A New Restaurant

I was watching the Major League American League playoff game between the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees.  As I was watching, it struck me that most restaurants are a lot more like the Indians than they are the Yankees.

The Yankees are a ball club with the resources to field a team that is in the running for the championship every year.  They have the highest payroll in all of baseball.  When something they are doing isn’t working, they spend the money to fix the problem.

The Cleveland Indians have a payroll that is less than one-third what the Yankees spend.  They built their team slowly, developing the talent in young players that are now competing against one of the most successful ball clubs in baseball history.  They have had to spend their money carefully, with a lot of thought going into every move they make.

Most new restaurants, like the Indians, have limited budgets to work with.  You don’t have the resources to be able to spend your way to success.  Decisions have to be made on which type of advertising to use.  You need a new sign that is more visible from the street, but you also need anew broiler, and you don’t have the money to buy both.  It’s something you have to deal with every day. With a little more money, you could_____ (fill in the blank).

You make decisions that you think are best for your restaurant.  You rely on a great management team that can develop your talent, and you slowly build your business.  Over time, with good investment decisions, your business grows, and maybe, one day, your restaurants name gets mentioned as one of the best.