Success in the restaurant industry revolves largely around anticipating the unexpected. For many operators, handling the larger-than-normal lunch rush, the party of 16 that walks in the door at 7 p.m. and the employee who doesn’t show up for a shift is all part of a regular day’s work.
But there are some events that throw even masters of anticipation off kilter and undermine the best-laid business plans. A bullet that strikes a guest, a malfunction at a treatment facility that contaminates the water supply or an ill kitchen worker who sickens others are just some of the unpredictable events that can siphon a restaurant’s fortunes and can make operators feel relatively powerless to help themselves or their businesses.
In this special report, titled “Making Lemonade,” the editors of Nation’s Restaurant News look at how operators have taken control of situations that seem beyond their control and found ways to persevere—and sometimes prosper—in spite of the bucket of lemons they’ve been handed.
From crime, illness and death to less tragic but equally debilitating events like construction and a bad season for a local sports team, each of the following nine stories suggests ways operators can prepare for and make the most of the sour situations they are likely to encounter in the course of their business lives—most often when they least expect it.
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS… Nation’s Restaurant News’ editors, in preparing their reports, asked sources what advice they would give operators to minimize the impact of initially overwhelming situations. Their creative suggestions and proactive strategies appear throughout this special section.
Special Report