I admit it: I’m fascinated by Salad and Go’s business. It’s a QSR with no dining rooms, a footprint as small as 750 square feet, core menu items in the $6-$7 range, and an AUV north of $1MM. In all, they’re about as different as possible from the restaurants I work with. Their idea of offering people … Continued
Every restaurateur I know wants to either make 20% profit at the unit level or, if they don’t, they want to know why their restaurants don’t make profit at that level. They have heard the overworked saying that restaurants operate on “razor-thin margins.” Of course, that saying refers to the industry as a whole, so … Continued
What’s your plan as the “Silver Tsunami” hits? We can figure that out together when I speak at the Texas Restaurant Show on Sunday, July 14. What’s the “Silver Tsunami”? It’s the mass sell-off (or reimagining) of great companies that were started by baby boomers in the 70s, 80s, 90s and even the beginning of this century. These owners … Continued
I have never heard any of my clients (or anyone I know) say, “I took too many vacations this year and my business really suffered.” What I have heard: Your Summer Vacation Season 2024 This week marks the kickoff for summer vacation season, and, if my own block is an indicator, a lot of people … Continued
Restaurant Owners Success Club is a connected group of multi-unit restaurant owners who meet with me virtually to gain from my overview of what is happening in the industry, learn things to do now, compare notes on revenue and employee retention trends, and dive deeply and share stories on topics that make an impact. The … Continued
You can improve restaurant revenue and net operating income in any economy – even in 2024’s “flat market.” One way I make this happen is to always look for people I call “caring, friendly whistleblowers.” They have great ideas that exist outside of the status quo – ideas that challenge the status quo in a loving way. … Continued
In your heart, you know when your restaurants could be better. And right now, I’m seeing a ton of opportunity for improvement out there. In the past few weeks, I have sat in restaurants where I felt warmly welcomed, checked on, and delighted – where I had fun and was thanked sincerely. I’ve been to … Continued
Here in Texas, a lot of people ask me why Café Express – which you can argue invented fast casual in 1984 – only operates four units when it used to be 15 or more and had aspirations of 100. It’s simple: They didn’t keep up, either on culinary, branding, atmosphere, or service. On the … Continued
The market and the economy will not do your work for you this year. So you’ll just have to do it yourself. While guests are continuing to dine out less often, there’s good news to be found in the demographics most of my clients serve: When people go to restaurants, they want what they want. … Continued
Culture dictates behavior, but it also allows what I call “codifying ownership.” This means that, even in your absence, your restaurants feel like you want them to feel – so you’re able to open more units without killing what made the first ones special. Plus, you get a ton of personal freedom and flexibility. Learning … Continued