you to overcome the barriers between reliable and exceptional success. It’s like a business version of a romance novel, but very real. But who is “the one”? Well, that all … Continued
Before, I never thought of myself as a group person. Sure, you could have even called me a loner. So I never expected that the groups I belong to would be some of the most significant contributors to my success. Now I know better. Join the Club One of the clubs I started – Restaurant Owner’s … Continued
Some people turn out to be better at starting projects than finishing them. I see it all the time both as a student of personality types and advisor of restaurant companies. Initiatives begin and then get sidetracked when another shiny object – or simply the siren song of day-to-day restaurant operations – sucks the attention … Continued
It can feel lonely at the top – especially because being there forces you to take a long, hard look at yourself every day. Every entrepreneurial independent restaurant company reflects its owner. Whatever the owner does well and values, the company does well and values. Whatever challenges an owner becomes problematic to the company. The Human … Continued
It’s easy to joke about millennial and Gen Z workers who “quietly vacation” by slacking off in July and August (sometimes even simulating keyboard activity to give the appearance of effort) without their managers knowing. And who can blame them? In summer, life feels more flexible and less structured, and you know there’s great weather … Continued