Donald Burns argues that gluttony—endless growth through more menu items, seats, and locations—damages restaurants most. True growth comes from simplifying and improving what you have, not expanding. Ask how do I get better, not how do I get bigger.
Of the 7 deadly restaurant sins, gluttony may be the worst. More sales, more seats, more menu items, more hours, more locations, more, more, more, more. Restaurant owners have been conditioned to believe that growth means adding. Sometimes growth means subtraction. Your 78-item menu is not impressive. It's inventory, it's prep, it's waste, it's training, it's complexity. It's money just sitting on the shelf waiting to die. And that second location you're dreaming about, here's the thing. If location 1 still needs you there every Friday night, you don't need another restaurant. You need to fix the one you already have. Gluttony is consuming more complexity than your system can digest. Stop asking, how do I get bigger? And start asking, how do I get better? Then you earn the right to grow. Hey, grab your free copy of the 7 Deadly Restaurant Sins Make. Just hit the link below.
If your restaurant only works because you work 80 hours a week, it doesn't work.
