A short advisory video by Donald Burns warning restaurant owners about common payroll pitfalls that inflate labor costs—specifically uncontrolled employee scheduling and timekeeping abuse (clocking in early, lingering after shifts). The clip so far frames the problem with vivid examples and a critical tone; prescriptive solutions are expected later in the video.
How to destroy your restaurant. Let your team dictate their schedules. Let them clock in early. Let them ride the clock long after their shift has officially ended. And you've seen this before. They stroll in 40 minutes early for work to get ready for their shift. Then they clock in and then disappear for that 40 minutes. And then when they're supposed to be done with their shift, they kind of just lollygag around for another hour, talking to everyone while slowly cleaning up their station. Your payroll is so high, and overtime is a normal thing, but who cares, right? You're a restaurant owner. You're rich. Just keep those payroll checks going.
If your restaurant only works because you work 80 hours a week, it doesn't work.
