Category: Catering Sales

  • A case for growing catering sales!

    Years ago, I enjoyed watching old episodes of Perry Mason. The drama that occurred in his courtroom really taught me that life is short and often there is a lot on the line. Each week, Perry discovered and believed his truth even when others didn’t. In his line of business, believing wasn’t enough so he had to build a case for the jury backed up by expert testimony and facts.

    Today, I feel like Perry Mason. My truth is that catering is the next substantial sales-growth area for the multi-unit restaurant industry worldwide. Some of you may be skeptical of this claim but I’ve lived it and I have helped many operators implement a catering business strategy that is sound, scalable and continues to grow.

    Opening Arguments

    The Merriam-Webster dictionary, defines catering as: “To provide a supply of food or to supply what is required or desired.” This broad definition highlights a looming challenge that I believe touches a core fundamental business issue for the multi-unit restaurant industry. Catering means something different to each and every operator, yet many try to stuff the experience into a preconceived box of what they think it means. For the length of this discussion, I would ask that you step back from your idea of what catering is, and look at the bigger picture.

    My first expert witness that can speak to the power that catering has to offer is, well, me! My entry into the food business 15 years ago was through the turnaround of Tony’s Deli. I worked that little deli into a $2 million per year catering powerhouse and I have experienced firsthand what the unit economics look like when catering connects at the brand level.

    Now you may think that catering does not hold such promise for the pizza segment in the long run; in fact you may look at the program you have in place now and think, “We’ve been there, done that and it was marginal at best for us! We are not interested!”

    I object!

    I am not making these arguments today to convince you that a profitable catering program is possible. The reality is that catering is vital to your survival and I hope to get you thinking about all it has to offer.

    Fact #1: Restaurant sales are at a mature point in their life cycle and we must find new revenue channels to survive.

    Our consumers know exactly what they want when they walk into our place of business and buy from us. In the multi-unit pizza segment, unit sales have grown through delivery. Pizza operators have always known that delivery is a separate business with a different execution strategy and they have excelled due to that understanding. These results are unique to the pizza segment because operators have taken the time to fully understand the intricacies of the delivery business on every level.

    Over next 10 years, our operators will have to dig back inside their existing infrastructure to look for more revenues. The entire multi-unit restaurant industry has done a poor job at maximizing every bit of profit from existing assets, but what if you could leverage your existing assets and add as much as 40% to your profit margin?

    “That isn’t possible or realistic, we’ve tried it! It just doesn’t work!” You argue.

    I object!

    If you’ve ‘tried’ catering, and have not experienced success, it may be because there is a gap in understanding the business at a strategic level. Certain key elements such as strategy, leadership, sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution must be in place to succeed in the catering channel and I argue firmly that this perspective is not well understood by many executives and operators in our industry.

    Maybe you think you are better off having no catering program at all. Well, I would argue that if you don’t do it right and take yourself seriously, then that IS the right decision for you. However, it’s going to cost you money in the end because your customers will eventually buy from your competitors where they can get more variation in services and get their additional needs met faster.

    Catering increases volume at the unit level and provides a multitude of benefits for cross-selling into the retail channel. More sales = more money!

    Fact #2: Catering is not an add-on business. It’s a business unto its own. Run it that way!

    “But Erle, you just said we’re layering catering sales on top!” You shout. “Of course it is an add-on business!”

    I object!

    The execution and business strategy of catering is layered on top of your existing assets and operations but catering requires a unique and specific business perspective that needs dedicated resources and strategies separate from existing retail operations. Catering must be intertwined with your existing operations and become part of your core business strategy. It must have equal importance and weight compared to your existing revenue channels, such as dine-in, take-out, and delivery.

    Today’s consumers are very loyal to their preferred brands. However, they have a different set of wants, needs and desires based on “their need to feed,” which crosses all aspects of their lives. In order to win their catering business, a very different workflow and service experience is required. The beautiful thing about catering is that it fills the gaps in your daily operations because the timing of production and distribution is complimentary to your existing day parts.

    Fact #3: A new business needs a new experience: Menus, Packaging, Pricing, Selling, Servicing.

    Because catering has various logistical issues that are unique, some existing menu items may not represent your brand well at the point of consumption. This means your menus may have to be re-engineered. This includes products, portions, and flavor profile.

    In addition, I argue that our operators need to adjust to the idea that pricing for the catering experience should be different from the retail experience. A catering pricing strategy should be based on the market demand for your brand and the intensity of the transaction that you are servicing.

