How This Restaurant Owner Earns Respect and Loyalty from Her Employees

Hey there, restaurant pros. It’s David Scott Peters and welcome to episode 62 of the restaurant prosperity Formula. I’ve been coaching restaurant owners since 2003 and the restaurant prosperity Formula is based on what the most successful restaurant owners I’ve worked with do on a daily basis to achieve their success the basic premise of the formula centers around achieving prosperity, freedom from your restaurant and the Financial Freedom you deserve to achieve Prosperity you have to follow a very specific formula made up of leadership, systems, training, accountability and taking action.

I want to tell you about our guest today Gina Sidebottom. Gina’s family has owned Maria’s Mexican Restaurant which was started by her mother Maria in 1992 and is located in Grass Valley in Northern California where they love serving their Community not only great food but great service. Listen in on our conversation where Gina not only talks about her journey with systems and profitability gaining free time but more importantly how she can help you make your team members feel appreciated what she does on a daily basis to make that happen make them want to work for you and stay longer and the Beautiful part about it it won’t cost you a dime.

I want to welcome Gina Sidebottom to the show today. I want to welcome Gina to the show today Gina welcome. I I’m really excited to have you here as people may not know you and.

I just discussed it’s taken me about a year year and a half to get you to do this podcast because it’s not your favorite thing to do is get on a YouTube channel or a podcast to say here let me talk about myself so. I appreciate you very much yeah you’re welcome talking about me. I know I’m aware I’m aware.

I’ve been working here pretty hard now. I have two reasons why. I wanted to bring you on today and the first reason is you know the case study thing hey here’s a member that’s made huge change and we’ll talk about that very briefly but the second reason why.

I wanted to bring you on is you are an incredible Communicator getting the most out of your people you have a A system that you follow to make sure people feel appreciated listen to cared about and that has paid dividends in you being staffed and keeping people for many many years and. I think that’s important today where we have labor shortages and people wonder why people don’t want to work and why managers aren’t communicating with their team very well and that’s really where. I want to focus most of our efforts but to get started do me a favor tell people about your restaurant a little bit about your family history and and and where you’re located well we’re located in Northern California in a town called Grass Valley there’s approximately a little over 13 000 in population um it’s the Mexican restaurant we’ve been in business for 30 years so my mom essentially had started the restaurant um we’ve let’s see have done three remodels currently in the winter time we see it about 179 and in the summer we’re close to about 2 40.

And uh you know the our core values is that we want to bring that home-cooked feeling warm to the bones family style atmosphere and share that with our community and. I feel like we’ve done pretty good having established that well 30 years in business and from the years that I’ve known you little little facts we’ve known each other for many many years in fact we worked together at my old company where your mother and your brother came to one of my three-day workshops we’ve kind of dabbled in my old company when. I had the software on and off but we started working back together after years of knowing each other and and still staying in communication that in November of 2020 with the pandemic and everything that was going on there were new challenges for restaurants and it was kind of your wake-up call and time to say hey we need to really take this seriously can you talk a little bit about what was going on at the time and why you reached out uh to kind of start to work at work together again because we had done it before but it really didn’t stick yeah so for the last 12 years.

I essentially have been running the restaurant without my mom really involved and uh since covid hit it in it just really became evident that. I can’t something’s got to change we’re either going to end up closing our doors um you know the restaurant where we can only do take out um how are we going to generate this money we have a whole bunch of employees what do we do and um this is a whole new Arena that nobody has ever been in and how we would do pricing on a menu is we’d just pull prices out of you know off our foot and go okay.

I think we should charge 20 bucks for this and then maybe this will help with the labor and how much we’re keep you know paying our employees and we can’t you can’t operate business like that any longer and so um. I was watching actually your YouTube videos and trying to get as much information as. I could which is all great but.

I need did something more. I needed your brains to help me um navigate what we were in essentially and so. I called you and um it was actually peace of mind hearing your voice because you’re so enthusiastic and you hold you held me accountable just out of the kind of that first interview and how it felt David is that even though.

