How to Clone a Manager for Your Restaurant

By: Lloyd M. Gordon
President, GEC Consultants, Inc.
Skokie, IL 60076

Have you ever said, "Oh I wish I could find a manager as good as I am?' If you have, you aren't alone. A recent study by GEC Consultants shows that a major problem faced by entrepreneurs and chain executives alike is to recruit and motivate managers who will run a restaurant like they actually owned it.

I propose a way to achieve this goal. First detect what qualities successful restaurateurs possess. GEC made studies in 1983, 1988, and 1993 and compiling the results, it appears a successful restaurateur exhibits many of the following qualities:

• Manages people well
• Seeks to sell food acceptable to his/her restaurant clientele
• Has an intense interest in what's going on
• Rapidly responds to effects of competition
• Rapidly responds to adverse economic conditions
• Has stick-to-ivity
• Enjoys learning new things
• Is a good people listener
• Has a good taste in food
• Can select good people with which to work
• Tries to bring out the best in workers
• Is genuinely concerned about customers
• Has a sense of humor
• Has physical endurance
• Has belief in quality over everything else
• Has creativity
• Has patience to deal with customer idiosyncrasies
• Makes every effort to get food to guests as they want it
• Is tuned in to people effectively
• Spends time supervising all activities
• Has integrity and honesty towards people
• Is a good organizer
• Thinks fast on one's feet
• Is dedicated to food service work
• Spends sufficient time at work and spends it well

We found all these attributes in successful owner-operators:

Artistry, loves to eat, stamina, creativity, perfectionism, attention to small details, a good business sense, effective common sense, works well under pressure and reliability. Finally, here are some talents that aid a restaurateur to become and remain successful: Self-disciplined, has employees well trained, follows a predefined action plan and has a flair for preparing food, Also, enjoys marketing strategizing, enforces a good system of controls and leads others toward the well-defined purpose for the organization.

Mimicking successful owner-operators can't assure that a hired manager will be truly successful. But understanding the qualities, attributes and talents that enabled these restaurateurs to become successful and to remain that way, can focus your attention to what you need to seek or create in those managers that work for you. You yearn to clone the essence from all those who have shown greatness in our industry and by doing so create your perfect manager. Using the above information can furnish you a check list to evaluate your management team. Then plan the actions you should take to enable them to achieve greater success within your organization.

Mr. Lloyd M. Gordon, President of GEC Consultants, Inc. has an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has concepted more than 390 restaurants and has been consulting for over 44 years. He helps people enter the restaurant industry, points the way to profitability, and helps keep them successful. To discuss "How to Clone a Manager for Your Restaurant" he can be reached at 847-674-6310.

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