    “Now hold on a minute!” You say. “We have to buy more stuff? We can just use what we have for delivery and make do.”

    I object!

    There is an old adage in restaurant business, “Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot!” It sounds simple, but delivery is a vastly different business from catering and if you try to use your delivery tools for catering you will not have a positive result.

    If you are resisting the investment to even have cold offerings, I present you the following argument: The boxed lunch business is a large part of the catering sector so sandwiches, salads and other creative menu ideas will allow you to offer items exclusively in the catering channel that are profitable and represent your brand well. These cold items also give you additional flexibility by allowing your catering business and retail business to coexist during the busiest times of the day.

    Fact #4: Catering is not a “hit and run” business. You have to chip away at it daily.

    “We tried.” That is what I heard you say about catering. You tried.

    I object!

    You wanted something to boost profits that was quick, easy and didn’t take a lot of effort, right? That approach won’t work and it never will. We have all ‘tried’ and are tired of what doesn’t work. Get up and dust yourself off! If you have failed at it, catering is not the problem. Your mindset and execution are. This business requires planning at the strategic level – and lots of it. Catering has to be woven into the very fabric of your brand for you to be successful because it requires the full participation of your entire team on every level to maximize the opportunity. You must fully commit so that your people have a clear path to success and they understand what catering success looks like for your brand.

    Fact #5: You need more sales!

    Clearly, increasing sales is essential. Perhaps you have been at the helm of a multi-unit restaurant organization for decades, but until you educate yourself on the intricacies of catering, you are not maximizing the potential for better unit economics. Hiring catering experts in the multi-unit restaurant space is essential to your long-term catering success.

    Guidance on what not to do, and which pitfalls to avoid, instills confidence for your team. Of course, I assume that you will follow sound business practices by paying attention to the key elements required to scale a predictable and sustainable catering experience across your infrastructure. The catering plan must be thoughtful, controlled, organized, logical and agreed to! Just like any other business venture.

    Closing Arguments

    Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to leave you to ponder these final thoughts. Market-transition points in our industry changed consumer behaviors. Think back to the development of drive-thru, delivery and take-out. At each inflection point, our industry grew and expanded. Catering is the next natural point of inflection.

    So, how can you argue against catering in your multi-unit restaurant?

    The verdict is up to you.

  • Passing The Torch – Our Next Generation of Leaders

    This post is about a great person. A leader in our community who works hard for his “wins”. He deserves all the success that comes his way. He deserves it because he has worked his way to the top of his game by simply showing up to play every single day. Ladies and gentlemen, I write to you today about Jeff Drake, President of Go Roma Real Easy Italian.

    However, before I tell you more about Jeff, allow me to share with you my reasons why I feel his story is so important for our next generation of leaders, specifically in our multi-unit restaurant community.

    This past week, I got very lucky. I got into a car accident. Not only did I avoid major damage to my rental car and personal injury by some act of good fortune, there was also little damage to the other car as well. Thankfully, nobody got hurt and it served as a reminder to me, that life can be short. Be careful out there. Things can change quickly.

    Of course, I could list a thousand reasons of why I was so lucky this past week. But that wouldn’t be interesting to anyone.

    What I do think is interesting is the wisdom that was imparted to me on a phone call with one of our great leaders of the last century, Jon Luther Sr. (It was the first time we spoke). Like I said, it was a lucky week.

    I tried to read everything I could get my hands on about this man’s outstanding career that has spanned decades in our multi-unit restaurant community. I wanted to call him “Sir”; but he just wouldn’t let me.

    “Jon is just fine”, he told me. And so, that’s what I did. I called him Jon.

    I have to share with you that my conversation with Jon was one of the most inspiring of my entire career! After all, he is one of the greatest turn-around experts that our industry has seen in the last 50 years. He has influenced and shaped organizations such as Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robins, and Delaware North. He has served in leadership positions at Marriott and Aramark and he is the current Chairman of Arby’s.

    I asked for the call with Jon, because I learned about his passion for leadership. I felt compelled to share some ideas with him and because he is so generous and kind, he agreed to take my call. Like I said, it was a lucky week.

    By the end of our call, Jon and I agreed (as I am sure so many of you do), that something unique and special happened in our foodservice community beginning in the middle of the last century. A generation of young leaders flourished and planted the seeds for what has become a $650 Billion industry in North America. Lucky for all of us, Jon Luther Sr. was one of those young leaders. He and his colleagues helped us to collectively become the largest employer in the private sector in North America.

