No Room for Mediocrity

What possesses people to think because they can cook, they can open a restaurant and successfully operate it? It amazes me this has become an everyday occurrence in all parts of the country. Yet, in some parts of the country it may be harder to succeed than in other areas because of the competition.

Owners need to educate themselves – especially if they have never owned a restaurant before that it takes more than just food to keep customers coming back.

American Idol judge Simon Cowell professes it best when he describes what every winner needs. The "It" factor is something nobody can really put their finger on, or describe, but knows when they come across it.

The same holds true for restaurants. A chef or owner has to have an "it" factor. The successful restaurant screams "it" or else the space will eventually fail. Either the food is tremendous and reasonably priced, the food is outstanding, the ambiance is unbelievable, the service is extraordinary, the desserts superb, or the prices enticing for repeated visits.

Yet, mediocrity across the board, in ambiance, style, service, flavor and choices, is a disastrous recipe for failure that will occur aster than any chef could imagine, especially in an area where competition is fierce.

A newly opened restaurant in Sonoma is a good example of a lack of "it". The owner was a chef at a handful of well-know establishments in New York and Italy, yet his execution on the few entrees we tried was mediocre at best. The ambiance in the newly opened restaurant is nothing special and the service. Although jovial, was hardly professional. What makes matters worse he is more expensive while offering an inferior food product than most of the other highly professional establishments that receive kudos from professional culinarians week in and week out.

Don't take this wrong, I am certainly not out to knock anyone who has put the money on the table to open his own place. Yet, there is a formula that needs to be followed if the investment is to be protected and grown to profitable proportion.

The solution to the problem of opening the mediocre caf? is to do the homework and research that you didn't do in the first place.

There are some simple steps to make success possible.

1. Make sure your quality is better than or at least as good as your closest competition.
2. Keep your prices below the competition until you capture a following.
3. Offer something as a complimentary come on. Joe Rombi, of La Mia Cucina in Pacific Grove offers ach of his customers a house special crostini each evening.
4. Train your staff to keep them focused.
5. Don’t do specials for at least three weeks. If your clientele is new, since you jut opened, the entire menu is special to them/
6. Execute the way you thought you would and do not forget the plate is your canvass.
7. Don't apologize for being understaffed, not ready, or swamped. You opened and the public, although sympathetic expect you do be ready.
8. Make sure the front of the house looks organized. Do not have books piled up in cubbyholes open to the public. Don't tell everyone how hard it was to get open.
9. Act as though you know, as does everyone else you have on the floor and in the kitchen knows what they are doing.
10. Make sure you say good bye to everyone that joined you for dinner.

If you can accomplish the execution of these tips you will be closer to your goal.