I've been in the restaurant business since 1974; I started making pizzas. I've lived in Europe, I was a successful restaurateur and there's no such thing as enough. The reason I have this uncontrollable urge to speak out when I hear somebody in a situation like this sharing is, because it's me.
You talked about it like that one you know this is like an ‘AA' Meeting. Yes, I'm a restaurateur and I've couponed. This is like hi, I'm Henry and I'm a recovering restaurateur I've been in the program since 2006.
Go back to your store, call me in a month, tell me if it doesn't feel like that. You can call me in a month or you can call Dave in a month or you can call anybody you've met here or in my case I'm fortunate to be a part of the Elite Membership, which is 20 people and I guess it's full until somebody dies.
There are two spots. I'm not going to do a fat thing on you, but you should be filling out the form and doing it. I'm sorry. I've got an issue or a problem I've got David I can call, I've got Fred, I've got Renee and I've got 18 or 19 other members who've walked in my shoes and it's absolutely phenomenal the power of that. I get more out of the quarterly meetings than any of those meetings.
I get more out of the quarterlies than anything and it kills me that I missed the last one. I fired my manager, I had to do it, I loved the guy he was with me for three years and the relationship had run its course and it couldn't continue the way it was.
Being a member of this group gave me the power like Carmine says it's my business, take control of it. This guys the next best thing since sliced bread, he's here and he gets it. We just sat here for two and a half days and we've got another day to go.
The value of my Elite Membership, I just brought this guy here and he's going to get four months, at least, worth of training in three days at the cost of my membership. Ask me any questions later on I'm not going to take up any more of your time, but it's a no-brainer. You've got to be decisive.
I can't afford it, I probably still can't afford it, but I can't afford not to and sometimes it makes me sleep easier. In the morning I'll probably get up and there'll be an email from somebody in the Elite Membership Group and I'll be able to contribute something and it allows me to work through an issue or a problem or when we go to Ottawa I get to drive people around, because that's what I do.
Henry Bronson, Owner
Bistro Henry - Manchester Center, VT