When you look at expenses on your P&L, you are typically making sure numbers are low enough. On the other hand, when you look at guest comp expense, you ought to make sure it is high enough. If it is not, you are under-utilizing one … Continued

All the growth in the industry is spending growth through PPA. Guest counts are going down. My advice to you and to my clients — successful owners of independent multi-unit restaurant groups — is to be good to yourself and forget all that. Put it … Continued

One of my clients owns six restaurants, serving a combined million guests every year. Working together, we figured out how to raise their PPA by $1.00. That raised system-wide sales $1,000,000. And $650,000 dropped to the bottom line. Annually. My clients and I have done … Continued

There is a line unaccounted for on your P&L. It is called “missed opportunity.” By sheer accident of the way our accounting system works, missed opportunity is a controllable expense your successful, independent multi-unit restaurant company does not account for. Potential revenue and profit is … Continued

Building restaurants is sexy. It is fun. It represents all possibilities. It gets your employees and your customers excited. Oh yeah — and it gets you and investors excited, too. And, if you invest all your money into new units, you will end up making … Continued

To be truly successful, owners of multi-unit independent restaurant companies must feel free to leave the office and their restaurants — either for a vacation or simply for a day for some creative brainstorming time — without worrying. They need to know that the people … Continued

Not long ago I had lunch with a respected industry leader who is well known in his market for his career-long success in restaurant ownership over two different brands. Over that time, he has experienced more than his share of peaks and valleys. We were … Continued

Opportunity allows you to have a chance to successfully grow the multi-unit independent restaurant company you own, building your net worth and the quality of your life. When your organization is surrounded by opportunity, an element of excitement about the future permeates your organization. The … Continued

Capability is the first key factor to having a business that allows you to maximize its value, your net worth, and the quality, flexibility, and enjoyment of your life. My research shows that when you add capability to the other key factors, opportunity and strategy … Continued

People often ask me to explain the many issues that face owners of successful multi-unit growing independent restaurant companies. If I had to distill all the conversations I have had with restaurateurs over the years down to one question, my choice would be obvious: “What … Continued

Now is always the right time to put together and start acting immediately on a great plan to increase revenue, profit, and the overall value of your successful multi-unit independent restaurant company. You know what would make a huge impact in your business, because it … Continued

“Butts in seats”. There are a lot of things we don’t say any more. We don’t say “waitress,” we don’t say “smoking or non-smoking,” and we certainly don’t say “cash register.”  Nevertheless there are people out there who still say, “butts in seats,” as in, … Continued

People always talk about a possible restaurant bubble. It is human nature to worry about things that may impact our livelihoods. Owners of independent restaurant companies wonder, “Does the bubble exist? Is it about to burst? What happens when it does?” A couple of years … Continued

Every night, before my daughter goes to sleep, I tell her, “Always be yourself.” I know that — when she knows who she is — shiny objects will not distract her. I deliver a similar message to independent restaurant company owners. Oprah Winfrey made billions … Continued

The good news?  There’s a low barrier to entry in the restaurant business. The bad news?  Well, you know. Most people think inferior locations, service, food or atmosphere are the factors that most often doom a restaurant.   While those are all important, having enough cash … Continued

I recently read a great article in The New Yorker about declinism, the idea that things are getting worse and are about to get even more so and we are all going down the drain. It pointed out that the ability for this pattern of … Continued