The Return of The Little Guy
©Henry Blaszek
(The Restaurant Medic)

As we enter the third year of the 21st Century, independent foodservice operators find themselves with a unique opportunity to recover a share of the clientele they lost in the past to regional and national chains.

The United States witnessed some amazing things since the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1999.  Of course, one of the biggest has been the change in our attitudes since September 11, 2001, when an unbelievable tragedy left us as modern Americans suddenly reevaluating such once taken-for-granted concepts as safety, security and patriotism.  The entire nation witnessed the millions of "hard-nosed" New Yorkers turn into a caring neighbors, and how the entire country joined together to help each other in a time of need - not because they had to, but because they wanted to. 

Today, although the tragedy is behind us, the attitude remains.  This adjustment has affected much more than the economy, it has changed our daily lives right down to how we eat, sleep and breathe - therefore to adapt to these changes as a business operator, you must address this new attitude in a way that makes sense to the newly "awakened" consumer.  For the first time in recent memory, consumers have indicated that they do actually care--they care about where they live, where they shop, where they eat and even who they trust. 

As an independent foodservice operator trying to recover from two years of poor business performance, you may not have the time to stop and think why your customer counts are down because you are too busy trying to stay afloat.  But if you just stop and look around, you will discover that the answer to your problem may be in the eyes of every one of your guests.  Offering your guests the things they "expect"--like good food, good service and fair prices is a good start, but the key to success is to offer them the things they "need".  Things like sincerity, friendship, kindness, and an atmosphere that provides a sense of security and safety.  Surveys taken across the country indicate that while the "average consumer" has still dines out frequently, they prefer to do so in places they know well or where they feel safe--places close to home.  What does that mean to you?  It means that as a neighbor, a friend and as an independent operator that your guests can identify with, you can offer them something that the faceless chains can not--you!  It is time to take advantage of being the little guy, time to emphasize the value of being someone your guests know and trust. 

As we boldly enter this new year it will be very interesting to watch how the industry experts try to "cure" the problems that have shaken even the foundation of the world’s largest fast food operators. It will be exciting to watch as "fast food" begins its transition "fast-casual dining" - which is basically another way of saying that the concepts are returning to their hospitality roots - concentrating on the comfort of the guest verses treating them like the faceless crowds that build their empires. Perhaps their multi-million dollar adverting budgets and "we care" marketing campaigns will convince people that everything is "OK" But on the other hand, perhaps this year we will see the number of independent operations succeed, as people turn back to the "Mom & Pop" operations for that little something they need - like friendship & trust.

It is time to quit trying to "gimmick" our way back into our guest's good grace. Today’s consumers have evolved past the point of running to our facilities for a toy, or meal in less than 2 minutes.  Today they want the entire package, and most of all they want to "feel" the experience.  In the past, independent operators were always looking to the larger regional and national operators for ideas on how to give their guests what they want.  Now the industry seems to have come full circle and it is the chains that are looking to the independents for how to make their guests "feel" more at home.  As these giants stumble from department to department, trying to figure out how to incorporate "comfort" food back into their operations, independent operators can use their smaller size and "neighborhood" charm to rebuild their local market and regain some of the market share that they lost in the past.

Obviously the business managers and accountants will argue that a friendly smile, a great meal and a sincere thank you will not solve all the financial problems that face the industry, but I think it’s a darn good start.  The "experts" would have us believe that the key to success is something much more complicated, something that takes years of education and experience to even begin to understand.  They use industry jargon and mission statements to explain the same thing over and over again.  They evaluate, they analyze and they poll, they test demographics and they test psychographics; in fact, they have made careers out of testing--so it really does not make much sense for them to admit the answers we are all looking for may just be the things our friends have told us for years as they smiled and thanked us for being a great friend and host. 

Questions regarding any topic.  Feel free to contact me, Mr. Henry Blaszek by sending an email to: The Restaurant Medic