    So, this got me thinking. What about tomorrow’s leaders? Who are they? How will we know when we see them? Is there a way to not only spot their natural ability, but can we also groom them and nurture them in some formal method. Clearly, as a community we have enough experience to know what our leaders need to look like.

    Of course, we all know that today’s great leaders such as Howard Schultz (Starbucks), Ron Shaich (Panera), Hala Moddelmog (Arby’s), Jim Vinz (Le Duff America), Dave Wolfgram (Forklift Brands), Don Fox (Firehouse Subs), Jeff O’Neill (Einstein Bros.) and Cheryl Bachelder (Popeye’s) were teenagers during the days of Ray Kroc, Ed Rensi, Jon Luther Sr., Dave Thomas, Rich Melman, and Norman Brinker.

    Certainly, there are hundreds more names that I could list here. But this list is not the story. I mention these leaders to simply illustrate a point.

    Jon and I discussed this idea. There are so many to talk about, to write about. Each has a story to tell and each is more amazing than the next. That’s the story! It’s the details that matter! It’s not about share price or money. It’s about amazing people doing amazing things.

    Just like those before them, today’s leaders are ALL amazing. As life progresses quickly, they are becoming the next generation of mentors for those that are 10 and 20 years behind them.

    “Who is coming up behind today’s leaders?” I asked Jon. “What are we doing as a community to capture their stories?” I asked.

    There is a project here. An important, community based project. It’s academic. Not promotional. It’s authentic AND critical. If we don’t do it, the details will get lost. And these details are far too precious to us as a community. Because, we need to study and learn.

    In the next 10 years or so, today’s leaders, will step aside for tomorrow’s leaders. That’s the way life is. I believe our community needs a thoughtful and solid succession plan. We need a qualified institution to train, nurture and develop tomorrow’s leaders for our industry. It’s important for the planet. Otherwise, we will end up with mediocre brands with little to no higher purpose.

    Jon and I agreed on this idea.

    And so, as Jon and I continued our discussion, we thought about the idea of “passing the torch” to future generations. We need to plan.

    Just in my own network, I look at people like Al Bhakta of The Chalak Group. Watch this guy. He’s building a $1 Billion Dollar Business. Is he even forty yet? Check him out on this list of who’s who.

    Think about people like Kevin Reddy (Noodles and Company), John Pepper (Boloco), John Clay (Bread and Company), and Kat Cole (Cinnabon).

    Oh, there are many others as well, but the list is too long to cover in this blog post. My point is that something big needs to happen here. All of these leaders need a place to hang their hats and take part in a succession plan. It’s a community issue.

    I decided to focus the balance of this essay on one very special person. Because to my good fortune, I have had the pleasurable experience of working closely with him for the last six years.

    This brings me back to where I began this essay. “Passing the torch” to a great man like Jeff Drake.

    “Why Jeff?” you ask. Well read on and you will see. But first, watch this video interview with Jeff. He was so busy, so engaged in his people and his work that we had to do the interview via Satellite. Great leaders like Jeff are very, very busy.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdVO6mC2bfM&w=420&h=315]

    You see, just like all great leaders, Jeff Drake is a lifelong learner. More than that, he is kind, generous, smart, and he lives every single day with purpose.

    Jeff began his career in our industry after graduating from college in Des Moines, Iowa. Early in his career, he worked closely with the likes of Rick Bayless at Prime Steakhouse and he learned a lot.

    On his path, he met Daniel Leader, a passionate artisan bread baker and Jeff developed a passion for bread. He loved the authenticity of hand made bread. The way it tasted. The way it smelled. He was enthralled by the science and the art of artisan bread making, at a time when the artisan bread business was just a grassroots cottage based business.

    To Jeff’s good fortune, he met another amazing man by the name of Dave Wolfgram. Dave was with working on a little known concept at the time, with only 4 stores. Corner Bakery was being developed under the umbrella of Lettuce Entertain You and the leadership of Rich Melman.

    Well, Jeff listened and learned. And then, as they were chipping away each day, the Corner Bakery brand was transitioned to Brinker, under the leadership of another iconic man by the name of Norman Brinker.

    With this transition, came a fantastic opportunity for Jeff. He was asked to head up catering! Yes, catering! It was a ground up thing. He worked on the systems, developed some IT infrastructure and built the business with Dave Wolfgram. Well, what an opportunity for such a young man to be able to work under the leadership of these great people.

