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Welcome to the Surrender News/Blog.  Get the latest news, trends, tips and information to help you succeed and thrive in the workplace. For older blogs click the Archives or a Category.

  • The Five Best Things I Told You This Year…and Why
    The most representative moment of my year took place at the Texas Restaurant Show. As I was giving one of my talks, a hand went up in the standing-room-only crowd. The speaker looked around 30 – not that young, but maybe new to the industry. He said, “You keep saying that the market looks flat; … Continued
  • Breaking Out of the Funk of this Unusually Flat Market
    I’m often asked whether people seek my help more when the market is up (to support rapid growth) or down (because everyone’s trying feverishly to correct deficiencies). The answer? Neither. In this flat-as-a-pancake market, I’ve never been busier.  Today, no one can afford to sit on their hands on a bus of survivors. Taking specific … Continued
  • How To Take The Right Steps Toward Mastering Your Restaurant Financials
    Have you set up your company properly to track financial success related to your management development efforts, value of the guest experience, and branding and cost management initiatives?  Do you share accurate information freely, presented in a format and cycle common to the industry?  Do the professionals you hire easily use it, and does it help … Continued
  • How to Overcome the Dark News About Our Industry
    A friend sent me a YouTube video (possibly the eight most dangerous words in the English language) with the title of “Restaurants are Empty” and a subtitle of “Why Restaurants Are Empty & Overpriced in 2025.” Total click bait for doomscrollers – and a real downer for someone in our industry. On top of that, … Continued
  • How to Clarify the Best Way Forward for Your Restaurants
    Turns out that guiding a restaurant company today is different and more complicated than at any time I can remember. Today, simply following industry-wide practices won’t move a company to the next level; instead, your approach is connected to the level of success you currently create.   Recently I wrote to you about the three categories … Continued
  • To Win the 2026 Restaurateur Marathon, Plan Your Rest Now!
    Navigating this challenging market – as well as kicking off the holiday season – might make it seem like planning a holiday break is the last thing you ought to be thinking about. But that break turns out to be one of the most important things you can do to stay sharp, fresh, and focused … Continued
  • Know Yourself and Create Restaurant Success In Any Market
    Those of us with decades of industry experience have become accustomed to up markets with a few down markets layered in. But none of us is accustomed to a flat market lasting this long.  A flat market taunts you – begging you (or even forcing you) to be willing to change so you can stand … Continued
  • Avoid Pitfalls of Restaurant Expansion by Planning in Advance
    Maybe you already have multiple units and you’re building more in another part of town or embarking into multi-city. Or maybe, in addition to multi-city, you’re adding a second concept. Either way, if you want to sleep better – plan, organize and import knowledge from the best restaurant companies in America – and do that work in advance, … Continued
  • How To Learn from the Massive Cracker Barrel Debacle
    So, let’s imagine you’re on the leadership team at Cracker Barrel (I know: Right now, even the idea is giving you a headache). You had a great plan: That did not go well. The resulting firestorm of public opinion – or manufactured outrage driven by bots, pick one – made you reinstate your classic logo … Continued
  • It’s a Surprisingly Easy Choice: Activated Or Average Restaurant?
    No one ever came to me and said, “I’m excited about starting a restaurant company – I’ve always wanted to be average.” Still, I see a lot of average companies out there. In stark contrast to those truly activated operators who always become better, lead the pack, and dominate their segment.  Fearless or Scared? This … Continued
  • How To Avoid the Deceiving Restaurant “Superhero Trap”
    How do you relate to your multi-unit team and managers and everyone else? How much do they depend on you? If the answer is “a lot,” know that creating such dependency isn’t a formula for building a great career. Success won’t come because you do the work of everyone else in your organization. So raise … Continued
  • Want Your Restaurants To Stay Strong? Know Your Peers
    As a teenager, I had the opportunity to work security for the Rolling Stones. It was a side hustle I had taken on for one reason. I wanted to see the band. They played for six nights; I bailed after 2.  I had seen plenty. I stood in the pit at the front of the … Continued