In the history-spanning and never-ending competition between chain restaurants and independents, the conditions for independents today look more favorable than at any time since before the pandemic. Why? Because chains can’t create the memorable and authentic experiences the independents can. And those are the experiences customers want. Chain restaurants’ advantages – those attained through capitalization, … Continued
It turns out the roller coaster CAN go up! My clients are starting to feel like the economy and the restaurant industry are finally stable for the first time after recent years where the roller-coaster only seemed to go down. This is leading to (dare I type the word?) optimism. The challenges of recent years … Continued
While you still have the power to impact restaurant results in 2023, use it. At this point in July, you’ve had enough time to digest your company’s results for the first half of the year. Did you exceed plan? Did you fail to meet plan? Did you even have a plan to measure against? Whatever … Continued
Everyone at the recent Texas Restaurant Show in Houston produced by the Texas Restaurant Association wanted to know how to find, keep, and grow managers. Why? Because it’s vital – especially when operators are forced to fish out of a talent pool that’s even shallower than the kiddie pool at the resort you visit this summer. I was … Continued
As a young nightclub owner, I would get a physical feeling of excitement and adrenaline every year after Christmas – along with a sense memory reminding me that New Year’s Eve, the biggest night of the year, was about to happen. Now, after decades of advising successful owners of growing restaurant companies here in Texas, … Continued
Part of our DNA can also become a dilemma. In the dining room, we have the superpower of peripheral vision: a hyper-awareness when a guest is in peril. At Brinker International, they call it “GWAP” (guest with a problem). Over time, we learn how to correct the problem without that guest – or the team … Continued
I nearly spit out my cornflakes, sitting at the breakfast table on my deck recently, as I read the headline on the home page of the New York Times: “For Diners With Deep Pockets, Dallas Is the New Dubai.” First of all, Dallas is not the new Dubai. But still, it made me think. A … Continued
One of the most important and underrated aspects of success? Your ability to get away. Even before we start working together, my clients tend to already be successful beyond their wildest dreams. Together, however, we make their businesses and lives even better. Birth of the American Vacation The Puritans were not big on vacations. Idle time … Continued
The most successful restaurant owners I know use three different methods to move initiatives forward. Which one to use? That’s the question. Figuring out the answer to that question demonstrates a leader’s greatest value, since everyone and every issue has its own set of requirements, talents, disciplines, and demands. The best leaders customize their methodology … Continued
You’d think that – when I start working with successful multi-unit restaurant companies looking to improve – matching their strengths with what they need would be easy. But experience tells me that thinking differently, along with new approaches, not old ones, make for successful growth. Just like the people who establish a concept are not … Continued