Your culture is becoming increasingly important, and it’s only going to get more so. Why? This may come as a surprise, but, when you look at the top line, you’ll realize your culture is actually responsible for 100% of your profits. Without that special connection to your guests and employees, you have nothing. Whether or … Continued
Your company is organized functionally. That sounds efficient, but it’s actually the exact opposite of what will get you the best result. Instead, organize by what your guests want. You have servers, cooks, bussers, hosts, general managers, managers, shift leaders, marketers, trainers, group salespeople, and office staff — all focused on their process: what their … Continued
Building restaurants is sexy. It is fun. It represents all possibilities. It gets your employees and your customers excited. Oh yeah — and it gets you and investors excited, too. And, if you invest all your money into new units, you will end up making less instead of more. Why? Because, without infrastructure and a … Continued
Imagine going to Whataburger and being told, “Your burger will be really good in a tortilla!” Some of the biggest news in the industry in this part of the country came a week before last when supply chain quality control issues shut down 33 In-N-Out Burger locations and forced Whataburger and Raising Cane’s to alter … Continued
If you own a successful multi-unit independent restaurant company, you can learn from the experience of Yumilicious, which beat chain Pinkberry in North Texas. When Yumilicious opened their first tart frozen yogurt store in Dallas, I stopped by and talked to the owner, who told me he “had some relatives in California who have yogurt stores.” How Pinkberry Won … Continued
We all work so hard on our food. But the truth of restaurant success is that, for most independent restaurant companies, food just gets you in the game. The guest experience, the price/value relationship, location, atmosphere, hospitality level, and even seemingly small things like parking and access are what cause people to make a decision … Continued
Owners of successful multi-unit independent restaurant companies often misunderstand the real opportunities to cement success and reduce risk going forward. If you stop and ask an owner of a growing independent restaurant group, they will tell you that their number one concern is labor — and number two is competition. Guests and Employees Want the … Continued
Reaching a certain level of success gives you the ability to create even more success. Recently, a restaurateur came to me and said he would like to figure out how to work less and make the same amount of money. I challenged him. I asked, “Wouldn’t you rather work less and make more?” I believe … Continued
To be truly successful, owners of multi-unit independent restaurant companies must feel free to leave the office and their restaurants — either for a vacation or simply for a day for some creative brainstorming time — without worrying. They need to know that the people surrounding them can be trusted to do what is best … Continued
Not long ago I had lunch with a respected industry leader who is well known in his market for his career-long success in restaurant ownership over two different brands. Over that time, he has experienced more than his share of peaks and valleys. We were in one of his most successful restaurants, talking about my … Continued