The Restaurant Success Podcast

It's A Surprisingly Easy Choice: Be Activated Or Average?

• Matthew Mabel • Season 1 • Episode 40

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In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel explores the critical choice every restaurant entrepreneur faces: embracing an activated approach to business success or settling for average results. Discover actionable strategies for restaurant owners looking to elevate their operations, boost profitability, and build a thriving business. Matthew shares insights on what separates successful independent restaurant operators from the competition, covering essential entrepreneurship principles that drive real growth in today's competitive restaurant industry. Whether you're managing a single location or expanding multiple units, this episode delivers practical business wisdom to help you make the choice toward excellence and sustainable restaurant success.


Key Topics Covered

  • The fundamental difference between activated and average restaurant operators
  • Critical decision-making frameworks for restaurant entrepreneurship success
  • Strategies for breaking through business plateaus in the restaurant industry
  • Mindset shifts required for sustainable restaurant growth
  • Practical steps to move from average to exceptional performance


Links Mentioned


Resources Mentioned


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


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 a choice that every restaurant owner faces - whether to be activated or settle for average. I'll share what I'm seeing this year from operators who are thriving versus those who are stuck, and I'll give you three specific areas where you can finish this year strong, and set yourself up for success in twenty twenty-six.

Let me tell you, no one ever came to me and said, "I'm excited about starting a restaurant company - I've always wanted to be average." Still, I see a lot of average companies out there. In stark contrast to those truly activated operators who always become better, lead the pack, and dominate their segment.

So, let's talk about what separates these two groups.

This year, I'm seeing organizations that have increased revenue and profit, improved their service level and the way they relate to guests, and created a fresh new take on their food and beverage menus.

They have a strong sense of accomplishment in twenty twenty-five. I'm also seeing other organizations that are doing the same things they've always done - either intentionally or because they're frozen with fear. They tend to be unhappy about twenty twenty-five.

Now that we're starting the fourth quarter, it's time to work on wrapping up the year strong on revenue, cash flow, and retention. Set an example for what it means to be an activated operator. Nothing will get you ready for twenty twenty-six like having a strong finish to twenty twenty-five.

To help you do this, I'm going to break down three specific areas where you need to focus right now.

First, let's talk about holiday business and social spend. An average operator takes enquiries for catering, parties, and events, and then books them. On the other hand, an activated operator reaches out to their most loyal guests and business contacts and offers their restaurants as go-to places for holiday celebrations or catering.

Go beyond just taking calls and enquiries. Have conversations in your dining rooms and contact your lists of loyal customers. People have a habit of holding their end-of-year celebrations at the places they had the most fun during the year.

The second area? Gift cards.

An average operator knows they can run last year's playbook and do well on gift card sales. The activated operator knows that a gift card income stream has become a steady trend that grows and grows because people identify "experiences" as more valuable than things.

On the other hand, activated operators update strategy and set new stretch goals for gift card sales. They know the comfort of having that money in the bank before Christmas, adding to their cash reserve as they enter twenty twenty-six.

And third, let's talk about how you appreciate your team. What do you do for your staff at the end of the year?

Average operators do the same thing or something similar every year. But at a time when we know improved guest count is connected to employee retention, activated operators think about doing something different and special for their year-end staff celebration.

Often, trading parties at other restaurants, for parties at your restaurant works well and can make for special evenings. The same goes for trading gift cards.

So I want you to ask yourself - do you accept being average? Or do you aspire to be activated? How you approach these components goes a long way toward establishing that.

In the future, I'll have more for you on this subject as we start planning for twenty twenty-six.

Now, this conversation about being activated versus average reminds me of a couple of articles I've written that really connect to what we're talking about today.

The first article is called "Ten Places To Look, on the Road to Twenty Percent Profit." and it breaks down the ten specific places where you can find those gains - everything from guest experience to cost management to employee retention. 

The other piece I want to mention is about menu strategy. We talked about operators who are creating a fresh new take on their food and beverage menus, and it reminded me of one of my articles called "Now is the Time to ReFocus On Your Restaurant Menu."

In it, I share a story about a client whose sales nosedived by fifty percent because their menu was too trend-forward for their guests.

The solution was a complete menu overhaul that turned things around in a big way. Plus, I break down the three things your picky guests want right now - updates to core items, protein-forward options, and zero-proof beverages.

I've put links to both articles in today's show notes. 

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.