Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Positioned within the coronary heart of Portland, Maine, Sur Lie is a James Beard Award-nominated tapas restaurant with a menu spearheaded by chef Mimi Weissenborn, a not too long ago introduced contestant on Bravo’s High Chef.
Whereas Weissenborn takes the helm within the kitchen, proprietor and James Beard Award semifinalist Krista Cole works behind the scenes to make sure a clean service evening after evening. She first opened the restaurant out of her love for tapas and wine pairings, filling a niche she could not discover in Portland. Then, Weissenborn got here alongside and altered the sport. Now, their distinctive dynamic is a key element to their success at Sur Lie.
“[We’re] this unimaginable dynamic duo,” Cole says. “I am very data-oriented, organized and environment friendly, and she or he’s the sensible, artistic mind that comes up with the menu, which is why individuals come into Sur Lie as effectively. We’ve got a very good relationship that manner. As ladies within the business making an attempt to interrupt down boundaries, we concentrate on what we’re each actually good at and learn how to complement one another.”
Associated: This CEO’s Paint-Your-Personal Pottery Enterprise Has 130 Places — However Anybody Can Use Her Suggestions for Making a Buyer-First Expertise
Collectively, the pair has crafted progressive menus and an much more spectacular tapas service. One buyer, Mike C., visited the restaurant on a post-holiday journey and nonetheless remembers his server’s title right now.
“Service makes the meal, and it could break the meal,” Mike says. “Meg — as a result of I do bear in mind her title — she was actually nice, tremendous pleasant, good and informal however skilled. The service that we acquired was attentive however not overbearing. I am not on the lookout for them to return up and verify on me each second, however I additionally do not need to have to go searching after I want them. That is service: studying that data, that have, that know-when-to and when-not-to.”
Cole says she is not positive if the sixth sense for distinctive service may be taught, however she encourages her staff to develop pleasure of their work. She notices a transparent enchancment in service when servers deal with their work as a craft and really feel empowered so as to add their very own private contact.
Associated: Knowledgeable Methods to Add to Your Small Enterprise’s Playbook This Tax Season
It additionally helps to have a passionate chef working the present. “I believe an important factor, too, is [Mimi is] an incredible chief, and that, to me, speaks greater than being an incredible chef as a result of when you’ll be able to lead a staff of individuals and actually encourage in our business, then that interprets into the visitor expertise,” Cole says.
Constructing a dream staff does not occur by mistake. Cole makes use of two hiring techniques to seek out workers who present promise. First, she evaluations the applicant’s resumé and researches their earlier workplaces to know their previous work cultures and see if they might be a pure match at Sur Lie. Second, she asks in regards to the applicant’s favourite office and why, gaining perception into their values and cultural contributions.
From hiring to stock, Cole does all of it, emphasizing the significance of group to remain on prime of all the pieces. Earlier than turning into a restaurateur, Cole labored as a healthcare supervisor and studied entrepreneurship, gaining experience in staff and organizational construction that also serves her right now.
“Having programs and processes in place is tremendous necessary to offering high quality and consistency,” she says. “[That translates into] having your staff actually engaged within the work they’re doing and having the ability to maintain individuals accountable. It must be a well-oiled machine, and there must be very clear expectations and a technique of doing issues.”
Associated: The Coaching (and Enterprise) Philosophy That Units This Self-Protection Studio Aside
With such programs and expectations in place, Cole is ready to defend her restricted time. She owns and runs two different eateries in Maine along with Sur Lie. One thing so simple as creating an Amazon order request kind or making ready a gathering agenda saves her treasured time and ensures she addresses each problem together with her staff.
Studying buyer evaluations is all the time an merchandise on Cole’s to-do record and a vital part of Sur Lie’s well-oiled machine. She appreciates anybody who takes the time to offer suggestions, however she actually takes it to coronary heart when it comes from an area resident.
When she first took over the restaurant Collect, she invested within the model by hiring specialists and sourcing native substances, leading to greater menu costs. “[We were] listening to from the group that it was getting too costly,” Cole says. “We undoubtedly took that suggestions severely since you’re not a vacation spot restaurant in a small city. Often, you are supported by your group and the locals. In order that was one thing that we shifted and tried to make slightly extra approachable for individuals, particularly in a family-oriented group.”
Associated: What Small Companies Can Study from Yelp’s Pattern Tracker
From beginning in healthcare to proudly owning three eating places, Cole continues to steer her entrepreneurial journey with these key classes:
- Choose up transferable abilities alongside the best way. The entrepreneurial journey is commonly a winding street, however abilities from different industries can show invaluable in the long term.
- Take heed to locals. Group is the driving drive behind all native companies. Be sure to hearken to locals and worth their opinions to foster long-term loyalty.
- Get a very good learn in the marketplace. Decide if there is a gap available in the market what you are promoting can fill and assess how one can differentiate your self from opponents.
- Service is a craft. Service leaves an enduring impression, good or unhealthy. Encourage your staff to deliver their very own aptitude to customer support and take pleasure of their craft.
- Defend your time. Set clear expectations along with your staff on when and the way you are accessible. Whether or not it is a kind for stock requests or an agenda merchandise for the all-hands assembly, having a system in place will show you how to work smarter, not tougher.
- Rent to reinforce your tradition. If you happen to do not put money into your employees’s careers, they will not put money into the shopper expertise. Acknowledge their worth and the way it aligns along with your firm tradition.
Take heed to the episode beneath to listen to immediately from Cole and Mike C., and subscribe to Behind the Assessment for extra from new enterprise house owners and reviewers each Thursday.
Editorial contributions by Erin Palmero and Kristi Lindahl
