Case Studies
The self-taught owner of a very successful four-unit restaurant group was ready to walk away. The demands of operating the high-volume units were too much; he was tired and frustrated. He didn’t have time to enjoy the vacation home he’d bought for his family, and he didn’t know what to do next. He’d never used a consultant before but he realized he couldn’t accomplish what he wanted without one.
Matthew was able to do what the owner had no experience doing. He created structure and systems where there was confusion, developed their people, and reduced pressure on ownership. He built a professional company around the four restaurants while simultaneously operating them. Behind the scenes, everything changed. In the dining room, things simply got better.
Matthew’s success using the Management Power and Creating Consistency processes increased the performance of the restaurants and allowed the owner to enjoy his second home and work only when he wanted to work. The outcome became a platform for growth that’ll increase the net worth of the organization by 400%. Within one year the owner was able to take a month-long break from the business without receiving one phone call that required him to work.
The President and Vice Presidents of a multi-unit restaurant group were having trouble working together. As often happens when individuals approach a singular goal with multiple perspectives, their differences were blocking them from moving forward as a group.
They had a bad experience with a consultant in the past, but one of their board members connected them with Matthew knowing he was different because he offered a custom tailored approach. Matthew’s experience allowed him to get right to work instead of spending a long time assessing the situation. His input was the opposite of the cookie cutter method that they had encountered in the past.
Matthew was able to see what these executives couldn’t: They could overcome the challenges of working together and even though each of them had a different perspective, they all wanted the same outcome. Matthew worked with them to accept each other’s behaviors and honor each other’s contributions in the spirit of pursuing a common goal.
Using the Management Power and Revenue Builder processes, Matthew identified an opportunity to reduce the expense of corporate oversight of their units by 50%. He also worked with their management team to increase PPA by 14%, resulting in a $720K annual revenue increase.
A respected family-owned group of five restaurants approached Matthew, feeling unable to grow. They were unable to figure out what was missing, but they had never used a consultant before. Matthew quickly realized what was really holding them back: a lack of clearly defined ownership roles and an under-utilized group of General Managers.
Matthew used the Management Power process to identify key areas of responsibility for each of the family members. He showed them how to increase the productivity and responsibility of their unit managers. Today, the group is either operating or planning 35 units, both company-owned and franchised. Profits and net worth have increased exponentially since he began working with them.
A new generation of a family-owned, segment-leading 20-year-old restaurant group wanted to update the way their company was managed, but they didn’t know exactly what that meant. Matthew did.
Using the Management Power, Revenue Builder, and Creating Consistency processes, he helped them upgrade their practices and incorporate techniques used in the greatest restaurant companies in America. Profits doubled. Revenue increased. And the restaurants have successfully defended their position, remaining the leader in their segment in an environment of fierce competition.
The leading franchisee in a 100-unit system had an opportunity to gain territorial rights to a second top-ten US market — but they also faced a multi-year trend of guest count erosion in their existing market. In their excitement about the shiny object of expansion, Matthew realized they were overlooking the here and now and unknowingly jeopardizing their business.
They had a policy of using best-in-class advisors and saw immediately how Matthew fit into that category.
By using the Management Power, Revenue Builder, and Creating Consistency processes, Matthew was able to focus the need to build traffic and he created specific steps for doing so. As he developed their management team to prepare for this growth, he simultaneously helped them reverse their negative guest count trend and increase revenue through PPA growth.
A 30-year-old, market-leading restaurant group was facing difficulties with its newly opened sister restaurant. The restaurant had opened well, but it was experiencing a nosedive in sales. The head of the company, a lifelong successful restaurateur, was stuck, scared, and unsure what to do.
Using the Restaurant Reinvigorator process, Matthew guided them through a re-focus on what the guest was asking for. The restaurant made a complete turnaround. It has experienced annual same-store growth every year since. This unit that was once on track to fail has become an expansion vehicle.
Additionally, even though ownership was satisfied with the performance of their flagship unit, Matthew showed them how much that location could be improved, too. Using the Power, Revenue Builder, and Creating Consistency processes he introduced updated management techniques at both units. The results? Record sales, profits, and a smooth transition to a new breed of management. The organization now has two more units in development and is envisioning more.
The former General Manager of the highest volume restaurant in his market wanted to open his own restaurant. Matthew understood how to take a great General Manager and advise him on how to become a great restaurant owner – a totally different discipline. Using the Start-Up process, Matthew collaborated with him through the concept development, site selection, fundraising, and operational launch phases of the venture. Today, his restaurant is recognized regionally as a top dining destination.
A landmark dining institution was on the decline and risking closure – largely due to relying on the old ways of doing things. Matthew was able to import current technique that was unknown to the self-taught homegrown operators who’d never worked anywhere else.
He used the Management Power, Restaurant Reinvigorator, Revenue Builder, and Creating Consistency processes to bring the restaurant up to date with systems, culinary, and management technique, and the decline was reversed. Today, the unit enjoys record sales and profits are approaching seven figures. Ownership is even embarking on an expansion program, planning to build multiple units of this brand.