I called you it was like you were interviewing me because you wanted to find out where you know what’s my thinking where do. I want to go what are we doing now and so. I think it was a good like is this are we going to be a good Mutual fit for one another because you you know you’re gonna hold me account and you want to make sure I’m going to do what you say and.

I didn’t want to put us in a situation again where we’ve again on and off work together in the old company again that was software driven so it’s a little bit different but they still had you still had me as a coach. I didn’t want to waste the money. I didn’t want to put you in a spot where you weren’t ready to take action because that’s the most amazing thing for a lot of people they don’t understand you can’t be ready for this kind of change until you are ready.

I can’t make you ready. I can’t shake you. I can’t yell scream get your enthusiastic or whatever you can buy into the idea of change but to actually implement it it’s not the easiest thing in the world to do.

I say it plainly:. I create work and then the biggest thing is the culture change you know it’s we’re going to do things differently and people going wait wait you don’t understand we that’s not how we do it you go no no now there’s change coming and it’s uncomfortable but it can truly make a difference and. I kind of want to fast forward this a little bit and and and in a moment I’ll ask you to kind of share maybe some of your unexpected changes uh that you that you got from working together but to summarize you made a lot of change one of the biggest changes you made was following my new program and.

I realized that you needed an implementer you’ve got Emily who came on as a manager in your in your helping you on this journey and made her way to general manager, but she was your implementer somebody who gets shit done and how important that extra person is as entrepreneurs we have so many things to do to operate the business from making payroll to marketing to uh accounting and you name it and so having an implementer was huge for you with that said In a year’s time you made incredible progress and if. I may I’m going to share some of your numbers when when you first said hey we didn’t know if we’re going to close our door.

I want people to understand you are a three million dollar business. I mean this was not it’s not a mom and pop little little Taqueria that that doesn’t have volumes you are staple in the community people come back to you each generation after generation after generation and so it’s a three million dollar business in 2020 you know you finished a a year and well quite honestly it struggled it may have been in the in the red or slightly in the black but 2021 after implementing the systems having Emily help you put this in place changing your role to become the leader your restaurant needs if.

68 million dollars and you made six hundred and twenty six thousand dollars what what kind of change is that to go from you know increasing your volumes but blowing up going from losing or breaking even to actually making a lot of money what was that like well first off. I would attribute to the the our labor was um astronomical yeah and uh before using your systems we. I mean all of our dollars were going out the door just to labor we’d actually if you remember schedule the same crew for Friday night that we would on a Monday night and do a fraction of the business and so once we started using um your system we uh have saved money on labor um food costs and um we started getting creative so now that.

I started having a little bit more free time with um using the program we’re able to become more creative and actually just this week alone we um fired our marketing team and now our go and now we are actually using Popmenu and um and we’re which we’re very excited about um we found about Popmenu through one of your other actually restaurant um owners that you work with and. I love the community in yours like in your program because we’re able to bounce off ideas and ask questions so that helped out uh yeah and. I mean you have to really get creative with how to survive and it was nice also being able to rely on other business owners and what they’re doing too so.

I hope that answers your question 100 so again because we’re trying to condense this because. I want to get into the meat of communication making people feel appreciated but. I I’ve got one more question for you and that is what were your unexpected changes or things that you didn’t expect from working together or worth the other restaurant owners and and having that Community what didn’t you you foresee that really was a benefit for you I’m going to tell you my times first off is that when.

I called you and made that first initial call. I felt okay now it’s you know pedal to the metal I’m gonna have to work harder I’m gonna now have to use your system and now create even more work for me and I’m gonna have to pass it all down and it’s been none of that. I have now more free time than I’ve ever had before and so definitely time.

I have more time with my family um you know I’m now uh doing another competition which was not gonna happen because that creates a lot of time yeah being a going into fitness competitions require a shit ton of dedication you’ve got to have the time to work out or it doesn’t work so so you’ve you’ve got time with everybody now and you’ve got more systems in place you’re making more money that’s pretty awesome no yeah oh my gosh the systems having those systems in place. I don’t even know how we survived the last what 28 years not having those systems but it is so easy because you know if you’re having issues with your staff you now have a place to point to instead of saying well let’s talk about what you’re not or not doing or not doing you now have proof you now have check you know check marks that they can that they’re doing on their job list system that we absolutely love yeah we have more systems in place.

