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

Restaurant Owners: Act Like the Lottery Winner You Are

As a successful owner of a multi-unit independent restaurant company, you truly have won the lottery — with your company set up (or able to be set up) so you can make more money than you ever thought possible. Truly, I recommend you think of it that way. Why? Because being at the head of … Continued

Four Secrets of Great Restaurant Ownership

When you own a successful multi-unit independent restaurant company — or any company, for that matter — that company becomes a reflection of you. What you do well, it does well. Your challenges are its challenges. One of my clients told another one of my clients, “When you work with Matthew to improve your company, … Continued

What a Bunch of High School Teachers Know about Your Restaurant’s Success

Before you read, I wanted to share a free resource with you because you’re part of this community.  Learn the 4 ingredients your restaurant business needs to maximize success.  Download “Matthew Mabel’s Toolkit for Creating a Dream Restaurant Business“.  No strings attached! Now – let me share what High School teachers know about your success. Recently I had a … Continued

Join Industry Leaders this Weekend in San Antonio

Build your business, talk to your peers, and have some fun while you are at it — this weekend in San Antonio. Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace, the second largest industry event in the country, has morphed into part trade show, part conference, part party. It starts Sunday — in San Antonio, for the first time … Continued

Want to Escalate Results? Fill in Your Restaurant’s Blind Spots

Imagine going to Whataburger and being told, “Your burger will be really good in a tortilla!” Some of the biggest news in the industry in this part of the country came a week before last when supply chain quality control issues shut down 33 In-N-Out Burger locations and forced Whataburger and Raising Cane’s to alter … Continued

Why Top Restaurateurs Know That Great Food Doesn’t Satisfy Their Guests

We all work so hard on our food. But the truth of restaurant success is that, for most independent restaurant companies, food just gets you in the game. The guest experience, the price/value relationship, location, atmosphere, hospitality level, and even seemingly small things like parking and access are what cause people to make a decision … Continued

Restaurateur’s Guide to Working Less and Making More

Reaching a certain level of success gives you the ability to create even more success. Recently, a restaurateur came to me and said he would like to figure out how to work less and make the same amount of money. I challenged him. I asked, “Wouldn’t you rather work less and make more?” I believe … Continued

Join Me and Other Restaurant Industry Giants on 7/16

Trade shows are dead. I can do it online. We have all heard about that. But, in the digital world, there is no substitute for occasionally tearing yourself away from your screens and meeting actual people in the physical world. One of my clients had been reading this newsletter for years before reaching out to … Continued

Why You Need to Know What a First Time Restaurateur Thinks of Your Brand

First-time restaurateurs need all the help they can get! But their perspective can also help you. In Restaurant Business Magazine, I was interviewed for an article: “9 Key Considerations When Opening a Restaurant.” Written by Benita Gingerella, this piece is designed to make the “tough” process of opening a restaurant easier for first-timers. Look Through Fresh … Continued