Which Type of Restaurant Owner Are You?
With every restaurant comes different types of owners. Whether you’re about to open a restaurant, or have been in business for a while, chances are you fall into one of these 5 categories. Here are the pros and cons of each and how to make it work for you.
The 5 types of restaurant owners:
The Dreamers are the ones that have always wanted to own a restaurant. These are the folks that either waited tables or bartended when they were younger and had the BEST experience or they LOVE the vibe at their favorite bar and think they can do it the same or better. Either way, they are going into this wide-eyed and wearing rose-colored glasses. They are in no way prepared for the shitstorm that is restaurant ownership. But their determination and connection to their customers will keep them afloat.
Pros: Enthusiastic, will do anything to make the restaurant a success, always has a sunny disposition in front of customers
Cons: Opened a restaurant with little to no knowledge of the industry, works tirelessly to make it a success, easily frustrated, and often feels defeated despite their best efforts.
Advice: Hang in there! You may not have all the answers and I know you’re feeling the financial strain, but it’s your positive attitude that will see you through it all. Try not to get frustrated so easily. You’re still learning that there is a lot that goes into running a restaurant aside from making food and drinks. There’s a ton of paperwork, licenses, deadlines, orders, vendors, staff, scheduling, marketing. And while you may want to try to do it all yourself, there is no way. You will burn out and drive yourself crazy. Try to delegate some of the tasks that you are comfortable teaching someone else how to do. If you can, bring on a marketer to take care of your social media and outreach so that you can focus on all the new traffic coming through the door and making sure you don’t get defeated before you turn a profit.
The Heart says it all. They have a passion for customer service, love all of their guests and the community that supports them. When you walk into this establishment, you can tell they are the heart and soul of this place. It is their pride and joy and nothing gives them as much pleasure as seeing their customers happy. Don’t have enough? It’s on us! Oh, it’s your kid’s birthday? Their meal is free! To them, everyone is family. They don’t run this restaurant to make money, money is a bonus! They run it because it’s what they LOVE to do.
Pros: Always has the customer’s best interest at heart, is in the industry for the people, loves what they do, and always does it with a smile, excellent customer-centric atmosphere, and service
Cons: Would give the house away if it made someone smile, often breaks even because they aren’t concerned with profit, sometimes gets taken advantage of because of their big heart
Advice: You spend all of your time doing for others, it may be time to do something for yourself. Your people know you love them and you need to know that your happiness is probably just as important to them. Don’t be afraid to step away and let others take the reigns. Even though you love what you do, it’s very easy to get burned out in this industry. Give yourself a little time away, even if it is just a small staycation. The business will be there when you get back and your sanity will thank you.
You know the guy! The one who was the life of the party at bars in college and always wanted everyone to have a good time! After graduation, he tried the real-world thing but “Bro, wouldn’t it be awesome if we owned a bar?!”
Pro: Very social and great with guests, works hard to get the job done
Cons: Not a lot of real-world experience when it comes to jobs, opened the bar as a place for him and his buddies (parents most likely investors), thought running a restaurant would be easy but realizing there is a steep learning curve, no consequence if it fails.
Advice: Keep learning. There is so much more to restaurant ownership than the social aspect. You’re getting hands-on training because your people know what they’re doing, but pay attention because one day you will be the one having to teach people how to run your restaurant. Enjoy the success but don’t get caught up in the fun. This is still a business.
The Visionary has rhino vision when it comes to their restaurant. They know exactly what they want and unfortunately, that seems to be all they care about. There is no room for suggestions and forget changing the menu. The concept is genius, the food is brilliant, and fuck you if you don’t see it as such.
Pro: Unique restaurant concept, Interesting ambiance, creative dishes and drinks
Cons: Had a busy opening but no longer seeing customers, lack of compromise creates a difficult work environment, high staff turnover
Advice: Be flexible and listen! You built your restaurant around your unique concept. But you either didn’t look at the market to see if there was a place for it, or you didn’t care. Either way, the novelty has worn off and you’re not seeing any new faces.
It is ok to change. If it isn’t working anymore, reevaluate and start again. It isn’t a sign of failure. Ask the market what it wants. It could be just a small change like more menu items or beer selection will get people in. Or maybe your guests aren’t seeing the value in your offerings. Make them see what makes you special.
Also, listen to your staff. They see that the market isn’t buying what you’re selling. They have first-hand knowledge and insights from the guests. They’ve probably tried to tell you what’s wrong but you’ve been too stubborn to hear it. Listen, and you will learn how to fix it.
The Professional can open a restaurant in their sleep. They have a system, they have a plan, they’ve done the research and they know exactly what to do to get it going.
Pros: knows the industry and market inside and out, this is not their first rodeo, very business-minded and generates large profits, runs a well-oiled machine
Cons: Restaurant can seem a little impersonal, all business all the time, they’re “always right”, can be a little cold or dismissive.
Advice: Keep it up! You know what makes money and that’s what you’re there to do. My only piece of advice is don’t always make it just about the money (I’m not saying you do, I’m just saying I’ve seen it done). You’ve got great people in place and that’s one of the main reasons why your restaurant is a success. Acknowledge that, acknowledge them, stay focused on company culture if you don’t already because that’s what’s going to attract the best people. And remember, you don’t have to be “The Boss” all the time! Relaaaaaax, it’s just the restaurant biz!
I know I’m being a little stereotypical with these profiles, but hey, you stay in the business long enough, you recognize the trends! Hell, I WAS one of these owners (I won’t tell you which one!). But hopefully, if you’re one of these owners you can take the advice to heart. To be quite honest, as times change, we all have to adapt and no one knows the exact formula for restaurant ownership. We’re all just learning along the way.