I mean literally if we wanted to sell the business it literally you can hand it over which absolutely helps with you if you’re selling right right which is not going to happen but yeah yeah it’s not going out of your family but but with that said and there’s still more systems like it’s not like you’re done. I mean every month or so we talk about something go hey we’ve talked about that well now’s the time and that goes back to the you can’t you can’t force systems in place if you’re not ready for them yeah and. I always tell people.

I don’t care how long it takes you as long as you still work towards putting them in place it’s when we give up and we make excuses and we stop and that’s where our businesses really falter and that’s where. I’ve been so impressed with what you and Emily have done because you you became the leader your restaurant needs Emily made sure that the shit got done and that it stays in place and doesn’t mean we don’t have hiccups doesn’t mean there aren’t times oh shit we haven’t been looking at that for a while and we’ve got to re-implement the system and do that’s the nature of the restaurant business but the change has been amazing it’s also wonderful to see on the side note not only have you gotten the free time but Emily now has managers and she’s starting to see free time and be able to shut down her phone and that’s that’s really powerful because you created that you did the work meaning the two of you but you let it and that’s huge now let’s switch gears let’s get out of the the the number side and what have you and now let’s talk about the people side because this is something that for years I’ve known you do extremely well but during the labor shortage and on the group coaching calls it’s really become more and more apparent that this is a skill set that every restaurant owner should learn from you and that is the how to communicate with your team members that they feel appreciated they stick around they feel valued that that that is probably the number one thing restaurateurs and managers especially need to learn how to do because people don’t want to be in our business they’ve been treated like shit for so many years paid too little flexibility taken away and now there’s a reckoning the labor force is telling us you got to change but this is not a change for you can you talk a little bit about how you communicate with your your your team members and why it’s so successful yeah and and.

I. I would say a mantra that. I follow or tell myself is that if you want to grow the business you have to grow the people and that is listening to what’s going on for them you know in this business which I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this way is you do become a therapist but it’s how you communicate to your staff is what’s going to make the biggest difference you know.

I when they come to my office or somebody comes to my office or even has a quick question when I’m on the floor is. I make sure that. I give them my undivided attention like.

I am completely present with them and they’re letting me know what’s going on for them or if they’re excited and want to celebrate that they’ve just got this 200 tip off a table uh. I really feel it’s so important to be able to value your staff that way so you keyed in on something that. I think is extremely important and that’s being present [Music] can you describe some of the what are some of what does the present mean to you to me.

I know what it means and and. I do my very best as an entrepreneur to be present with my family you know I’m not really good at it sometimes that cell phone comes up and. I pick it up and am.

I I’m off somewhere else even though we’re having a conversation I’m not 100 present and. I get called out for it and how important it is to truly be present can you describe what you mean by present so people can understand yeah and. I and.

I think this is a great practice too is to have with your family as well so you know what present would look like to me is if I’m talking to an employee and uh they’re saying something to me that’s important to them and then somebody say I’m downstairs and somebody is else is trying to get my attention. I literally will have to say can you give me a minute I’m talking to Christina and. I you know right now you know I’ll talk to you in a bit but.

I really do I’m interested in what she has to say so it’s having my eyes focused on them um eye to eye contacts important your phone’s not in your hand you’re not looking around you’re not staring at your watch you’re literally in them that moment with them and when two people literally are coming together like that eye to eye contact that they’re feeling heard understood listened to all of that and that’s so important because. I. I don’t think that you know like you said with our even our families we don’t even give ourselves that with them.

I think it’s important practice especially now with mental health illness us and people need we need each other yeah and the truth is mental health has been an issue in the restaurant business forever it’s just been swept down we don’t talk about it and that’s kind of been here in the states anyway so if there’s a positive of what covet did is it brought it to the Forefront and said hey this is actually normal and we need to listen to people and get them the help they need but if you don’t actively listen if you’re not present you’ll never recognize and need help on a side note and.

