Practical thinking for
better-run operations.

If you’re like most business owners, you’ve sacrificed a lot for your company, worked long hours, juggled payroll and vendors, and missed family events. Until recently, the business did OK!

But, today, things have changed.

The past few years have been tumultuous for the business and financial markets. The “Covid Recession” brought with it considerable contraction and upheaval for many companies. An improving economy has posed its own challenges as efforts to shed excess capacity and to deliver have left many business owners unable to meet the rising demand.

You certainly didn’t plan for this to happen, but your business is struggling. . . and the pressure is mounting.

What’s the answer?

A guided turnaround works well for business owners who realize that trying something different is better than continuing on the present course and risking the life of their business.

Status quo — you know — is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in.’
— Ronald Reagan

Before reaching out for professional help, you naturally have questions, such as:

• ‘What exactly is involved in a turnaround?’
• ‘What about my reputation in the community?’
• ‘Is there a proven strategy I can rely on?’

We’re passionate about helping you maximize and solve your financial opportunities and challenges, at an affordable cost and in an empathetic manner.

Our business is your business and we are dedicated to working with owners to develop a specific turnaround plan to get you back on the right track.

The Turnaround Process

A guide to accomplish this is the Turnaround Roadmap. Our experiences are based on our decades of experience of managing businesses through tough times and helping owners revitalize their companies.

The Turnaround Roadmap is particularly effective for business owners who have the following characteristics:

• A strong work ethic and the will to succeed;
• Maturity to know their company needs something other than more money to heal itself and stay healthy; and
• Manage a business with annual revenue of R20 Million to R100 Million.

Our Services

Turnaround Services

• Assessments of problems and development of alternative corrective action plans
• Business turnaround and planning
• Revenue and margin optimization
• Financial modeling and projections
• Cost reductions and downsizing/rightsizing
• Negotiations with lenders, creditors and customers
• Refinancing and capital acquisition

Performance Improvement

• Operational assessments
• Industry positioning
• Marketing plans and margin improvement
• Integration and streamlining
• Productivity improvements
• Product line rationalization
• Cost accounting margin validation

How Does This Work?

When you hire us as your turnaround consultant, we will develop a custom turnaround plan for your business and help you implement it.

• First, we will stabilize your cash flow so we can calm things down with your lenders and creditors.
• Second, we will conduct a series of tests to diagnose your business problems. Based on the results, we’ll recommend solutions, prepare a cash forecast, and develop a written turnaround plan for your company. We have the ability to not only analyze financials but also the operations of the business.
• Third, we will prepare a series of action items and help you implement them as you guide the turnaround to a successful conclusion.

Our turnaround assessments can typically be completed in approximately one month. In difficult cases, additional time may be required.

Turnaround Experience Matters

If you were looking for a medical specialist to treat a life-threatening condition, you’d naturally want one who knows what he’s doing. We’ve been doing turnarounds for a long time and have the expertise and industry credentials to prove it. A long list of clients have successfully turned their companies around and regained their profitability.

How to Get Started

The first step is a complimentary two-hour discussion. This enables you to learn more about the turnaround process and what is involved. This discussion will also allows you to learn more about us and how we can help you.

You’ll know at the end of the call if the chemistry is right and if you want to proceed.

Please contact us to schedule the initial discussion.

Business as usual went out of business a long time ago. And hospitality businesses that do not chance with the times are risking the same fate!

No matter what business you’re in, profit is naturally linked to efficiency. And when restaurants operate on tight profit margins you’ve got to be as efficient as possible, whether that means changing FOH or BOH, or changing your ordering to reduce kitchen costs, cutting labour costs, or establishing a reservation system to prevent diners from no-showing.

There are various methods that you can use to scale your business operations and make it more productive.

One of the easiest ways to get more efficient is by installing an online booking system. These can save you time and money, and it means you’re able to take bookings 24/7. There’s no need to employ someone to answer phones, respond to emails or confirm bookings – it’s all done for you. Many restaurant’s in worldwide are now taking more than 50 per cent of their bookings online, you can literally be taking bookings in your sleep.

