Restaurant Ownership - Surrender, Inc.

How Restaurant Company Owners Push Through Expansion Barriers, Part 2

February 9, 2018

If your independent restaurant company unit count has reached double digits, congratulations! You’ve reached a significant milestone. Where do you go from here? Maybe you’ve never owned 10 restaurants before. A whole new set of challenges and opportunities awaits. It’s imperative that you handle them … Continued

How Restaurant Company Owners Push Through Expansion Barriers, Part 1

February 7, 2018

All my research points to a proven formula for handling issues that impact your multi-unit independent restaurant company’s ability to grow. In our business, it is a cliché that the hardest thing to do is grow from one to two units. But there are other … Continued

4 Keys to Restaurant Company Owners Finding Joy

February 6, 2018

If you own a successful independent multi-unit restaurant company, your work life — and your whole life — ought to be a joy. That’s how my best clients feel. This is the single most important thing I work on with my clients. But not all … Continued

The Technique Successful Restaurant Owners Use to Solve Big Problems

February 5, 2018

Recently a successful restaurateur looked at me over the lunch table and told me that running his increasingly growing stable of much-admired restaurants was beginning to become boring. “An opening is an opening — and, in operations, you may have problems, but they tend to … Continued

Four Strategies for Selecting Your Site

November 16, 2015

Restaurant Development+Design November/December, 2015 By: Matthew Mabel Choosing the right site — one that is optimal for your concept, the right location for your customer base and at the right time for the place — is paramount to your success. Site selection is about more … Continued

Sell the Vision

July 7, 2015

Nothing ever happens until somebody sells something . . . right? It’s a universal concept that’s been around for so long that nobody really knows who said it first. These days, that wise old sage would have gotten a service mark. Here’s the question: What are … Continued

Dream life or reality show?

June 16, 2015

In successful businesses, if you stop any team member and ask, “What are you focused on right now?” you are likely to hear the very same answer from everyone. Next . . . you meet the business owner and ask, “How does your business fit into your life?” Not only do you … Continued

Conventional wisdom that isn’t either.

April 13, 2015

Conventional wisdom often spouts off about razor-thin margins in the restaurant business. Our industry is perennially found on the list of the least profitable businesses, and media accounts are filled with information on how unprofitable restaurants are compared to say, law firms. In their 2015 … Continued

Are we having fun yet?

March 31, 2015

If you own successful restaurants, you should be having fun with your business and be able to live your life with a great deal of freedom. Restaurateurs are idolized. To the outsider, owning restaurants does not really look like a job. It’s easy for people to … Continued

When success drives more success.

March 19, 2015

“The P&L is really not important here anymore.” There, I said it. Around the table were some confused and shocked faces. The best businesses are doing well, but they know they can do better. Having a predictable financial statement and a budget they meet or … Continued

The million-dollar question

March 16, 2015

One of my clients leaned into a group of his colleagues where I was sitting at a roundtable recently. He peered over my shoulder, and said in a mock comic tone, “Somebody has drilled the importance of PPA into me.” I could not see his … Continued

What really happened last year?

January 13, 2015

Right about now, most business owners are reviewing their financials for 2014 and taking stock of success for last year and opportunities for 2015. But assumptions about what happened last year may be flat out wrong. What really happened? What are the facts behind the … Continued

Restaurant Management Rock stars in training.

April 11, 2014

Rockwall High School won this year’s Texas ProStart Restaurant Management competition. Here are five reasons why: They used humor and enthusiasm to portray their ideas. They were through, detailed, committed, thoughtful and comprehensive. They solved all aspects of a problem, not just one part. They … Continued

The State of the Union is . . . changeable.

February 5, 2014

It is human nature to want to influence government in whatever direction you think would be best for you and the people you care about. What I have noticed is that whatever the government throws at business, sometimes beneficial, sometimes not, companies react and respond … Continued

Focus on the fundamentals.

January 7, 2014

Fundamentals may look like the boring stuff of business, but in fact they are the foundation for unique and special concepts that capture imaginations of diners and build wealth for their owners. Some companies do well because they are great at the fundamentals of business. … Continued

Got a great idea? Don’t give it away.

July 17, 2013

Your ideas are your greatest asset. It is called intellectual property for a reason — property you don’t want to give away. It’s important to control your own life and business, and have the confidence that you can find the resources to succeed. Trinity Groves is … Continued

Want a little more time off?

March 14, 2013

It is great being an entrepreneur and business owner. But maybe not so great if your business demands your constant daily attention to detail and you realize you have bought yourself a job. The best business people take control of their lives, and never become … Continued

The Waiting Room

October 3, 2012

The Affordable Care Act could be the greatest thing that ever happened to your business. Why? Because it will motivate you to grow revenue and profits in a way you have never been motivated before. You can use it as a catalyst to put yourself into … Continued

What’s all that knocking?

August 1, 2012

Maybe fewer people are going to Hawaii this summer, but they are still going out for a drink tomorrow night. And the next night. They have to have something to eat and something to wear, too. There’s opportunity to make money in any economy. James … Continued

From buzzwords to best practices.

May 22, 2012

No matter what you think of jargon and buzzwords, every business has an opportunity to succeed through people, focus, measurement and reinforcement. Recently the term “Best Practice” proudly took its place among Forbes.com’s list of “the Most Annoying, Pretentious and Useless Business Jargon.” Best Practice … Continued

Everything Louder than Everything Else

May 7, 2012

When everything is louder than everything else, you can’t hear a thing. Top businesses know they must turn their myriad messages down in order to make major improvements. There may be a chance to focus on an area that is a true opportunity because it … Continued

Little Village Syndrome – Excerpt from: Beyond Business

February 1, 2012

Excerpt from forthcoming book: Beyond Business, By: Matthew Mabel ©2012 Little Village Syndrome – Click Here to Download Full Chapter Small businesses can be like lush tropical villages protected by mountains and water that keep the outside world outside. Inhabiting the village is a pleasant … Continued

You are in control of your own destiny.

January 31, 2012

Successful business people keep their eyes on their own product, creativity, service, culture and execution. When they do their job right, they have an awareness of what other businesses are doing, but spend their time perfecting what they themselves are doing. Quick service, fast casual, … Continued

Restaurant Forecast? Sunny with Challenges.

January 18, 2012

According to a recent survey, restaurateurs are optimistic about the future. The top priorities identified by respondents are: staying true to their culture, creating profitability, and generating revenue. The survey of restaurateurs was conducted by Surrender, Inc. in partnership with the Texas Restaurant Association. A … Continued

Getting Off to a Great Start

December 26, 2011

This e-newsletter tends to go to successful people: people who remember what it was like to be a manager for the first time. There is a good chance that you were never more focused on management practices and making a difference than you were the … Continued

Slow down to speed up.

December 8, 2011

Recently, I talked with the Dallas Business Journal‘s staff writer Steven R. Thompson for his article “Small Lucia eatery finds a big following.” Lucia has some of the hardest tables to get in Dallas and he wanted to know more about that phenomenon. In the … Continued

Bright lights, big city. Small town, big opportunity.

November 11, 2011

On my way to meet a new client and tour their operation, I have landed at more than one tiny airport where the terrain resembled a third-world country. My first thought is usually, “What have I gotten myself into now?” Secondary and tertiary markets offer … Continued

Avoid Overexposure – Nightclub & Bar

September 12, 2011

Avoid Overexposure – View Source Article September 12, 2011 By: Matthew Mabel Reduce Insurance Costs without Increasing Risk? You Can if You Buy Smart The list of fun activities for nightclub and bar owners and managers does not include buying insurance. Many put it in … Continued