It's my first run at making a blog but I decided to give it a whirl. I've spent a lot of years working in the restaurant industry. In that time, I've trained hundreds, if not thousands, of staff members. These individuals ranged from servers to hosts, from bartenders to bar backs, from cooks to managers. I love it.
I've worked for "mom and pop" places and I've worked for some big guys in the corporate world. Every restaurant out there is about the same. It's not a matter of reinventing the wheel. It's just realizing how your particular spot is rolling. Now each restaurant will have its own beat and pulse. You just need to get your finger on it. The only truth that I know when it comes to restaurants is that it will never be successful, nor will you, if you don't love it!
I've been the managing partner for the Downtown Grill & Brewery since 2003. We have about 6500-7000 guests coming through our doors each week! It's fantastic. But, the key isn't just getting the bodies through the door. The key is realizing how to keep them coming and to keep the money from going out the door, as well. And that's where the real war happens. The battle isn't with your competition, like so many think. In fact, your competition is the furthest thing that you should be worried about. You can't change they way they market or advertise their store. You can't change they way they hire and train their staff. You can't change their decor or their menu. You can't change their prices or their service. So, they only your competition should do is inspire you to be the best that you can be. After all, they can't change any of those things with you either. So, the real war is within your own walls. It is the war that all restaurants are fighting.
Everyday that I come into work, I learn more about the war that I'm involved in. Like any other war you have to keep fighting, keep enduring, and keep the wheel moving. I hope over the course of this blog to pass on some of the tidbits, strategies, and techniques that have helped me be successful. I hope in turn these will help you become more successful.