Prevent yourself from bleeding revenue, if a diner no-shows on a Friday night, that’s revenue lost. No-shows cost restaurants big money each year, and preventing them is a sure way to keep your revenue rolling. Secure each booking with credit card details to deter customers from no-showing. Restaurants using payment systems have eliminated no-shows completely and this is a sure way to pump up profits.

And that’s just the start. Scale your in-house activity by using technology to your advantage. Become a fully integrated business using a POS system before, during and after service, to deliver a flawless customer experience time and time again.

The industry really has come a long way. But despite all the changes, some things will never change – one thing is and always will be true, your customers are your very best asset. By developing a solid customer database, you can drive revenue and scale your business choices accordingly. Build detailed guest profiles, send targeted messages about upcoming events or specials, nurture and develop a relationship with your database, and turn customers into repeat diners.

Whether you’re a small or large venue, restaurants need to look after themselves and scalability is the way to do it.

 There are and always will only be two ways to increase profits – increase revenue or decrease costs and expenses!!

Every day, as the doors of a hospitality businesses open, opportunities for improvement present themselves.

At Tempchefs, we’re here to elevate your guest experience, enhance your culinary offerings, streamline operations, and fortify your financial standing. With our holistic approach, we address various facets of your business to drive comprehensive improvement.

Businesses evolve over time, influenced by shifting guest demands and expectations. We understand the importance of continuous adaptation and refinement to remain competitive in this ever-changing landscape.

We assess, assist, and advise on existing challenges, equipping you with the tools needed for success. Our services include:

• Business Improvement Strategies
• Financial Turnarounds
• Reconceptionalizing Existing Operations
• Rebranding of Existing Operations
• Menu Development and Redevelopment
• Management Development and Staffing
• Cost Audits and Control Implementation
• Culinary Training & Development
• Temporary and Permanent Staffing Solutions

Solve Problems Before They Arise

Even the most successful restaurants encounter obstacles along the way. Through meticulous operational oversight, we minimize issues and swiftly realign systems when challenges arise.

With a deep understanding of kitchen operations, we approach projects from an operator’s perspective. From conceptualization to implementation, we bridge the gap between vision, financial performance, front of house, back of house, and system integration. Our services include:

• Operational Assessments and Improvement
• Systems Development and Implementation
• Back of House Training and Development
• Front of House Training and Development
• Management Advisory Services

At Tempchefs we’re dedicated to helping you navigate the complexities of the hospitality industry, ensuring sustainable growth and success.

Our consulting chef service offers a comprehensive, professional solution for new restaurants or established ones seeking to elevate their quality. This service includes:

1. Menu Development:
   • Our renowned chefs will craft a bespoke menu tailored to your restaurant’s concept, ensuring it stands out in the competitive market.
2. Staff Training:
   • We provide hands-on training for your kitchen staff, ensuring they can execute the new menu with precision and consistency.
3. Supplier Alignment:
   • Our chefs will identify and establish relationships with reputable suppliers, ensuring you receive the highest quality ingredients.
4. Operational Optimization:
   • Our chefs will streamline your kitchen operations, implementing best practices to increase efficiency and profitability.

Key Benefits:

1. Expertise Without Full-Time Commitment:
   • Your restaurant benefits from the skills and reputation of a top-tier chef without the cost of a full-time executive chef.
2. Enhanced Early Stage Performance:
   • During the critical early days, your restaurant gains credibility and an operational boost through its association with an established chef.
3. Long-Term Sustainability:
   • Our chefs not only set up the initial operations but also leave behind a trained and efficient team, ensuring continued success.

Process:

1. Assessment and Planning:
   • Our chef will conduct a thorough assessment of your current operations and develop a tailored plan of action.
2. Implementation:
   • Over a few months, our chef will work on-site, cooking, training staff, and implementing the new menu and procedures.
3. Handover:
   • Upon project completion, our chef ensures a seamless transition, leaving behind a well-trained team and a streamlined, profitable kitchen.

