Podcast: Why Restaurants Fail
Most local businesses do not fail because the owner does not care enough. Usually, it's the opposite. The owner cares deeply. Works constantly. Solves problems all day. Carries the stress home. Keeps showing up.
But bottomless passion is not a strategy. That was one of the things I enjoyed talking about on Keystone: Growth for Local Businesses.
In restaurants, growth is rarely about one big breakthrough. It is usually about getting clearer on the fundamentals:
*What are we building?
*Who are we building it for?
*What systems and processes are essential for success?
*Who owns these systems and processes?
*What does success vs. failure look like?
I have spent most of my life inside restaurants, first in kitchens, later in New York City, and now as the owner of Table & Main, Osteria Mattone, and R.O. Hospitality here in Roswell.
The longer I do this, the more convinced I am that durable local businesses need both conviction and discipline. You need the optimism to believe you can build something better. And you need the operational clarity thrive despite payroll, rent, guests, repairs, vendors, weather, reviews, and the thousand small surprises that show up every week.
Thanks to Keystone for having me on.