Who Are You Anyway?

"The world stands aside to let anyone pass who knows where he is going." David Staff Jordan, ornithologist.

Just a few short weeks ago, my wife and I were treated to a wonderful steak dinner out at a local steakhouse – Wildwood in Geneva. I have to mention that I have eaten here about 10 times now, and the experience has always been the same – extraordinary! The place was packed. We arrived at 6:30 and stayed until after 10, and hardly a table sat vacant for more than 5 minutes. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here I am an “industry insider” familiar with the many tales of woe from operators complaining that they can’t get people into their restaurants, and I struggled to wrap my head around the fact that the restaurant with its $40 average entrees is enjoying a packed house on a Friday night. Don’t let my wife know, but I tuned out of most of the conversation as I wrestled with the age old question of WHY?! A number of things sprung to mind about their success in this allegedly down market, and I would like to share a few of my realizations with you.

The first, and I believe the most important, thing is that they understood who they are. They had a clearly defined image of who they are and who they are trying to be. Without talking to anyone there, it was easy for me to recognize that they want to be the best steakhouse on the map. Someone told me once that if I don’t know where I am going, chances are that I won’t get there. Do I really have to explain how true that simple statement is in business, in the car or in life? We have to have a clearly outlined purpose for who we want to be as operators. In my position, I get to interact with a whole bunch of operators. Remarkably, very few have an identity and a goal that they are striving to achieve outside of running a profitable business. In my opinion, too many operators stray from their identity to try to appease every potential diner even if it compromises their vision. Wildwood doesn’t throw dishes on to their menu haphazardly to try to lure that one diner away from the place next door, they stick to their guns and put new items that fall in line with their identity and present them without compromising quality or image. They know who they are and figure that if the put options on the menu that make sense and stay true to their goals, they will continue to win new customers.

The second thing that struck me was that they were uncompromising on quality. This attitude reinforces their desire to be the best steakhouse on the map. They don’t cut corners or look for items that are merely passable. They provide the best for their customers. They have faith in their product and sacrifice nothing to try to provide the best dining experience for their patrons, and they aren’t afraid to charge them for it. They appear to be interested in making money at the front door rather than saving money at the back door. As a result, each time I have eaten here, the food has been consistent. The snap of the veggies, the quality of their meats, and their desserts….it has a quality that never wavers. They know that if they put an excellent meal on the table, their patrons will be willing to pay for it.

The third and final thing that I couldn’t help but notice was the room and the quality of the staff. The room was fantastic – clean, updated and taken care of….just like the rest of the experience, their focus was on providing the best atmosphere for their patrons. The wait staff was fantastic. They were pleasant looking and ready to do whatever they could to insure that we – the diners – had a dining experience that was top rate from start to finish. The management team at Wildwood had done and excellent job of communicating their vision to their employees. The employees have embraced it and made it their own as well. The staff was going the extra step to keep the place neat, the customers happy and to make each experience a memorable one. Consequently, the bathrooms were clean, the service was quick, the servers were pleasant and from top to bottom it was an excellent experience.

While it may be just a little slower out there, people are still spending money in this economy, they are just being choosier about where they spend it. My experience proved it, and I want you to share in the same success that Wildwood is having. They have positioned themselves as a destination restaurant by first understanding who they are and where they want to go. Next they are uncompromising on quality and serve nothing but the best in food. Finally they hire smart and keep the facility looking fantastic. By keeping those three simple ideas in mind, you too can keep your house full each and every night of the week.