With today’s decreased labor pool and increased wages, most operators think the way to manage labor is to concentrate on the cost of that labor. They are wrong. Today’s top operators forget all about labor cost (for a while) and instead examine hours and productivity. With escalating rates of pay (and the corresponding menu price … Continued
Your vaccinated guests feel safe, and your unvaccinated guests feel bulletproof. Sales remain strong, and top operators prepare for that to continue, as well as for an uptick in to-go, delivery, and curbside. I sat in one of my clients’ restaurants the other day, looking at the beautiful partitions between the booths with their tastefully … Continued
Chains beat the cr*p out of independents on technology during the pandemic. You must now have a technology adoption plan that addresses three areas – guests, unit-level operations, and your office. The only people who did not learn that in the last year, distracted themselves just coping. I used to want to take a time machine … Continued
Imagine it is one month from today: The voting part of this election has (thankfully and finally) ended – even if the counting part may just be beginning. Whichever candidates or political party you support, you can do the right thing for your country, your company, and your people by offering your employees flexible scheduling … Continued
When a new restaurant opens: For the first few weeks, everyone runs around chaotically excusing every misstep saying, “We just opened – things happen!” After a while, though, that excuse rings hollow and gets in the way of progress. Typically three or four weeks into operations, I walk in and say, “We are not going … Continued
The past few weeks have been a violent wake-up alarm that ended fleeting dreams of “best-case” COVID-19 scenarios. Negativity and challenges can be overwhelming. Like me, do you have strong feelings about the missed opportunities that have made this crisis much worse than it could have been? Instead, focus on the indicators that tell you … Continued
The COVID-19 crisis has spread chaos throughout your top line, bottom line, life’s work, savings, and future. While you think deeply about repairing those things, never forget how this has impacted the managers and staff who make your business go every day. What you say to them – and how you talk to them – … Continued
Over three seasons of Ozark on Netflix, Jason Bateman’s character Marty Byrde has always seemed a minute or two from death because of his career choice to be a money launderer for a drug cartel. He actually does surprisingly well considering the situation. But you? You are not wired to live large portions of your life endlessly … Continued
Are you and your organization clear on the difference between task and management? Last week, I had three similar conversations with three different clients – all of whom own restaurants and companies anyone would envy. It was like a hazy art film where, no matter where I went, I heard the same voices repeating the … Continued
My second-grade daughter – and all the second-graders in the Dallas Independent School District – are spending time learning the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. When Stephen Covey’s book first came out in 1989, it was revolutionary, cutting-edge thought about how to live your life. I used 7 Habits in my business, taking my nightclub management teams … Continued