Looking into 2022, the greatest thing top restaurant companies have going for them is that – after experiencing all those previously unimaginable things over the past two years – they have now figured out their strengths, identity, branding, and plans. The future now looks much … Continued

Our strength was tested in 2021. Good news: We passed.  One of the best coping mechanisms remains laughter.   Above find my two favorite iconic pictures from 2021: The restaurant I drove by that put a hot-air balloon on the roof to attract talent, and … Continued

My clients’ activity over the next two weeks varies from taking time off with friends and family at home (or traveling), to going to a mostly empty office for some time to think – to spending mealtimes at their restaurants to greet and appreciate guests … Continued

If you missed the workshop I conducted last week, “Beat the Labor Shortage – How to Attract and Retain Talent Without Breaking the Bank,” I’m sharing six key takeaways discovered by the diverse group of owners, operators, educators, and corporate team members who collaborated with … Continued

During the empty-dining-room days of the pandemic, many owners of successful multi-unit restaurant companies got in the habit of dealing only with the new things directly in front of them. Those who fall into that trap now, though, are missing out on the fundamentals that … Continued

Many of my clients operate more than one brand.  These operators of multi-unit, multi-concept organizations have challenges that never even show up on the radar for single-concept operators.  Still, few yearn for a simpler life. That’s just how the personalities of these owners work. These … Continued

Car dealers don’t have cars to sell; we’re waiting until October for the furniture and equipment we ordered back in April. And your trainers can’t find time to train. Welcome to 2021. Training and education are one of the many unanticipated down-line issues associated with the … Continued

What did you do over the summer to take time away from your business and enjoy your success? Do you want to be able to do more of that? If so, how can you set up your company in a way to let you do … Continued

Any conscious operator who wants to ace the everyday test of business knows the answers to these two questions: What about your competitors makes you admire them – and makes you work harder to improve? What makes your own business stand out from your competitive … Continued

My clients in Louisiana have a before-and-after story that’s part of their constant inner dialogue: “before Hurricane Katrina (or Rita or Ike) and after it.”  But never before has there been such a nationwide, clear-cut break/delineation/before-and-after line in our industry. Now we have “before the … Continued

In my Restaurant Owners Success Club last week, we spoke about how, last year, retention simply meant, “I hope I don’t lose my business.” This year it means keeping employees. One of my clients told me, “Being an owner of an independent restaurant company looks … Continued

At Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace this weekend – on Sunday, July 11, I will present a rapid-fire brainstorming education session: “I’m Still Standing. The Pandemic Kicked My Restaurant’s Ass.” I will be on the show floor’s Big Bend Ideas Stage at 10:30 AM on Sunday, July 11, … Continued

At Texas Restaurant Association Marketplace in three weeks – on Sunday, July 11, I will present a rapid-fire brainstorming education session: “I’m Still Standing. The Pandemic Kicked My Restaurant’s Ass.” I will be on the show floor’s Big Bend Ideas stage at 10:30 AM on Sunday, July 11, … Continued

I recently talked to a restaurateur who had just taken his first plane trip in 15 months – and he told me incredulously that it felt “almost like normal.” I’m taking my first one in a few weeks. Last year, the year of oddness and … Continued

One of my peers in my international consulting community sent me the results of a small business owner poll taken by Alignable, the small business referral network, about reasons for the hiring shortage. It was interesting…and predictable, with unemployment presented as the #1 reason and stimulus … Continued

Said no one ever: “Honey, I feel hungry. What corporation do you want to dine at tonight?” One of the myriad changes forced on your multi-unit restaurant company during the crisis phase of the pandemic? Spending your corporate office budget much more wisely. No sacred … Continued

In Texas, from time to time, a bumper sticker appears that says, “Lord, grant me one more oil boom and I promise not to screw it up.” Welcome to our oil boom. Last week I dined with a group of experienced restaurateurs who I noticed … Continued

Attention procrastinators! There is still time to register for the webinar “Let’s Eat – How Restaurants Should Respond as Nighttime Diners Return.” This event takes place at 4 PM CDT today. Register free here.  You will hear success stories about my clients and the plans … Continued

The latest release in horror movies our industry is part of – our three-pronged labor shortage disaster. When I speak with operators, our first words are usually the zeitgeist pleasantries about Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J, and our next words are always about staffing our restaurants. … Continued

The latest release in horror movies our industry is part of – our three-pronged labor shortage disaster. When I speak with operators, our first words are usually the zeitgeist pleasantries about Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J, and our next words are always about staffing our restaurants. … Continued

The not-so-secret formula to exceeding your 2019 revenue by double digits? Getting to see friendly faces again. With capacity restrictions on your dining room removed as if by magic, you’ll see lots of customers you recognize from a long time ago.   Now that they’re … Continued

With Texas allowing 100% capacity, the honeymoon with our guests is on.   But honeymoons don’t last forever. And what about this crisis? It won’t really be over until the case load is low, we understand new post-COVID guest behavior, when the unready or hesitant … Continued

You live your restaurant brand – treating it as your precious, much-loved baby.  To you, every tiny change and improvement you make to your restaurant is obvious, just like parents notice their kids changing every few days when they are young. Unfortunately, what is great … Continued

Give yourself credit.  You made it through the past year. You will never forget it, and definitely never want to repeat anything like it. A year and a week ago yesterday, my daughter and I were at a Dallas Mavericks game, and the person who … Continued

The great Texas Experiment begins next Wednesday. That’s when Governor Greg Abbott has announced he will rescind his statewide mask mandate and capacity limits on businesses. The governor also said, “Personal vigilance to follow the safe standards is still needed to contain COVID.  To stay … Continued

They run restaurants and are an organization’s highest VIPs. So it’s not unreasonable that my best clients are continually growing the capability of their general managers. You want them to act like they have ownership, or spend less time on task, or take on activities … Continued

At first, it was a surprise that the younger entrepreneurs I work with today – people in their 30s and 40s, building great brands and futures for themselves and their families – don’t suffer from the ego problems that obstructed their predecessors. They are much … Continued

During the pandemic, the pendulum swung in the battle between independent and chain restaurants – now favoring chains. Over time, supremacy has switched from one to the other – and back again. Like between Federer and Nadal Republicans and Democrats The Avengers and Thanos At … Continued

At breakfast before school one day last week, my eight-year-old daughter looked at me over her yogurt-covered waffles (her self-created entrée) and asked me a great question. She asked what would make COVID-19 go away. We’ve all asked the same thing. As we usher in … Continued

We now exist in the planning range for what happens to your successful multi-unit restaurant company after the pandemic ends. Write that down on a post it note, or take a picture of it on your phone and look at it every day. Take action … Continued

If you’ve watched the most recent season of The Crown on Netflix, you probably remember the episode when Prime Minister Thatcher and her husband spent a social weekend with the royal family at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle. However, even though it was supposed to be a social weekend, … Continued

For the generation of restaurant companies growing up over the past 30 years, two things remain clear today that were not so evident in, say, 1991: 1. How you master professionalization, and2. How you master culture will determine your restaurant company’s results. One way or … Continued

I’ve gone back and chosen five especially popular or meaningful posts from this year – a year when, just like you, I’ve pivoted to help people in a different way. It’s astonishing that, if you had shown me these five subjects a year ago, I … Continued

After nine months, no one wants to hear about what we’ve learned from this mess. They just want to know what to do. I can’t tell you how many times throughout this crisis I have had to quiet my brain every time I thought, “lesson … Continued