Here’s What They’re Saying
About David Scott Peters...
“I’m always on the lookout for smarter controls and systems for my restaurant. I came across David Scott Peters’ newsletter, the SMART Systems’ Insider, and decided to give it a shot.
As part of my membership I receive the monthly newsletter and a monthly expert interview. I find both offer a lot of value. On top of planting good ideas and motivation for improvements, David’s information has raised my awareness and thoughts about improving systems and operations.
In fact, after listening to an expert interview David conducted with Bob Becker about credit card processing, I contacted Bob and was able to save $2,000 per year in credit card processing fees. That alone paid for my membership for four years.
I look forward to more articles and expert interviews that save me money like that.”
“I found David through another restaurant expert's seminar, and I really appreciated the way his expertise aligned with my needs and the problems I was facing.
The great thing about David is, he likes to teach you something. He is more concerned with teaching than selling, and that's something that makes him a reliable business resource.
I'm a monthly subscriber to David's SMART Systems Insider newsletter, and I received the monthly expert interviews on CD. In addition, I have purchased David's Boot Camp CD package.
I always take great information away from both the newsletter and the expert interview. I know they're both going to continue to help me. And receiving both on a monthly basis makes my life more convenient.
The content and teachings that David provides have made my life easier and helped me peel back the layers of the onion to find problems. I definitely found value in the Boot Camp CD package — it was worth every penny.
To date, I'm working on controlling my liquor inventory, and I've made some checklists, making my staff follow them.
I look forward to future information and learnings from David.”
Colley Cantina - Norfolk, VA
“Immediately after coming back from David’s workshop in Las Vegas, we conducted an inventory count. In just four weeks from that count we were able to decrease out total inventory, including supplies, by $4,500.
This action alone covered the cost of the workshop and our trip to Las Vegas. And that was just one of the things we promised ourselves we would try.
Next on my to-do list is menu and pricing adjustments. I’m looking forward to the profits to be had by implementing David’s ideas."
Hickory Road Barbeque Restaurant, Auburn, NE
“I’m a buffet kind of guy, taking tastes of different products that pique my interest. I found that David Scott Peters offers a great buffet of products for the independent restaurant owner.
For example, I subscribe to the newsletter and receive monthly audio expert interviews. Both pieces are constantly teaching me something new or refreshing me on something I haven’t thought about in a while. I also like the availability of different spreadsheets and information on David’s member Web site.
The product that has had the biggest impact on my business is David’s “Cost of Goods Sold.�
Using the variance report that came with “Cost of Goods Sold,� my team and I ran a series of reports over multiple four-week periods. We were able to use the reports to drill down into specific segments of our prime cost areas, pinpointing problems. One thing we found through our analysis was that someone was stealing from the restaurant. I was able to share the information with my staff, show them that I was able to target the loss in inventory exactly, and our theft problem went down dramatically.
David’s tools showed me where our losses were happening and solutions for stopping those losses. Not only did we decrease our theft problem, I was able to shave three percentage points off my prime costs using the program, adding $21,000 straight to our gross profit — all because I bought a $350 program.
In addition, we implemented a profit-sharing plan, helping to motivate our staff and give them a reason to care about problems like theft and trying to shave points off of prime costs."
“I have 20 years of experience in restaurants, and I’ve always done well with operations, food and menu, service and so on. At the same time, I knew I needed some help understanding the business side — things like systems, security, controls and understanding the numbers behind the reports.
David Scott Peters’ expertise appealed to me because he knew the business side and had great ideas for setting up the controls I needed to get some freedom from the restaurant.
Everything David offers is helpful. I subscribe to his newsletter, use his Web site on a regular basis, and I purchased the “Workshop in a Box� product. That came with the Breakeven Calculator, which I’ve used to run projections for a new restaurant I’m opening. I’ll use it more in the future when I want to determine the impact of a potential promotion, or look at different vendors for my foods. It’s a great business side tool.
This second restaurant is something I would not have done without David in my corner. In fact, I was offered a similar opportunity two and a half years ago, but turned it down. Now, I have the business knowledge and confidence to take it on.
I’m also involving my employees in the learning process. I sent two managers to the workshop, and they came back with a lot to do. They started with a few small things behind the bar to get started, and they are already running a great over-all pour cost percentage of 15 percent, on pace to save more than $1,000 a month.
I’ve always run a profitable restaurant, but now I understand why and what I can do to make it more profitable. Plus, I used to have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and now, thanks to David’s suggestions, I can get away, letting other people run the restaurant because I have the right controls in place."
“After listening to David Scott Peters’ ‘Workshop In A Box,’ we implemented worksheets to schedule based on our labor needs and goals in the middle of April 2005. We have always told managers to ‘try and keep labor around 26.5 percent or below’. While this alone helped reduce our labor by a little, it wasn’t enough. When we actually SHOWED them how to keep labor down to 26.5 percent and gave them the tool necessary to achieve their goal, we saw the results we were looking for!
Our yearly comparison for four weeks (end of May/June 2005 and 2006) shows that we saved nearly $3,500. Labor hit its lowest at 25.4 percent for one week and sales were up more than $5,000 for the four weeks combined. And service was not compromised; in fact it was better as our schedule helped make things more efficient and the staff was happy.
Comparing March 2006, when we did not use our scheduling worksheets, and May 2006, our first full month using the new system, labor went down almost a full percentage point and our total labor cost was down almost $5,000. Things have only gotten better through June. Sales are doing great and compared to March 2006, our labor has been lowered by as much as 1.7 percent. If we keep this up and follow through with the system, we will be able to save at least $54,000 in a year. And this is after implementing only ONE of David Scott Peters’ systems. If you are worried about the cost of his workshop or products, you just need to know that as long as you DO what he tells you, it will be one of the best investments you ever made. It’s up to you how much money you want to make. David just tells you how to do it and where to find it."
"Even though I have owned and operated a highly profitable food concession for over 18 years, David's program taught me systems I can implement which will immediately improve the operation of my facility. I also learned there are many things we are doing very well. This has boosted my confidence and placed a higher value on my business should I choose to create an exit strategy. If you are just starting a restaurant, David's program is a must. If you already own a restaurant, David's program is a must. "Running a Profitable Restaurant: from soup to nuts" is the answer to increasing your efficiency and your bottom line."
"I have worked for a CPA firm for over 20 years. I am ready for a career change into the restaurant industry. I've been cooking for the last 3 years part-time at night and on weekends. David Scott Peters will get me started on the right foot. What I've learned to implement the very first day, I have no doubt, will save me money. I recommend this course for anyone in the restaurant industry. David will "WOW" you in his seminar."
"As a 20-year independent restaurant owner who has systems in place, this seminar has been invaluable. David is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring. This workshop is a perfect management training experience. I am grateful for this experience!"
"If you are new in the business or trying to find that extra 2-5% you want on the bottom line, David has the systems, information, and the mastermind team to address problems and opportunities in every part of your business."