Digging deep and coming up with a reason for what you do is important. Unlocking that passion not only helps get you through tough days, but it also gives you and your staff focus on what’s important.  

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. – Simon Sinek

Why does your restaurant exist?

If your why is only to turn a profit, you are in the wrong business. As I am sure you know, the margins are super tight. If you are only concentrating on the bottom line, you start making decisions that may affect your why. We see restaurants that fall down the dark hole of chasing the bottom line. They forget their why and start making decisions based on costs by using a lower quality product or scheduling less staff.

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Making a profit is the result of you fulfilling your why. Your why needs to be your focus, your driving force for you and your staff to serve every guest to the fullest.

This is your Purpose, Cause, and Belief.

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Now this is where we lose people because this is work. There is no measurable ROI, but this is an important part of creating your marketing strategy. Think of it as driving your car. When you get into your car you know where you're going. You have a specific direction. If it’s the same place you’ve been before you might not have to think about it; however, if you’re trying to go somewhere new you will need a plan. You don’t just get to an intersection and randomly make a turn, right? If there is a roadblock, you need to regroup and find a way around to get to your destination as efficiently as possible. No matter what gets in your way, you are always heading to your predetermined destination. Your restaurant's main destination is to fulfill your why. Staying focused on why you do what you do fuels your fire even when you want to throw in the towel.

Here is a quick overview using the example of a burger joint.

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Purpose (Mission Statement)

This is what your company does and why it is in existence. It needs to be concise, specific and easy to remember

To provide a uniquely creative burger experience using the best ingredients while providing friendly and efficient service.

Cause (vision Statement)

Your vision statement should be strong enough to drive your goals and decisions for your Restaurant.

Through unique offerings and empowering people to be creative, we bring out the kid at heart in everyone.

Belief (Core Values)

These support the vision; they are your base principles for any decision about moving forward to achieve your vision.

Fun & Quirky – Being different is Okay

Everyone means Everything

The answer is yes, what’s the question?

Take your Purpose, Passion, and Beliefs and Create your WHY SPEECH. This should be in your onboarding packages. You should have it memorized and say it to start your day.

You know that zany friend who’s just totally “real” through and through, who makes you laugh until you cry and is always up for anything and everything, no matter how ridiculous? That friend is the perfect example of what this burger joint is all about. We might not be the most sophisticated burger in town but we want to be the craziest. A place guests can come share a laugh and be a kid again.  A place where the options are endless and the possibilities are infinite, a place where “different” is how we do business. We hold closely the value of being Fun and Quirky. Being different is ok here.

Part of being different is the ability to give people what they want, no matter how unique the request. “The answer is yes - what’s the question?”  This is the mindset of every employee, whether it is relating to a team member or a guest. If we can do it, we will, and saying no takes 2 people. If a guest asks if they can have a fried banana on their burger, you may know that we don’t have bananas. But what you don’t know is that a partner brought one for themselves and they are willing to give it up for the guest. By not saying no right away it gives you the ability to double-check with other team members to see if anyone has an idea on how to say yes and exceed expectations.

We are all here to serve everyone who walks through our doors including each other. We don't have customers; we have guests.  We have invited them into our home and want to take care of them. This is a social visit. Their expectation is to relax and be taken care of. They want to have fun and forget about their troubles. Helping them do that should be our first priority.

We don't have employees; we have partners. We work together and all share in our success . From the person who washes dishes to the owner, all partners are an integral part of our business. We aren’t co-workers. We are friends. And like any great friendship we support each other and work hard at strengthening our relationship so that we can both reach our goals. This is important because people are everything. And every person means everything to us.

People drive this business, and we all need to be proud of what we do and band together to provide A Uniquely Creative Burger Experience.

So how does this relate to your marketing strategy?

Guests visit your restaurant because of something bigger than your offerings. To focus on only marketing your products and services is a huge mistake. When marketing starts from the inside, your why, you will  be able to build a network of superfans. These superfans will believe in your why and help spread the word. Your passion becomes their passion and having an army of passionate superfans will help spread the word to people which most marketing doesn’t reach.

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Now you know your who, and your why, next comes what.

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Happy Emailing  

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Let's have a conversation about your WHY and let's create your WHY SPEECH! Book your free strategy call now.

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