Many people come with preconceived notions and ideas that things have to be a certain way. I have to price my menu a certain way. I have to market like all the other restaurant owners. I have to do things in a professional manner because my restaurant has lawyers as clients. This really doesn’t matter. You need to have an open-mind. You need to open your mind to new ideas.
Consultants will tell you, for example, that you need to keep your food cost at such and such percentage. The reality is there’s no link to having a 30% food cost and huge success in the restaurant business. What you really need to think about is how much can I charge. It’s not necessarily a multiple of what your costs are.
There are tons of preconceived notions – some from the restaurant industry, some we grew up with that we really need to open our mind and test.
Many entrepreneurs have this unquenchable desire to understand things. We need to understand why and if someone can give us evidence why then we need to test it and move forward with it. Don’t let your ideas or preconceived notions get in the way.
Success is an ongoing process. You need to seek out sources and people and ideas to keep yourself moving forward and keep yourself fresh.
Opening your mind up to ideas and testing those assumptions is a huge part of one’s success.
Sometimes when we’re faced with great adversity we’re looking for help, and in turn we’re more humble. When we turn things around and we’re making money, we become less open-minded, less humble, less willing to learn. Don’t lose touch with what brought you to where you are.
You can never have too many ideas for your business. You just need to select which ones are relevant for you. You always need a constant flow of information and ideas to improve. If you stop, your competition will catch up to you.
Be open-minded, willing to learn, prepared to challenge your preconceived myths and notions that you have about this business.
Side Note:
I experienced real success when I opened my mind to the ideas of others and when I finally reached out for help. Once I got over the fact that I do not have all the answers and started talking to other restaurant owners is when it came together. I invested in myself, I got a hold of the best materials at the time, spared no expense since at the end of the day I was investing to improve myself, my business and my family’s future.
I often like to say that I have earned the equivalent of a Harvard degree for the restaurant industry; my wife likes to point out that I have also paid for it. At the end of the day, I still don’t have all the answers but most consider me to be an expert in restaurant start-up and growth. I pride myself with having a ton of answers and the due diligence to research to always find the right answer. When it comes to doing the hard work I have done it and will provide you with all the details of my experience so you can take the shortcuts and the easy road to success.
I am happy to share my experience and let you leapfrog everyone by applying what you learn.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics I present and their link to True Restaurant Success. Please do not hesitate to share - Leave a Comment
I think that taking action in those ideas that are relevant to our Restaurant determines our success over time. I decided I would take one step every single day towards Marketing my Restaurant and testing new ideas as well, and it works. Sometimes we are lazy and procrastinate. I think PROCRASTINATION Kills any Restaurant!…. TaKe AcTiOn ToDaY!!!
@ Dorian Yes, I love that ! TaKe action today!