Hi, I’m Matthew Mabel (learn more about me here). Welcome to our Restaurant Success Newsletter in written and podcast forms.
Every edition of my newsletter—in both written and podcast form—shares some of the same valuable insights I share with my clients, teaching ways to improve your business while also building a flexible life for you and increasing your net worth.
While every restaurateur is unique, they all face similar challenges with these core issues: Building brand and culture; Improving management; Increasing profits; Creating a consistent experience; Optimizing operations; Staying up to date on changes in the industry; Developing a growth strategy; Maintaining work-life balance.
As a business owner, you should be in control of your own destiny and work-life balance. You own your business; it doesn’t own you. What good is expanding your restaurant business in any way that doesn’t work best for you? I’m truly excited you’ve made the conscious decision to follow my thoughts about growing your business while improving your personal life. When you grow your business intentionally, you can have both. That’s why I encourage you to “be as good to yourself as you are to your guests.”
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If you have any questions please shoot me a message, or schedule a free 15-minute conversation here.
Now is the Time To Re-Focus On Your Menu
We talk about why now is the time to re-focus on your menu in this episode. I explore how your guests demand more than ever and how their tastes are changing. We also discuss what they really want from your menu, and I share some real examples of menu transformations that completely turned restaurants around.
Using Your Spectacular Victories to Unlock Even More Success
This edition examines how to leverage your victories to create even greater success. We'll look at why many operators focus only on problems rather than celebrating their wins, and why identifying your successes is crucial for future growth. I share how top operators use their victories as learning opportunities and apply those lessons to other areas of their business.
Re-Investing in the “Goldilocks Zone,” Where It’s Just Right
This episode discusses a crucial topic that affects every restaurant owner: finding the right level of re-investment in your business. We explore what happens when owners invest too much, too little, or hit that sweet spot - what I call the "Goldilocks Zone" of restaurant investment. I share real examples of each approach and help you identify where your business stands.
How to Get Unstuck and Dominate in Today’s Market
We dive into a crucial topic in this episode: how to get unstuck and really dominate in today's market. We'll explore why some restaurants remain stuck in their old ways, what's really holding them back, and most importantly, how to break free from these barriers and achieve meaningful growth. I give some examples from my recent client work and provide actionable strategies you can implement in your business.
What Successful Restaurateurs Learn From Chains To Beat Them
This episode will dive into a fascinating topic: what independent restaurants can learn from chains - and how to do it even better. We'll explore how independents can take the best practices from chain restaurants while leveraging their unique advantages of speed and authenticity. And I share specific examples, and actionable strategies you can implement in your own operation.
How Top Restaurateurs Shore Up Sagging Dessert and Alcohol Sales
This episode dives into a timely topic: the changing landscape of alcohol and dessert sales, and how top restaurateurs are adapting. We'll explore the evolving trends in beverage service, discuss strategies for maintaining dessert sales, and look at how to keep your core menu items fresh and relevant. Plus, I'll share some exciting information about an upcoming webinar on restaurant ownership transitions.
When You Lack Experience, Add Someone Who Has It
In this episode, we dive into a crucial topic that many restaurant owners face: managing and supervising high-level positions when you don't have prior experience doing so. We'll explore why "fake it 'til you make it" isn't a viable strategy for building a multi-unit team, and I'll share some practical insights on how to effectively manage your first operations director, marketing director, or CFO.
The Greatest Alternative To Selling Your Restaurants
Today, we're diving into a crucial topic for many restaurant owners: an alternative to selling your restaurants. I'll share why Retiring in Place might be a better option than selling, how to maintain your revenue stream, and success stories from owners who've made this transition work. Plus, I'll tell you about an exciting upcoming webinar where we'll go deeper into this topic!
Your Restaurant Company's Game-Winning Focus for 2025
Matthew Mabel dives into something crucial for 2025: Your restaurant's game-winning focus. He'll explore two key areas that will help you claim more market share, and he'll talk about leadership and coaching capability. Mabel then discuss the critical importance of guest experience. He'll also share some bonus insights about promoting your success.
Making Bold Moves vs. Incremental Changes in Restaurant Operations
Veteran restaurant advisor Matthew Mabel discusses the crucial decision restaurant owners face between making incremental changes and bold, transformative moves in their operations. Drawing from his extensive consulting experience, Mabel explains why many operators default to smaller changes when bigger moves might better serve their growth and profitability goals.
The Biggest Consumer Changes Affecting You Right Now, Part 1
It used to be that a restaurant could be packed all the time even if its food and service were just OK. Not anymore. This example turns out to be a permanent change in our industry, and the sooner you accept that the days of punch-card loyalty programs, dried flower arrangements, and old consumer behaviors …
The Biggest Consumer Changes Affecting Your Restaurant Right Now, Part 2
10 years ago, I worked with a couple of burger clients, one of whom would not do delivery because of “the quality of the burgers by the time they travel” – and another who, for the same reason, did not even offer to-go orders. Flash forward to today and that thinking has vanished, like talking …
The Biggest Consumer Changes Affecting You Right Now, Part 3
At QSRs, they call it a “value meal”: a group of items bundled at a lower price than the price paid for buying each item separately. That whole concept messes with your head—because it defines value as price, and nothing could be further than the truth with the restaurants I work with. With my clients …