ELECTRONIC HOUSE CALL - June 10, 2005

What a week! Until last Wednesday, we were knee-deep in the Super Summit in New Orleans. Those who were there will tell you that this was a very special couple of days ... both personally and professionally. In the process we ate well, drank well and had far too much fun !

Then food guru Phyllis Ann Marshall joined Margene and me for a couple of days in Charleston, South Carolina where we checked out the restaurants and lodging while we evolved a plan for Super Summit 2006. Next year will be quite a different program ... but we are getting excited about what is shaping up as a staggering marketing experience for the independent restaurateur. What are you doing next April?

I must admit that after a 28-hour transit back from Italy, about the last thing I wanted to do was get back on an airplane ... and it is not going to let up. I get back to the Northwest tonight ... and leave on Monday for two days in Chicago at Pizza Expo.

SUPER LESSONS
Seeing New Orleans restaurants at the depth we did opened everyone’s eyes to some powerful possibilities ... and that was before we even got into the material of the Super Summit itself. Here are just a few that come to mind:

Private Dining Rooms
I was reminded once again what a powerful idea private dining rooms are ... and New Orleans sure has ‘em. Arnaud’s Restaurant, for example, has seventeen different rooms where guests can dine! The front rooms are typically used by the visitors and the locals tend to favor the PDRs, effectively allowing the two groups to peacefully co-exist.

Family Meal
At 10:15am and 4:15pm, the staff at Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House Restaurant sit down together and eat what they call Family Meal. This is a time for them to connect as individuals before the public arrives. Its purpose is entirely social. After the meal they do a pre-shift meeting to discuss business details.

Perspective
Do you tend to raise your performance level and be on your best behavior when you know your kids are watching? Many parents do ... and it works. To keep yourself on track, try to continually see yourself through the eyes of your staff. Ask yourself how you would feel about a particular approach if you were the staff member involved. You are the role model whether you want the job or not.

Details
After the April session of the Summit, I mentioned little niceties that impressed me ... like replacing the water glasses toward the end of the meal rather than just refilling them one more time. I also commented on the idea of giving a black cloth napkin to guests wearing dark clothes to avoid getting them covered with white lint. (OK, perhaps they get covered with black lint, but who can tell?) These “monumental trivialities” are still in place ... and still impressive.

Attitude
In case there were any lingering doubts, meeting several managers and owners of the various Brennan family restaurants clearly demonstrated that the attitude at the top creates the attitude throughout the organization. Your staff is truly a mirror whether or not you are comfortable with that idea.

Use of Space
French Quarter real estate is limited and expensive, so New Orleans operators have done a marvelous job of making the most of every cubic inch of it. When they have available frontage on a busy street, many restaurants have taken a bit of that space to put in another smaller concept to capitalize on the foot traffic. Upscale Arnaud’s used some of its Bourbon Street frontage to create a casual oyster bar. Bourbon House created a small walk-up operation that sells crepes, ice cream ... and beer to go! These secondary operations may not be huge cash generators -- particularly in comparison to the volume of the parent operation -- but they do tap into a secondary market and provide additional streams of income that would otherwise be lost.

THE JUNE SURVEY
The world does not need one more place to eat. If you want to be successful, you have to stand out in the minds of your guests.

This month's survey asks about what you are doing to create a WOW in your restaurant. This should generate some great ideas. If you don't have any ideas from your own operation (shame on you!), then tell me about the coolest idea you have seen in someone else's place!

Click here to add your thoughts to the June survey.

THE PERPETUAL QUESTION
What did you learn from your staff today?

My perpetual question is really a lot deeper -- and a lot more important -- than it may sound.

Improving your listening skills may be the most valuable management talent you can develop. You may see that in a moment of personal insight ... and you may not get it at all. It all depends on how serious you are about finding out what you and your company are really capable of becoming.

The most effective managers I know can give a fresh answer to this question every day -- no problem. If you do not have a response readily at hand, what does that say about the quality of your listening?

I will continue to collect your answers to this important question. Just click on the link below and contribute your answer for the common good.

What did YOU learn from YOUR staff today?

[ Home ] [ Top ] [ Email Restaurant Doctor ]

© 2005 Restaurant Doctor