Donald Burns argues that restaurant improvements require core values embedded in culture, not surface fixes like systems or cost cuts. He says daily language matters: eliminate "hope" and "try," replace them with expectation and action. Values must be actively lived, not posted on walls.
Hi, Donald Burns, the restaurant coach. I want to talk about core values and how critical they are to your restaurant's success. You know, I get hundreds of emails every day from restaurant owners and operators looking for what I call service solutions. So what do I mean by service solutions? That's the type topics that they believe are the issue. You know, what systems do I, you know, do you recommend to get my team to clean and be better organized? What can I do to get this younger generation show up on time and motivated? What can I do to lower my cost? See, the answer to those are just on the surface of what's really happening in your business. You see, if you really want long term solutions, you're going to have to pick up a shovel and dig. Now let me warn you, sometimes when you start to dig, you're going to find things buried that you don't want to see or you're going to hit something that could kind of disrupt your current business model. And for some people, that just scares the shit out of them. You know, maybe your business is doing okay and the thought of change makes you scared because what if things get worse? You know, let me tell you straight up that when you start to change things, change will push back on you and it'll be like a child throwing a tantrum. The safe thing for me to do when people ask me for surface solutions is give them what they want. Give them a surface solution that won't have any long term success because they refuse to dig down to the root of the problem. But you know, if you know me, that wouldn't be in congruency with my core values. See, I'm not into short term solutions. You see every problem. I don't care what kind of restaurant you have or any kind of business you have, problems exist in every business. I don't care if you're a mom and pop local restaurant, a food truck, or a 40 location restaurant empire. Everyone has some issues at some level. And unless you're willing to dig down and uncover what's really going on and get to the root of it and they're just going to keep growing back up to the surface. Sure, we can just pull the weeds as they appear, or we can really dig down and remove them so they don't come back. See, core values are the seeds you want to dig deep for. You want to plant them, you want to nurture them, you want them buried deep in your organization so they grow up and impact everything in your brand. Now core values have to be nurtured just like A living thing, you know, if you plant a seed and pay no attention to it, what chance would you think that plant has to survive? Slim. It's possible, but very slim. That's how many people implement their core values. But, you know, they put up some words on a poster or an employee handbook, and then they walk away hoping that they take root for the team. You know, hope. Just a beggar that prays in your mind. Hope is not a strategy for building a successful restaurant. Let me give you an example. Think of something that you hope is going to happen. Think about how it feels to hope, okay? Now think of that same thing, but expect it to happen. Feel that confidence. Did you notice the difference? The words you use become you. Words have power, and they shape our experience. If you want to change your world overnight, I mean overnight, become aware of the words you use on a habitual basis. Because awareness precedes choice, and choice precedes change. Only when you are aware of it can you make a choice for a better result. Okay? Transforming your vocabulary is one way to take control of your life. I work very, very hard to eliminate the word like hope and try from my vocabulary. And I love to reference Yoda when I talk about the word try. You know, do or do not, there is no try. And so, like, the next time someone on your team says the word try, just throw that Yoda quote out there out loud and just kind of look at the look on their face. It's kind of priceless. All right, so you need to get a shovel, and you need to dig down your core values. Uncover them. And if you need to, you need to plant some new ones now. Take the time to really care and nurture them by, you know, becoming the living embodiment of what they are for you and for everyone on your team. The best example of core values in your restaurant is you. Words are powerful. They're even more powerful when they are backed by action. So take some action and hand it over to my new restaurant Coach University. And check it out. I am putting together the premier online resource for restaurants that truly want to dig down and solve the riddle of what's holding you back.
If your restaurant only works because you work 80 hours a week, it doesn't work.
