Welcome to the Surrender News/Blog.  Get the latest news, trends, tips and information to help you succeed and thrive in the workplace.

Avoid Pitfalls of Restaurant Expansion by Planning in Advance

It could be easy to be stuck in your tracks right now. You look at a flat market, threats of tariffs that can upend the economy, and a stock market that bounces around daily like a basketball players’ “shooters bounce” that goes up and down three times before it makes it through the hoop. Yet … Continued

How to Make Productive Restaurant Partnerships Work

Early in my career, as an operator with partners, I experienced the joys of an imploding partnership: enriching lawyers and exchanging money, territories, and grief.  My CPA told me, “A partnership is a like a marriage: easy to get into, hard to get out of.” Many of my clients love doing their own thing without … Continued

How Restaurant Owners Make Work Not Take Over Their Lives 

Which of these two statements do you think applies to most restaurant owners? After decades of working with successful owners of multi-unit independent restaurant companies, I guarantee the big issue is number 2: the work ethic (or paranoia) that leads to working too many hours.   The Spring Break Example In Texas this week, we … Continued

Restaurateurs Use Your Spectacular Victories to Unlock Even More Success

Let’s take a vacation from focusing on issues (aka “opportunities”) you might have at your restaurants and ask you, “What’s your latest victory?” Does anything come to mind quickly? Hopefully – after a day spent dealing with the competition, immigration, workforce issues, egg prices, renewing your insurance, and retaining and motivating your work force – … Continued

How Restaurateurs Get Unstuck and Dominate in Today’s Market

It turns out that the barriers holding your results back aren’t unique to you. Sure, you are special, but not that special.  And today’s flattish restaurant market does not do the work for you. You have to do it yourself. Even though I write consistently about the four most important things to focus on in your restaurants now—guest … Continued

What Successful Restaurateurs Learn From Chains To Beat Them

Chain restaurants have several competitive advantages over independent restaurants – on technology, marketing, and employee benefits. In comparison, your resources in those areas are less than tiny. Yet survey after survey finds that most of the dining public intentionally visit independent restaurants because they would rather support local businesses. And it doesn’t hurt that a … Continued

How Top Restaurateurs Shore Up Sagging Dessert and Alcohol Sales

“Do restaurants make all their money from alcohol and desserts?” Years ago, that’s what one leader in a workshop filled with top consultants from around the world asked me. I thought “no,” but I said “yes” to avoid a long discussion about how you can slice and dice the numbers any way you like to … Continued