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Winner's circle: in a roundtable discussion, top scorers in Consumers' Choice in Chains talk candidly about what it takes to succeed in the restaurant business.

Article Excerpt
Successful restaurant operators are born to play the game, looking for every chance to seize opportunities and turn them into business advantages, even--or especially--if they come at the expense of competitors. Whether in the form of a new menu item, an ace manager, a proven training program or benefits package, operators are keen on finding points of differentiation, anything that widens the distance between themselves and the chains that lag behind.

But they also like to trade stories about business, the industry and success--especially with competitive colleagues. This was very much in evidence during a roundtable chaired by Editor-in-Chief Patricia Dailey at R&I's Consumers' Choice in Chains event, held in September. Edited highlights of the dialogue follow.

Patricia Dailey: Reputation was a new Choice in Chains attribute, joining such others as food quality, service, cleanliness and value. So for the first time, restaurant-goers rated your brands' reputations. How do you evaluate and manage it?

Roberto DeAngelis: Given what we do in our jobs, it's easier at our level to understand what a reputation is. With that, it is important to tell our employees who deal with our guests on a day-to-day basis what it means to have a good reputation. We ask them, "Have you ever driven what you think is the best car in the world? If you could afford it, what car would you buy?" Sometimes it's a Lamborghini or a Bentley.

Well, if you have never been in it, how can you say it's the best car in the world? That's where reputation comes in.

Dailey: Is reputation an offshoot of brand identity?

Howard Gordon: I think so. When you walk into a restaurant called The Cheesecake Factory, and the first thing you see is a bakery with cheesecakes that weigh seven pounds, you know it has to be all about reputation. For us, it is making sure our guests get an experience that makes them want to come back.

Several things are central to who we are. One is great location, two is easy access, three is having a menu with something for everyone, four is appreciation of guests--that is a big thing. But also, as Roberto [DeAngelis] said, we try to make sure our staff understands our reputation and communicates it to our guests. We want them to have the same feeling.

Anthony Lovely: I think reputation is what our guests say back to us--in their words. When I joined the company, I called my 22-year-old daughter to tell her I had taken the job. The reputation came back loud and clear. She said, "Dad, that's fantastic. I would have been a vegetarian if not for Ruth's Chris." That's part of a good reputation.

Geoffrey Stiles: You must have a reputation for the quality and service you provide...