Purpose: “The value of your company is driven by your company’s values”
Profits: An index of Conscious Capitalist firms—companies that focus on bringing value to all stakeholders—showed the companies far surpassed others in ROI. Something to think about
HR: Establish a fund for employees to donate into to help support other employees in need
Purpose: “Think beyond what’s best for the organization... to what’s best for someone else.”
Marketing: Consider a marketing message about your concept’s core values or character, not its product line or LTOs
Marketing: Who said a customer loyalty program has to consist of interaction between the business and its patrons? Consider finding a way to enable customers to speak with one another
Marketing: Consider giving your best customers a sneak preview of new menu items, so they feel they’re in the know
Sourcing: Once you’ve outlined what your restaurant’s values are find suppliers who share them
Planning: If you want a company that’s going to last, think less about short-term gains, and more about long-term goals based on your company’s values
Marketing: Conscious Capitalism shows that when you connect with customers based on shared values you are more likely turn those customers into evangelizers for your brand.
Purpose: “One pizza chain in Portland, Oregon, trying to save the world means squat”
Values: Give employees a couple of hours off each month to help build a park or participate in an educational program or other volunteer effort
Values: A commitment to transparency in business engages employees, customers and the community at large
Menuing: With beef prices rising, consider some non-traditional steak cuts, like the baseball and bavette, cut from the sirloin
Purchasing: Look to your suppliers for more than products. At Couer d’Alene Casino Resort, the broadliner worked with the chef to install a dry aging room
R&D: Don’t discard ideas that didn’t work at first. Create an “idea library” and revisit it often
Sourcing: A network of farmers in the Midwest formed an aggregation and marketing company to get local produce to restaurants. Weekly availability lists are emailed to chefs for pre-ordering
Equipment: Many restaurants are using iPads as digital menus and wine lists. But in one pizza concept, the tablets act as modern jukeboxes, create guest interaction between tables, and more
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