How Multi-Unit Supervisors Create Better Results

In this episode of The Restaurant Success Podcast, we dive deep into how multi-unit supervisors can transform your restaurant business for greater success. Matthew explores the critical distinction between operators who simply run shifts versus true leaders who continuously improve restaurant processes and systems. Drawing from real client examples, he demonstrates how effective restaurant supervisors should focus on building a better business machine rather than merely maintaining the current one. This episode provides essential insights for restaurant entrepreneurs looking to elevate their multi-unit operations, optimize management strategies, and create sustainable business growth in today's competitive and volatile market.

Key Topics Covered

• The difference between operators and true leaders in restaurant management
• Real-world examples of multi-unit supervision challenges
• Creating documented operating plans tied to measurable metrics
• How supervisors should address root causes, not just symptoms
• Developing a continuous improvement mindset in your management team

Links Mentioned

• Only 3 Worthwhile Places to Look When Developing a Healthy Restaurant Business
• How to Use Your Superpowers to Solve Recurring Restaurant Problems

Resources Mentioned

• Website: www.surrender.biz
• Free initial consultation available

Connect with Matthew Mabel

Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve:

• Profit growth
• Sales optimization
• Guest count increase
• Unit expansion
• Employee engagement
• Brand loyalty

How to Support the Show

• Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and Newsletter
• Rate and review the show
• Visit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to the Restaurant Success Podcast. I'm Matthew Mabel, veteran restaurant advisor, coach, consultant, and speaker devoted to multi-unit independent restaurant unit, profit and revenue growth, internal harmony and ownership freedom and flexibility.

This is your weekly entree of the advice, strategy and tactics that I currently provide to my best clients.

This is your weekly entree of the advice, strategy and tactics that I currently provide to my best clients.

Today we're going to talk about how multi-unit supervisors can create better results for your restaurant business. We'll explore why supervisors need to focus on building a better machine rather than just running the current one, especially during volatile times like these. I'll share real examples from my client work and help you understand what approach might work best for your operation.

Let's start by thinking about the people who work in your company. When the alarms on their phones wake them up every morning, do they feel successful because they run great shifts and have made guests and employees happy?

If so, that's great! - That's a good outcome for operators.

Or does that alarm announce the start of another opportunity to improve your restaurants - and the processes used to operate them - to produce significantly better results? If that's the case, that's an even better outcome for true leaders.

If you want to know more about how true leaders think, I wrote about this in an article in 2022, and I've linked that in the show notes. Do check it out.

Now, when I think about this question, two recent situations with my clients come to mind. At one, ownership had a creeping sensation that operations directors were not doing the right things - with eroding guest experience and profit as the evidence.

At another, where their first ever regional manager had risen from the ranks, the message they sent sounded like, "Just make sure everything goes well." Ownership realized that no one had ever seen a state-of-the-art example of how to do that regional manager job.

So how do effective multi-unit supervisors actually drive better results? Success starts with a documented and transparent operating plan that addresses improvements in all areas of your business. Tie that to metrics that let you know when you have arrived. And then, plan to do even more!

Next, multi-unit supervisors talk about it over and over and over again and measure success constantly with the managers they work with, and at least monthly when they do a one-on-one with their boss.

When an operations director walks into a unit and sees that a veteran server forgets to greet tables quickly enough, they correct that. But until they treat the cause, and not just the symptom, their job remains incomplete.

They then must think about training, education, manager presence in the dining room, what to change to have an ethos of better service, whether the competition does a better job, and more.

A regional manager who sees a slow lunch shift doesn't just think about the weather and make sure someone posted on social media today; they think service and culinary execution.

An area director who reviews their P&L doesn't just take notes on supply costs over budget or a miss on one category of labor; they reflect on the financial literacy of their managers and develop a program to make sure the people who work for them are identifying anomalies in the numbers before they are asked.

It really comes down to a state of mind.

Do your multi-unit supervisors spend their limited time making sure your restaurants run properly, or do they spend their time utilizing their superpower of making them run better than ever?

That's the critical question you need to ask yourself as an owner. Are your supervisors just maintaining the status quo, or are they actively building a better operation? In today's competitive market, you simply can't afford to have multi-unit supervisors just running the machine.

They must be "constantly" improving it.

Let me tell you about how we might work together. I work with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to grow their profit, sales, guest count, and unit count. My unique approach bonds employees and guests to restaurant brands and allows owners to enjoy the freedom and flexibility they have earned.

To schedule a call with me to discuss how to achieve your biggest goals, follow the link in the show notes. The initial consultation is complimentary, and we can discuss which big moves might be right for your operation.

Thanks for listening. If you haven't already subscribed to the Restaurant Success Podcast and Newsletter podcast, please do so, and rate and review the show. Find more information in the show notes at Restaurant Success Podcast dot com.

Also find tons of information you can use in print, audio and video form at my website, www dot surrender dot biz. Thanks again and see you next time.