Conclusion:

By hiring our consulting chefs, your restaurant receives expert advice and a significant boost in quality and reputation. Our chefs bring their expertise and dedication to your kitchen, transforming it into a model of efficiency and excellence, all at a fraction of the cost of a permanent executive chef. This service guarantees a lasting impact, with a trained, motivated team ready to maintain the high standards set by our chef.

All of us in the hospitality industry have a simple responsibility and that is to be a great and gracious host. We are not building bridges or designing software. We are providing a sanctuary for guests and weary travelers, a home away from home or a luxurious escape.

In today’s business environment of endless financial analysis and reports, many in hospitality have lost the simple yet graceful art of hospitality. Most of us are stuck behind desks or in meetings rather than caring for our guests and their needs. Do not get me wrong – you must still pay great attention to the bottom line and profitability of your hotel. All I am saying is that, in many cases, the pendulum has swung too far in favour of financial results and in the process we are sacrificing the human side of our business and the guests experience.

How do we change this?

Firstly, get out of the office. Or better yet, move your office to the lobby or into your reception area.

One of the best general managers I know now spends her mornings working from the PR desk in the lobby. Yes, she has her computer open, but is fully available for guests and team members to approach her with questions or feedback. Staying in the public eye she has absolute awareness of all comings and goings and can ensure that staff is delivering on the promise of great service and in the process she feels the pulse of the people and of the business.

Most GM’s live by a promise of an open door policy, but by managing your day in the midst of the organized lobby chaos, the GM has managed to elevate the art of being a true hospitality leader. The key benefit from this action is that the GM knows of issues before they became problems or negative reviews.

Another great benefit of being in the lobby is that a GM can lead by example. Team members emulate their leaders, and if a hotel GM is constantly stuck in the office with the door closed, what is he teaching staff about the importance of guest interactions. In this sense, staff are deprived of a role model of how to deal with both happy and frustrated customers.

By being present in guest interactions, staff can learn from and reflect how great GMs mingle with guests and enhance the overall experience, and they can therefor act that example out in future.

We understand that the essence of hospitality may be straight forward, but to most of our people this does not necessarily come naturally. The GM and other heads of departments must display the desired behaviours so that staff can emulate and live that behaviour – and this is true leadership.

Building on this, staff must be encouraged to work with guests to address problems and requests immediately. Property leadership must empower frontline staff by permission and protection to solve problems and enhance a guest’s stay on their own. Such interactions will confirm training and improve guest satisfaction as problems will not linger or esculate. And if an associate happens to make a mistake or incorrect call, use that as a point of training. None of us were born with perfect skills, and as long as team members make more right than wrong calls, the hotel is gaining in the long run.

Finally, it is our responsibility as leaders to return the favour of mentorship to our staff and the greater hotel family, and an effective way to do this is to get out of the office and into the hotel. The reports can wait. As GM you should provide yourself as a public and positive role model for your team members by having memorable conversations with guests.

Be the host of your hotel, and then train your staff to be hosts too, so they can lead your guests through an incredible stay at your property, to a great review and to a return visit!

Its not so much about getting a good review in restaurants these days, it’s about not getting a bad review.

Most restaurant guests induce venom into even the most hardened restaurateur as they check out your food, analyse your wine list and critique your service.

Let’s face it, once guests are in the door, there is not a lot you can do about the quality of your produce or the talent of your chef. So let’s concentrate on the things you should – and shouldn’t – do, to pick up those all-important points.

Don’t lie. When the guests asks if you baked the bread in-house, be honest.
Do check that all plates are clean underneath. As you would anyway, of course.
Do check the toilets. Every 10 minutes. All night. More guests have complained about dirty loos with paper on the floor than overcooked steaks.

Don’t panic if something goes wrong. Something will always go wrong.

Don’t panic when guests are not happy. You know what? You’re a pro. Just do what you do.

The way you handle a problem tells guests more than if it had all been plain sailing. Handle issues beautifully, earning your guests respect and loyalty all over again.

In the event of a critical review, don’t take it personally. Take it professionally. Fix the problem. Move on. Get over it.

So now you know!