Four Things Restaurant Owners Should Never Say – #3

 In 1. David Scott Peters, SMART Systems

Everyone has a phrase that when they hear it, they just want to go nuts. For me, there are four phrases that are like nails on a chalkboard. And I probably hear one of these phrases on a weekly basis as I travel the country giving speeches, consulting and coaching restaurant owners and managers just like you.

The four phrases that get under my skin are:

  1. “I don’t need a budget. I know my numbers.”
  2. “I can’t get my managers to do it.”
  3. “You don’t understand… our restaurant is different.”
  4. “Yes, but it takes too long.”

Last week, I discussed the #2 thing restaurant owners should never say. Let me explain the third one…

“You don’t understand… our restaurant is different.”

Want to know my short answer is to that? Bull@#$%!

Ok, here’s the long answer…

I know that you serve different cuisine. I know that you have a different type of service. I know that you have a unique operation, partnership arrangement, family arrangement, etc. But the truth of the matter is, your business is not different from any one of our members. You serve your guest a product, you have employees and inventory, and you collect money.

When you break it down, your business on the outside may look different from another restaurant, but you do the same things. So no, your restaurant is not any different from the guy down the street and ALL of the systems will work in your restaurant just the same as a chain restaurant… so use them and do what the chains do: make money.

Understand that there is nothing new in this business. To be successful, you only need to serve great food, deliver great service and utilize systems for every aspect of your business to allow you to impose your will without being there.

That is the number three thing restaurant owners should never say. Click here to read the fourth thing restaurant owners should never say.

Read more about how to be a successful restaurant owner in our free special report, Breaking Away from the Insanity: How to easily take control of your restaurant and make more money. Download it here

Recommended Posts