    During his time at Corner Bakery, Jeff led the charge for what was the 2nd and 3rd prototype for the concept. “We bring the food to you.” Jeff told me.

    That was his passion, his vision. He knew he had a great product and he was fortunate to have this fantastic group of mentors that believed in him. Well, it took an incredible amount of commitment and hard work, but by the time Jeff was done with his time at Corner Bakery, there were now 40 units in Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and southern California.

    By this time, all 40 of the Corner Bakery Units were now converted to the 3rd prototype that Jeff and Dave had envisioned. They were just hard working people, trying to get it right.

    Well, like any great leader with natural ability, Jeff continued his lifelong learning. He moved to Washington DC to look after the Eastern Seaboard. And that became his last stop at Corner Bakery. It was time to move on.

    In his next venture, Dave Wolfgram and Jeff Drake partnered on a fast casual concept called Go Roma Real Easy Italian. At the time, GESD Capital was looking for a new CEO for Boudin Bakery and Dave was being groomed for the job.

    And so, GESD Capital acquired Go Roma and the management team as part of the new arrangement, and Jeff once again was deeply ingrained into the artisan bread business. Jeff became COO at Boudin and held that post from 2005 to 2007 and helped to prototype the new Boudin SF, which would become the new footprint for the brand.

    Time passed and Jeff wanted to take his young family back east. He was offered the helm as President of Go Roma.

    Of course, Jeff was not only enthusiastic, he had energy, experience and had learned from the best in the business. He was ready to be the head of his own ship! Well, as any great leader knows, things never go as planned, and what happened next was not only difficult, but most people I know would simply shrivel up and pack it in. The recession came. And with it, came tough days.

    So, “What did you do?” I asked Jeff last week.

    “We circled the wagons,” he told me.

    This is an answer that any great leader would give. Go back to the basics. Focus on the vision. Take care of your people. Roll up your sleeves. Make difficult decisions.

    And so, he focused on his real estate, reduced his G&A expenses and rallied his team to become leaner. He re-invented his organization. There was no easy path, but Jeff knew that from watching his mentors.

    “What was the worst part of that experience?” I asked.

    “We lost some great people” he shared with me sadly. “But we did what was necessary to weather the storm.”

    Of course you did Jeff. Because that’s what great leaders do. They are accountable, just as you are. That’s what makes you so great! You are following in the footsteps of your mentors, your elders. I am proud of you for sticking to your guns.

    “What was the key element that got you through the recession”, I continued on.

    “I just focused on my communication to my key stakeholders” he retorted.

    You see, all great leaders, like Jeff, do this naturally. They lead by example. They communicate well and they tell the truth, even when it hurts.

    Jeff shared with me that one of the things that he is most proud of in his career, is that he did not lose ANY of his key people during the downturn. He kept their hopes high, reassured them that he was not going to bail on them and he led his ship. He included them in the results, incentivized them to work hard and provided them with ownership of their responsibilities as he empowered them to continue on.

    He gave his team all the credit when I spoke to him. Because that’s what great leaders do. They don’t take the credit. Not ever.

    Great leaders can only become great if they surround themselves with great followers. Great people. You see, Jeff learned from the greatest leaders that our industry has ever seen. These are Jeff’s mentors.

    Jeff told me that he has been blessed to spend time with Richard Melman, Norman Brinker, Doug Brooks, Jim Vinz and Dave Wolfgram. I stopped him there because his list just kept going. “Blessed”, there’s that word again. Great leaders feel that way.

    He sees his leadership responsibility today as focused on helping his team to prioritize.

    “What you measure, is what you improve”, he told me.

    He also told me that it’s his responsibility to set his team up for success. He focuses on promoting from within. He helps his people step up. He is an opportunity provider. He cares about his people, his customers and his brand. He has a positive attitude and is a student of life.

    Jeff Drake is a solid person. He understands how his customers interact with social media. He understands technology. He treats his vendors with respect. He gets a lot out of his relationships by taking care of everyone. He keeps people whole. He is a master at that.

    Jeff is a voracious reader. He believes that the restaurant business is a “business of evolution”. He is always looking for ways to innovate. He studies other industries as models and tries to bring new ideas into his business.

    His commitment to self-improvement is awesome. He reads magazines like Lucky Peach, The New Yorker, Fast Company.

