Article contributed by Kyle Inserra
When I was in fourth grade, I played quarterback for the hometown pee-wee football team, the Lions. We had a bit of a reputation for having a strong program, and this year was no different. It didn’t matter who we were up against, for 9-year-olds, we had some swagger. We walked onto the field each week knowing we would win.
There was just one problem. We were a bit of a “one trick” pony. You see, Chris, our star player was larger and faster than your average 4th grader, and most (all) of our offense was centered around getting him the ball any way possible. He was our running back, lead kick-off returner, punt returner, and middle linebacker on defense to boot. Our offense should have just basically been called “give Chris the ball”. Now this worked, really well, – until the one Friday night, game against the Bears. I remember like it was yesterday. As I have done a hundred times before, I handed the ball off to Chris – he busted out to the right, down the sideline and was flying, when out of nowhere – a defender hit and he went down out of bounds a nice long gain, but then… he didn’t get up. The coaches came running out as Chris lied on the ground writhing in pain. He kept grabbing his knee and was screaming – this wasn’t looking good for the Lions. The coaches put Chris’ arms over their shoulders and helped him off the field – he never came back. The coach’s face said it all, even at 9 years old I knew he didn’t have a backup plan, and the rest of the team had the same “Now what?” look on their collective face. It was at this moment that I realized if the strength that one player isn’t enough to carry a team. As important as Chris was to our team, equally as important is who replaces him when he’s not able to be there. You need trained replacements in situations like this – you need what coaches call a strong bench.
The same can be said for your restaurant, particularly if you’re looking to add additional units. It absolutely makes sense to take some of the key players from one of your stores, and bring them over to the new shop. If you’ve done your job correctly, those key team members help you “carry the flag” – they know your standards, they have a clear set of expectations, and they have a consistent track record of being able to execute. In fact, I’ll go as far to say that if you can’t move some of your key players to the new store, then you’re not ready to expand. Being overly reliant on one or two key players is not how you’ll build your brand. Your priority should be focused on constantly cultivating from within – make it so ingrained in your culture that it’s seamless. The second the barback shows and interest in a cocktail, show them how to make it – ABT – always be training. In 2008, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tore his ACL in the first week of the season, and although they didn’t make the playoffs, backup quarterback Matt Cassel stepped in and led the team to an 11-5 season. Look, even the Chicago Bulls couldn’t do it with just Michael Jordan – they needed Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant to round out the team. Can you tell I love sports analogies?
At the end of the day, your success has been rooted in the fact that you have delivered consistently, day in and day out – and that is the name of the game. Heck, even Broadway has understudies! The show must go on! Your guests don’t want to walk into something different every time you make a change of staff. If service suffers, or if the food starts to taste a little different – you’re in trouble and will those customers you worked so hard to get, won’t be there very long. You need to be constantly cultivating staff through training and clear, concise communication. The moment you decide that you’re adding an additional unit, communicate that plan to your team, and let them know what this will mean to them and their team. Once you’ve created this system of, you’re on your way to buildings strong bench – the essence of every championship team.
A 18-year restaurant veteran, Kyle Inserra is now part of the national accounts team Sabre Advisors, specializing in the strategic growth and nurturing of emerging restaurant brands. A restaurateur himself (co-founder of Polpettina and LA LA Taqueria), his insider’s perspective of what it means to be a restaurant operator day-in and day-out, allow him to relate to his clients’ ever-changing needs. His expertise includes everything from site selection, lease negotiation, demographic and psychographic analysis, competitor analysis and zoning regulations. Kyle is also the host of The National Restaurant Owners Podcast, a show focused on bringing value to restaurant owners across the country by sharing his insight and experience, with a wide variety of guests. Contact him at https://taplink.cc/kyleinserra
