DALLAS —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Now is the time to scrutinize all aspects of a business and seize opportunities in such areas as lease negotiation, menu development and building design, panelists said during a session called “Find New Opportunities in Tough Times.” —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“We have heard that we are in unprecedented economic times, [but] with that comes unprecedented opportunities,” said John Namey, director of real estate for Firehouse Subs, based in Jacksonville, Fla. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Namey, who has overseen the addition of more than 200 units to the now-370-unit Firehouse Subs chain since joining in 2005, urged attendees to arm themselves with information about their businesses in order to have more leverage in lease renegotiations. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“Go in fully armed, and have your facts ready,” he said. “It can be a hard thing for operators to share their numbers…but you’re here for survival and you should have all the answers [to landlords’ questions.]” —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Specifically, operators should show recent sales trends, information on the local economy, cost-cutting measures already in place and up-to-date business plans. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Noting that the landlord-lessee relationship is a “partnership,” he said operators should also feel comfortable requesting relief through reduced rent, caps on charges for common areas, financial assistance for marketing efforts or reduced administrative fees. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
At 215-unit Noodles & Company, the opportunity lies in menu-related innovations that make the chain more convenient and user-friendly for customers, said chief executive Kevin Reddy. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“There’s a saying, ‘Cook. Do. Fix.’” He said. “If you can cook it yourself, do it yourself or fix it yourself, you’re going to. So you’ve got to create reasons for people to come to your restaurant.” —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Those efforts include a line of Take & Bake pastas designed to be cooked at home, an iPhone application currently in test that would allow customers to place orders and even the possible addition of sandwiches to capitalize on consumers’ desire for portability. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Anita Jones-Mueller, founder and president of Healthy Dining, said that by offering nutritious dishes operators can not only stay ahead of the healthful-dining movement, but appeal to diners and minimize the effects of new laws and activist attacks. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“[Being proactive] puts the restaurant industry in the fore-front, so it doesn’t become a blame game,” she said. “You can focus on news of a fat tax, soda tax, and more, but I think it’s more exciting to tap into the culinary brilliance of the industry and see what chefs can come up with.” —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Fred Thimm, president and chief executive of the restaurant division of Al Copeland Investments, said a close analysis of his company’s Copeland’s Restaurant of New Orleans chain, revealed untapped potential through a streamlined design. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
The new prototype cuts the average store from about 7,300 square feet to about 6,100 square feet, but still maintains around 220 seats, which is comparable to the old model, Thimm said. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“You often find that smaller restaurants lead to smaller [unit volumes],” he said. “Our goal was to develop a smaller prototype without scaling back the top line.” —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
Regardless of where chains find chances to cut costs and increase operational efficiencies, panelists agreed that the diner experience must never suffer. —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.
“It’s a more discerning guest,” Reddy said. “You can’t make the mistakes you once could without losing a customer.”— [email protected] —Amid cautious optimism that economic woes may be easing, speakers at the recent Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators conference had one message for attendees: Don’t just sit back and wait.