    “To be an effective leader, I need to get better every day. I need to interact with people that are really good at what they do”. He shared with me.

    There’s that natural leadership quality again.

    “I look for genius and brilliance in my people every single day” he continued.

    Of course you do Jeff. Jon Luther Sr. would agree with you.

    If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Jeff Drake any day to be on the list of the next generation of leaders that will change the food industry. Why? Because he is focused on his higher purpose of making the world a better place just by doing what he loves.

    Jeff, thanks for all you do for our industry. You deserve all you have! Thank you for being a great and generous leader. For those of you reading this, keep an eye on Jeff Drake. He’ll be running a $1 Billion business one day. I am certain of it!

  • Erle’s Catering Corner – Reposted off of www.fastcasual.com

    The order-entry experience may be the single most important component of the catering order-to-cash cycle. It is the first point of contact to your catering channel, and this is where the customer experiences the catering service standards for your brand. In the world of catering, where we often are serving a business-to-business transaction, customer confidence can be easily distilled. When that happens, not only do we put our catering transaction at risk, in fact, we put our entire brand at risk.

    Many operators have set themselves up to take catering orders at the store level. While this can be done, you must consider the answers to the following questions: Should we take orders centrally? Should we outsource? Should we take orders at the stores? Should we take orders online?

    You can do all of the above, but you must implement strong and clear policies and procedures at each point of contact.

    I believe that the order-entry process at the store level can make it more difficult for your unit operators to execute and maintain a proper and predictable catering experience – especially from the customer’s perspective. How many times have we seen a customer at the front counter placing their dine-in order, only to be interrupted by the cashier answering a telephone to take a pick-up or catering order? Or even worse, a cashier keying in a catering order into their POS system while customers are waiting in line!

    Additionally, if you have 100 stores and you allow catering orders to be placed at the store level, you may find training more than 100 order takers not only a challenging task, but it can be detrimental to your brand. Furthermore, if you have more than one order taker per store, the results can be disastrous in our high-turnover industry. To be successful in the world of conversational ordering, it might be a better strategy to create a role for internal (or outsourced) specialists, depending on the size and scope of your organization.

    I’d like to make an argument that training specialists, responsible for taking catering orders as well as maintaining and building customer relationships over the phone, will yield higher order averages, more accuracy and a better catering service experience for your customers.

    Many operators I speak to are reluctant to service the customer outside of the restaurant. I propose that in our minds, we must separate out the ‘selling process of catering’ from the ‘service process of catering.’ ‘Selling’ catering services needs to be done at the neighborhood level so that you can reach out and touch your customers where they live, work and play.

    ‘Serving’ your customers needs to be approached with what is most efficient and profitable and what is easiest for our operators. Clearly we need to manufacture, package and distribute our catering orders out of our stores (or commissaries). However, taking orders and handling the administrative subtleties at the store level can create incredible tension and stress for your people and for your customers. There are just too many moving parts.

    Thinking about a centralized point of contact for order entry, I believe this logic can be implemented in various forms, depending on the structure of your organization. There is a discussion to be had around centralized vs. decentralized strategies and I plan to expand on these concepts in my next set of essays and blog posts.

    You will need to make policy and procedure decisions regarding order entry specific to your own brand circumstances. A lot of these catering rules will depend on your current system structure such as ‘corporate’ vs. ‘franchised’ in your brand’s structural mix.

    Let me know your thoughts.

    20120310-091047.jpg

  • Building To Grow – Invent Genius Turnkey Systems

    MonkeyMedia Software is my 9th Business Venture. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs; some more successful than others. Always working on the design of my companies. Always trying to be remarkable, somehow, some way, even on the days when I might be feeling like a fake. Feeling like a fake you ask? Of course! You think us entrepreneurs always know where we are headed? No way. Always trying to service my customers. Always trying to find a way to differentiate, to compete.

    I spend so much of my time just dreaming. Dreaming! For those of you that know me well, I often get so far ahead of myself. These days, I dream a lot of how our multi-unit restaurant community will embrace catering in the next decade. I am certain of it. I am seeing it more and more, day by day. Especially here in North America where markets are competitive, and consumers are screaming loudly at all of our operators to provide more services.

    I read a lot. I write a lot. I scour the internet for good material to help me grow my businesses. It’s ironic that I ended up in the consulting, education and software business. Or Is it?

