Listen to your guests. Last week I wrote about guests’ changing thinking on delivery and how it was out in front of many restaurateurs’ thinking. Guests accept a tradeoff — convenience vs. quality. They have realized delivered food is never as good as it is in a restaurant, but they value the convenience of delivery even … Continued
The success of your independent restaurant company is a byproduct of your experiences and beliefs. And that’s good news, because your P&L shows above-average industry profits, your mystery shoppers give you high scores, and streams of guests come into your dining rooms every day. You may view that success as a kind of validation of … Continued
Make your restaurant brand a cause. If you are an independent restaurant company owner who wants your organization to be an “employer of choice,” raise your hand. No kidding? Everyone has their hand up! Why is that? Because “employer of choice” equals “I’m fully staffed with people who want to stay.” We all have experience … Continued
Being a grown up. At first, that may seem obvious. You’re not hiring 14-year-olds to run operations, right? But what if the 36-, 45-, or 52-year-old you hired acts more like a 14-year-old? Or even a 5-year-old? As you read this, I bet someone is coming to your mind. No More Drama In my life’s … Continued
We have all read about the John Besh Scandal. Besh — famed New Orleans chef of August, Lüke, Domenica, and Shaya fame — recently stepped down from his own company after allegations were made of a culture of sexual harassment in his company. You have probably not gone back and read the actual investigative journalism … Continued
Make the policies you have put in place stick. Since the national focus on this topic has intensified recently, I’ve noticed how many of my clients and friends in the industry have been talking nonstop about it. That is healthy. They are making change. Last October, I wrote about the topic here. In this month’s FSRmagazine, devoted … Continued
Onboarding. What happens after you hire a new employee is arguably more important than recruiting and training. Your people’s attitudes and behaviors are the number one reason they bond with your brand, their coworkers, and your guests. When new employees at the multi-unit independent restaurant company you own understand what makes your restaurants different, they’re … Continued
How do you become an employer of choice? Every multi-unit independent restaurant company owner wants to be an “employer of choice.” But we all know the statistics: On paper there aren’t enough workers for the restaurant jobs we have now — much less those we will create tomorrow. Your competitors can match you in pay … Continued
I recently told a general manager at one of our client companies to get ready, “because your weekly operations meeting are going to become more data driven than ever before.” How much attention is your organization paying to data and technology these days? If yours is like most, you’ve recognized the enormous amount of data being generated. … Continued
As an independent restaurant owner you have the luxury and power of writing your own story in a way that many people envy. To not take advantage of that looks more like a wasteful tragedy than missed opportunity. In the restaurant industry, we all know our ticket times and we cancel a reservation on a … Continued