I want to make sure people understand we didn’t call it being present uh in the old days. I’ve been doing things for 30 plus years but when. I would talk to an employee.

I would do my very best to keep my back to the door because we all know you start to look at the front door you start and now all of a sudden that employee sees that customer sees you’re not being present and so it’s being staying engaged with that person truly actively listening not just hearing. I think that’s really important when when we talk about this so what are some of the benefits of taking the time to listen to be an active listener to understand what your employees are telling you what are some of the benefits to that well.

I think having reliable employees um is a huge benefit they you know. I feel like um you want to be interested in what they’re having to say is something else. I wanted to point to too is not only just listening but interested and uh.

I feel because. I do give that to the staff that having reliable employees if. I need somebody to work last minute they’re always a yes um they don’t feel taken advantage of um you know they’ll even want to come in to work if they’re not feeling a hundred percent just because they know that that we actually value them being here and they want to be a part of the team they don’t want to let anybody down and.

I think it also makes us a priority um employer for our um you know for our staff and. I think they they actually do tell other people because they’ll say hey my brother’s looking for a job or my sister’s looking for a job or my mom’s looking for a job or. I have a friend who wants to come work here can we interview him so.

I know that we wouldn’t have people that are close to them want to be able to work unless we were that kind of employer are there any times you’ve had a conversation or listened that you’ve discovered something that kind of set you back went wow this person needs my assistance whether financially or time or really an ear because of family issues or and and if so what have been some of the unexpected benefits of that yeah you know somebody told me yesterday that. I have a bleeding heart hello like a bleeding heart what does that mean.

I don’t realize that means that you like you care a lot so much yes yes and so you know this you’re what you’re having your question is um so. I had an employee actually just this week it’s Christmas time inflation is super high and he said you know is. I need to sit.

I need to talk to you about um something. I said okay he goes. I have um.

I have two Vans my wife drives one and. I drive one but we have a flat tire now. I have to drive hers and I’m on a spare he lives an hour away he doesn’t have any extra money to pay for a tire and you know it’s Christmas time he has six kids and so he goes can.

I borrow some money and I’ll pay you pay you back the minute and you know sometimes we say to ourselves okay well we know how that’s gonna go and right and so um we’ve let him borrow some money and immediately he paid his tire um got his tire got some extra things that he needed for his family and um said you know hey I’m gonna pay it back to you immediately. I don’t want to make payments but. I want to pay it back um immediately and.

I said hey no problem you can actually make payment if that works out better for you and. I think what was your question.

The the added benefits the unexpected benefits so like all of a sudden you heard a problem you helped them out and it doesn’t always work out when people want money you know you’ve got you’ve got to listen pretty hard sometimes people are takers this is obviously not somebody was a taker this is a a true benefit to you as a company as well because if they if an hour away can’t get to work you lose an employee right it’s a double-edged sword what do you think the benefit is of him of you coming to the rescue and allowing him to borrow that money and seeing his is the energy he wants to put to say I’m going to pay you back yeah well the what the benefit that.

I see here is that he’s someone who if we were short another somebody called in sick the next day and he was not scheduled. I would say hey Jose. I have um this open opportunity for you to come in and work out he would do it he would do it it is like scratching your back and I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine and in.

I think in this restaurant business that happens a lot and. I think it’s important for us to be able to support our staff and um listen and feel out for what it is that they need so you and. I initially talked about this and probably a year plus ago no kidding uh again.

I’ve been working hard to get you to do this for me and that was you were. I was asking how you taught others to do this because you had been helping Emily your now GM implementer on to do the same thing with the team because it really mattered so this is trainable like learning how to be an active listener to truly empathize with your employees this is a trainable skill because all too often we’ve got new managers young managers who only know how to communicate on their cell phone texting right next to each other this this is trainable you know.

I it is it really is and um Emily was telling me a few weeks ago that the staff says hey you sound like Gina.