    After all, as an entrepreneur I am always trying to grow my businesses. You can only do that if you work on your systems. Your belief systems, your sales systems, your service systems, your business systems…. It’s all just a set of subsystems, leading into one giant turnkey system. At least, that’s the way out for most of us. We need to build it to grow it, or we just get stuck in it.

    So many of us work “in” our businesses and we just have a hell of a time working “on” our businesses. I know, you’ve heard it before, but I found this great video by Michael Gerber, Author of the E-Myth that I think really speaks volumes to this conversation.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdKUxYDZeTQ&w=560&h=315]

    After watching this inspiring speech, I dug further. Further into our restaurant industry leaders. Just a couple of them; ones that we all know. And boy, did they suffer in their humble beginnings. Here is a small tidbit on Ray Kroc’s early business “surprises”. I love the way he almost went broke at the beginning. Why? Because I have been there myself on more than one occasion.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iOpV26WRxQ&w=420&h=315]

    And so, I continue down my path of trying to learn more about the early days of the food business. I was recently in Kentucky, and I felt that I had to visit the grave of Harlan Sanders. I’m not sure why, but I just felt compelled to pay my respects; So I went. Here’s a photo of my visit.

    It was interesting to see that others have been to this gravesite. And to pay their respects, if you look closely at the photo, you will see that fans actually leave Heinz Ketchup Packages organized in a row on his tombstone. Heinz ketchup packages? I wasn’t sure what to think at first, but then I realized that when you are part of pop culture, you influence young people too.

    I started thinking more about what it must have been like in the early days of these entrepreneurs. How did they get up each and every day and fight the battles they needed to fight to get through. Well, they just did. They didn’t think about it that hard. They just did what comes natural to them. What they thought was right. Were they always on track? Were they always correct? No. Certainly not. But no matter.

    But what all of us entrepreneurs share is a common belief that we are adding value. That we are innovating. That we must dig in deep to our will to survive. I love this video of the history of Harlan Sanders:

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNbqa0M9pk&w=420&h=315]

    This video reminds me to never give up. It just doesn’t matter what the competition is doing. It only matters that you just keep going. Pick a direction and keep going. It might not be the right direction, but that’s ok. At least you picked one.

    In the end, for me, it always comes down to the leadership. It’s about being firm. It’s about being clear. It’s about finding people that are smarter than you to work with you. It’s about being fair. It’s about being kind. It’s about being generous. It has everything to do with the people you surround yourself with.

    If Ray Kroc and Harlan Sanders were alive today, I would be trying my hardest to show them just how catering, and following my “turnkey system” of strategy, education and software can change their modern day business. I know what you are thinking. “Erle, if you are so sure, why don’t you just call up the current leaders of today’s brands?”.

    Well, I have been and I will continue to do so. Many are listening, and many are working with me. Experiencing success with these turnkey systems.

    So, as the world turns tomorrow, I am building my business to grow! What about you? Focus on what’s right in front of you and just keep going.

  • Paul Mangiamele – A Magician and A Leader!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq2GGf1EBZw&w=560&h=315]

    I love working with Paul and his team at Bennigan’s! Not only are they enthusiastic, but they are thoughtful, generous and hard working. Each and every one of them. An amazing group of people with focus and passion.

    Paul has a lot on his plate these days. Aligning his organization, servicing franchisees, doing his best to make it all come together.

    I know from experience. Turning around a brand and then growing it again takes a very special kind of heart, soul and attitude. Attitude! The right kind of attitude. Thick skin. Tough chin. And a never ending drive to succeed.

    I have been watching Paul and his team for the last year, systematically attacking every aspect of the Bennigan’s operation. Not only are they solving real business issues, but the innovation coming out of this group is nothing short of fantastic! New ideas, new initiatives, new everything! And the pace is furious.

    You might think I am being partial because I have a vested interest in the Bennigan’s success story as their catering solutions partner. However, it is not that way. I would tell you honestly if they were failing.

    So, it is with sincerity that I write this; I mean it. Paul is a Magician. And his team is growing, they are flourishing as individuals. I am watching with my own eyes as he is winning people over. One by one. Yes, the people. If I were a betting man, I’d bet on this team any day.

    The reason this is happening is because the results are shining through. True results! He knows his business and it is amazing to watch him do his magic on the Bennigan’s Brand. It just comes down as a lesson to all of us. It’s all about being a good operator. It’s doing the little things every single day. So, to all of you out there…. Roll up your sleeves and find what inspires you. But remember to look after everyone on the way… they will serve you well if you do! Just ask Paul.

