ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - May 24, 2002

Dobrý Den -- Hello from Prague! As I write this, we are at the beginning of a three week ramble through the more civilized parts of Eastern Europe. (As I send it, we are on the banks of the Danube in Austria. I had no luck getting my computer connected to the Internet in Prague!) You can follow the odyssey on the website (www.restaurantdoctor.com) under the link for "What's Up With the Doc?" I post a daily diary along with photos both of a travelogue and a professional nature. As we have already seen, the postings can be a bit behind depending on when I can gain Internet access along the way, but check it out from time to time.

SO MANY LESSONS, SO LITTLE TIME
The thing I like most about traveling -- and we are definitely travelers, not tourists -- is that I tend to notice things in other cultures that I often overlook in my own backyard. What the daily diary presents is less about what I did and more about what I learned from it.

I noticed today that it is easy to look at someone else's operation and notice what is "wrong" or what could be done "better." In either case we are talking about a value judgement . . . and judgement may be the key word. The culture and expectations in Prague are not the same as they are in Seattle, and what may be appropriate in Seattle may not work in Tulsa. Rather than noticing what is not working, my discipline on this trip -- and it might be helpful for your field trips as well -- is to try to get a sense of what IS working. What makes the place successful and why might that be so?

For example, we are staying with a family in the outskirts of Prague. I walked down the street to a small local restaurant for dinner tonight while Margene was catching up on sleep. They had a nice crowd and I noticed that what was working was the same thing that works for us. The staff was personable, smiled a lot and interacted well with the guests, particularly at the bar. The place was certainly not fancy, but it was spotless! The part of the kitchen that was visible also sparkled with white tile walls and the kitchen staff in clean white t-shirts and pants. The food was nothing fancy, but was well-prepared and there was obvious attention to the plate presentation. I also appreciated that they had at least one copy of their menu in English as Czech is still virtually incomprehensible to me! In short, despite the fact that their clientele appeared to be very local and very regular, they were earning the patronage of their guests every night.

WE DON'T CARE. WE DON'T HAVE TO.
In contrast, we stopped for a beer at a sidewalk cafe in Old Town Square this afternoon, right across from the famous Astronomical Clock -- prime tourist real estate for sure! In that case, the service was impersonal and the staff showed no apparent compulsion to do any more than necessary for their guests. Even then, it happened at their pace and without a sense of urgency. (OK, I know I said I was going to try to focus on what was happening right, but I have another point here.)

My point is that it is easy to take guests for granted, particularly when your location itself provides the draw. The question then is how vulnerable does that make you if the market goes away? When another terrorist incident cuts the tourist crowds in half, who will be left to sell you food to . . . and will they want to patronize a place with surly staff? Many US operators who had drawn most of their business from conventioneers and business travelers found themselves in a similar situation last fall when the locals were suddenly their only source of business . . . and they had never tried to cultivate the local market up until then.

Nothing is forever and no market is a lock. For your own peace of mind -- if not your ultimate survival -- you must develop and nurture several distinct markets in order to have some backup during economic "hiccups." Not only must you develop the alternative sources of income, but you must actively earn their patronage every time they dine with you. If you aren't sure what other markets might be available to you, ask your staff. They can tell you . . . but only if you ask.

NRA AND BEYOND
I also have a ton of insights from the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago last weekend . . . but they will have to wait until another time. One quick note for anyone within striking distance of Raleigh, North Carolina. Marketing guru Joel Cohen and I will be presenting a public program in Raleigh on June 20th. The content is going to be first-rate and will highlight some our best new ideas and proven practices to grow your business, create a better staff and generally get your life back! For more information, click on the link at the top of my home page.

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