How Top Operators Follow Through to Increase Results

In this insightful episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, restaurant consultant Matthew Mabel explores the critical importance of follow-through in restaurant management and entrepreneurship. Drawing from his extensive consulting experience with multi-unit independent restaurants, Matthew examines why many restaurant operators struggle to complete important initiatives and how this affects profitability. Through three recent case studies, he demonstrates how proper implementation of strategic plans directly impacts guest count, year-over-year sales, and bottom-line profits. Restaurant owners will discover practical strategies to overcome fear and distraction—the common enemies of necessary change—and learn how to identify and nurture team members who excel at implementation to drive meaningful business transformation.

Key Topics Covered

• Why restaurant operators often struggle to complete important initiatives
• Three recent case studies illustrating follow-through challenges and solutions
• How fear and distraction prevent necessary operational changes
• Strategies for identifying and nurturing implementation-focused team members
• The importance of balancing incremental versus transformative changes

Links Mentioned

• Restaurateurs When You Want Change, Should You Think Big or Small?
• Restaurateurs – Know How to Show Up and Create Fantastic Results

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.

Today we're going to talk about the importance of Follow-Through in restaurant operations.

We'll look at why some operators struggle to complete important initiatives, examine three recent case studies from my consulting work, and discuss how to overcome the obstacles that prevent meaningful change.

I'll also share strategies for identifying and nurturing people in your organization who excel at implementation.

Some people turn out to be better at starting projects, than finishing them.

I see it all the time both as a student of personality types, and as an advisor of restaurant companies.

Initiatives begin and then get sidetracked when another shiny object, or simply the siren song of day-to-day restaurant operations sucks the attention away.

At other times anxiety related to change causes people to lose focus or, worse, abandon their plans and just do what they have always done.

But having the fortitude, focus, and structure to do the things that matter is the only way to increase guest count, year-over-year sales, and the resulting profits.

Fear and distraction remain enemies standing between you and necessary change. So if you count yourself amongst the restaurant company owners who wonder why it takes them so long to make an impact and improve their condition, I urge you to find people in your organization - or hire additional people - who excel at follow-through.

Let me share three case studies from just this past month that really illustrate what I'm talking about.

In the first case, I sat with a client business owner who had a hard time reaching the end of the implementation cycle on major improvements to their company. So many opinions were exchanged after the plan had already been agreed upon that nobody could clearly remember the original agreements.

So I provided guardrails and focused them - and reminded them about that original agreement. That meant we could attract a new customer which was necessary for the future of their brand.

At another client, I collaborated on a six-month improvement program that touches every aspect of the business: service, hospitality, cost management, profitability, menu and management development. 

The leader there is strong, so I have no doubt it will all happen - resulting in what looks like an additional seven figures of profit in 2026.

Finally, I talked to a partner in a client business that had failed to implement the initiatives in a Road Map I had created with them when they acquired their restaurants in 2023. We decided to take a fresh approach and hire someone new to reverse their negative sales trend - and implement that original plan.

Now, let's talk about the reality of running a restaurant business. You will never finish up your day, leave your office, and truthfully say to yourself, "I have completed everything I could possibly do today, so it is time to go home."

And, you will never walk into one of your restaurants and say with a straight face, "Things seem perfect - we've really nailed it, and I can't do any better."

The value you create comes not in the idea for improvement, but in making it real.

I'm not here to judge you about whether or not you make things real. But I will figure out how to make both my ideas, and yours, happen. You do this knowing that if you stand still in current market conditions - you will eventually realize you are actually going backwards.

Before we wrap up today, I want to mention a couple of my articles that might help you with this follow-through challenge we've been discussing. I've put links to both articles in the show notes of this episode. 

Back in October, I wrote about the choice between making small, incremental changes versus bold, transformative moves in your restaurant. In that piece, I talked about why many operators default to smaller changes, even when bigger moves might serve them better. If you're struggling with implementation, it might be because you're not making moves that are bold enough to really energize your team. 

I also wrote a piece, last year, about different leadership-approaches for getting things done

Sometimes you need to be hands-on, sometimes you need to facilitate others, and sometimes you're best as the strategic thinker who empowers others to execute.

Finding your sweet spot can make all the difference in your follow-through success.

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.