    Paul, thank you for giving me permission to share this Video regarding your catering vision. It’s a beautiful thing and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work on your catering business with you. The video came out well, because of the deep belief system your team has and the generosity and trust that you have afforded my team to provide you with services; including the making of this video.

    You just can’t capture this kind of culture unless it is real. Job well done! For those of you that have not tried it yet, order catering from Bennigan’s in Chicago to get a flavour of what is ahead for this brand. We’re just getting started!

  • Louis Basile – “We Change Lives, Create Traditions, Build Community and Feed The Soul With Passion, Every time, Every Day”

    I’ve really been getting great feedback from so many of you on my posts about leadership stories in our multi-unit restaurant community.

    Thank you to those of you that have given me the great feedback. I am very grateful to be able to get the opportunity to do the work I do, and it really makes me happy to hear that many of you are enjoying these little vignettes that have been popping out of my head lately.

    I meet so many great leaders in our industry. For me, that is the best part. The people. Not just our leaders, but all of our community. The people that work so hard every single day to make our customers happy.

    So many of you are doing such amazing things, and many of your important efforts and stories get lost in the noise of our daily twitter feeds. And so, as I feel moved by many of these great stories, I want to continue to re-purpose the hard work of the leaders in our community, to re-enforce their great work. To create more celebration, more learning, more visibility.

    In keeping with this spirit, I want today’s spotlight to focus on an amazing leader that I have been fortunate enough to get to know through our industry conferences over the years. I have been learning more about the career of Louis Basile, the CEO of Wildflower Bread Company and the more research I do, the more I learn about how amazing he really is. He makes it all about people, all the time. Louis has a true ability to connect with people. He inspires. He builds belief systems. He makes the impossible actually possible. He pays attention. He gets things done. He gives ALOT to our industry.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LwJCEN6D28&w=560&h=315]

    Louis is an entrepreneur. He understands that we are in the hospitality business. He observes, he engages, he looks at you, he listens. Louis is one of the best communicators out there. He is passionate, thoughtful, kind, generous and works hard every day at being a great leader and person. He has vision. He dedicates his life energy to things that he feels are important. He wants to make a difference. It’s genuine.

    I decided to write this post today, because I found this great video presentation that he did awhile back, not on any purposeful project, but just by browsing our industry trades.

    I believe, like all great leaders, that Louis Basile is a lifelong learner. I love that about him! He tells you like it is, pushes your limits, but does not ask anyone to do anything that Louis himself would not do. He is a student of all things living. All things important. At the same time, he will never admit it. He’ll call bulls**t on you every single time; every single time. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, experienced it on the receiving end. He does it because he cares. He cares with all his heart.

    I have had the great pleasure of experiencing Wildflower Bread Company, but even more pleasurable than that, for me, is the time that I have had with Louis in conversation, debate and consideration on many of life’s issues. He has given me great advice over the years, and knowing what I know about Louis, the advice he gave me is only one of hundreds of little advice nuggets he gives out every single day. To people. People who need it. Because he connects. He has intuition. And he does it because he cares. That’s why he shows up for so many people.

    My favourite part of my job, is that I get to meet and spend time with some really great leaders like Louis.

    Thanks a lot Louis! Great talk in the video above. Really made me want to celebrate you in my blog. Thank you for all you do for our industry. I hope you are ok with me getting this out there. You deserve to be celebrated!

  • Jim Vinz – An Outgoing Bread Head! – Another Great Leader!

    In keeping with my theme of writing about great leadership in our multi-unit restaurant community, I want to take a minute out to celebrate another of our great leaders, Jim Vinz, the outgoing CEO of Corner Bakery.

    Below is a video that I found, which I think really captures the essence of his culture and leadership. Just look at the smiles on his team’s faces and the certainty and confidence in their eyes. This is a team, that under his leadership experienced fantastic growth. He knows how to hire attitude!

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH7rN1cYwGw&w=560&h=315]

    Jim and I had breakfast recently at a Panera Bread and we had a fantastic discussion about our industry. He was so generous with me during our meeting. What strikes me about Jim is his personable style, his dedication to his community and his passion about his people. Jim has so much experience to share, is extremely open to learning and is really just a kind and generous human being. He works hard at resolving the issues he believes in and is a dedicated and trustworthy person. He is committed to No Kid Hungry and single handedly mobilized his people to raise $500,000 towards solving Childhood Hunger.

    Last week, it was publicly announced that Jim is moving on to a new opportunity as Co-CEO of Le Groupe Leduff America. He will oversee La Madeleine, Bruegger’s Bagels, Green Mountain Coffee and Timothy’s Coffee.

    I admire Jim for his dedication to our industry, his willingness to listen and more than anything, his commitment to his people and his brand. (He is leaving Corner Bakery after 16 years!).

    If I were a betting man, I would put my money on Jim any day of the week. Le Groupe Leduff is very fortunate to get a leader of this calibre.

    Good luck with your new venture Jim. You deserve all the success you receive.

    Thanks for squeezing me in for our breakfast meeting last week an I hope we get to “Get Catering and Grow Sales!”

    I should be so lucky!

  • Using Video as A Tool inside your business – External and Internal

    It’s been three years since I started using video as a medium for MonkeyMedia Software. You can find many of them on our Youtube Channel.

    As many of our friends know, we love video at Monkey. But, like every asset and project, there are always ones that end up being lost in the noise. So, I thought I would put a couple up here, just for memory sake.
    The one I like most, of my videos, for the purposes it was designed for, is this one:

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdO1JIxlBb8&w=560&h=315]

    That video was one of my first ones. It was fun and new. But, like anything, doing video is an iterative process. You need to just chip away at ideas, day in and day out. By doing that, the good ones stick to the wall.

    Once I got the “video bug”, we started using it in our service work. Trade shows, franchise conventions, strategy sessions. By far, the one that was the most fun last year, is the same one that has more than 25,000 views! We are proud of that! Just shows you, people just want to have clean fun; all the other stuff is just small stuff. Good lesson for us in this result:

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlt26FeUglM&w=560&h=315]

    We are using video for our clients now. As part of our strategy services, we have been making relevant and focused videos for our customers to capture their catering vision, culture and passion. Our customers then use it for internal marketing purposes, to get the catering message out to their troops. From there, training and systems take into effect, and off they go down the path of catering success.

    I share this with you, because it has been extremely powerful. Feel free to use the idea in your business. Video is the way to go in all parts of your business.

  • $3000 of Catering Sales before 11am!

    It’s so amazing to watch like minded people execute a business strategy you both agree on! I guess that’s why we do business with those we are aligned with.

    Last week, as I was visiting customers in the field, I was blown away by the execution of more than $3000 of catering orders before 11am.

    They were masters! I felt like I was watching a “catering symphony”. There was a conductor and an ensemble of 4 other instrumentalists.

    20120126-064536.jpg

    20120126-064650.jpg

    What’s so fantastic here is the passion, the energy and the high expectation of flawless execution that resonated through the one location. Thing is, this client has 120 of these locations.

    I intend on visiting all of them soon. What amazing leadership this client has in place. Their catering operation is slick! And fine tuned.

    The attitudes are superb and they are celebrating success every single day. This is a well oiled catering machine and because of that, they are owning their markets, in catering.

    Strategically aligned, well defined and an investment into education and systems.

    Sound familiar?

  • The CEO that kicked my butt this week!

    I woke up today feeling so grateful to one very important CEO in our community (he will remain nameless). Why am I grateful? Because he took the time to read my book and dove deep into a conversation with me.

    He was gentle, professional and kind in his approach. However, He went out of his way to tell me that he really loves the work we are doing and because of that, he cares enough to challenge my organization on our business logic and premise that we have put forward in my new book.

    His focus was that although he appreciates the passion and enthusiasm we have in our space, he felt that we needed to do more work on the data to substantiate our claims, in my book Get Catering and Grow Sales!

    20120125-091110.jpg

    He was sincere, tough and firm and in no way, shape or form was he going let me off the hook. He kicked my butt! And boy, did I need it.

    We all need direction as business people. We all need our compasses and we all need to listen to what other really smart people tell us. But it takes more.

    To really perform, to really succeed, we MUST take action to satisfy CEO’s like this man! I have made it my personal mission for 2012 to not only satisfy this great leader’s hunger for more data, but I pledge to slam dunk this needed data for our whole industry. I have started that ball.

    So, to this great man, I want to say thank you for helping to keep the conversation alive. More importantly, thank you for caring enough to kick us in the rear so that we can be better in the end.

    I am forever grateful. Hey, CEO Man, thanks for caring enough to kick my butt!

    20120125-092436.jpg