All right Emily yeah she um she said that the staff tells her sometimes she’s telling me she sounds like me but it is treatable are there any any tips maybe a one two three things that somebody could do to start them on a path to truly sit down and say I’m being an active listener I’m gathering data I’m making this employee feel appreciated and moving our business forward at the same time like what would be some of the tips you’d share uh first would be to actively listen so you know if Emily Emilia lines. I would start with your most important person so if it’s your implementer or your general manager have them be the one that because they’re the ones who are communicating with the rest of the staff so it’s so important to get them on board so with Emily.

I will um we’ll communicate and talk. I make sure number one that I’m a hundred percent um available to her so if she calls me I’m at home at the gym whatever she texts me I’m I’m. I respond immediately so.

I think that’s one of the tips that. I would say is be um available the other thing would be just to listen um listen to what’s important to her now sometimes what she’s telling me isn’t necessarily what she’s actually feeling so you almost have to read between the lines or listen between the lines so you want to hear what is it that she’s actually trying to communicate is she upset is she frustrated um you know is it just this particular session is she constantly complaining about this certain thing and you know and I’m like why hasn’t she fixed it well maybe I’m not actually listening because she’s having to complain about it all the time right you know maybe.

I have helped her come up with a solution so. I would say to uh listen to what’s actually happening um when she’s communicating the emotion behind it. I would say listen to the emotion behind it and um you know I’m gonna say this again.

I think also being interested in present being present to what she has to say and even though. I may not agree with what she’s saying is. I have to say well what would have her say that what’s the value and what she’s telling me right now what is it that she’s trying to communicate so.

I. I ask myself those questions um when she’s needing to really talk to me about something and then again she’s doing the same thing with her team members and the added benefit again from an outsider’s perspective is you keep employees for a long long time like years upon years it’s very rare that you’ve got turnover and if you do it’s usually a new person that just hasn’t hasn’t cut the mustard yet because it’s and honestly your restaurant has been around for so long that you’ve got to fit the culture pretty quick like if you don’t fit the culture you’re not going to make it there but if you do like it’s a very much a family atmosphere you’re a part of the team you care about your people and.

I guess bleeding hard. I would call you a social worker not a bleeding heart but that’s a whole nother thing um kind of going backwards knowing what you know as far as communication and making people feel valued knowing what you know now about systems your budgeting the tools that you put in place what would be some advice you’d give somebody who was listening to us saying. I haven’t started the journey on systems yet.

I think you know I’ve got a challenge with my people because that’s the real truth of it the systems. I teach are easy it’s the people part that’s the challenge and that’s why you were able to get such results it’s not just that Emily implemented it’s that you got your people on board to understand what would you tell somebody who’s who’s listening to us going man should. I start this journey it sounds like a lot of work on systems and it sounds really hard to say I’m going to start to be patient and listen to my people actually make the time to be active listening and make them feel valued because right now.

I may feel taken advantage of what would you tell somebody how would they approach this journey so are you referring to as if somebody uh somebody’s who’s wanting to start with your program with my program on the journey on their own it’s just time to make change right because that’s really what we talk about whether not everybody’s going to work for with me I’m not the right fit for everybody but the journey has to happen for everyone it it does you know. I when. I was in Las Vegas um a couple weeks ago.

I went to this amazing restaurant and ironically. I happened to sit next to this guy um who owned um five restaurants no kidding and yeah and I’m like are you the actual owner are you a cop like talk to me and he said no I’m I’m one of the owners I’m the main one who takes care of all five and. I said well how’s your restaurants going like this is exciting.

I have one and he said you know um I’m struggling and he goes the labor is just it’s killing us it is killing us and. I don’t know what I’m gonna do I’m honestly stressed out about it and. I was like oh no Gina here comes diarrhea of the mouth.

Sucks sometimes because there’s so much. I thought you know it was good yeah but you know when. I and.

I said you know I’m working with this um this amazing guy named David Scott Peters you should look him up uh you know their system it’s not just a system for your restaurant but it’s a lifestyle of how to be able to um be successful because you can have a business plan and that business plan is going to show you how to start up but you need something that’s going to carry you carry you through your business till the end of time right and there’s nothing like it out there there isn’t and you know. I felt so bad for this man who was so successful so hopefully he gave he called you it.

I said you want to be successful in your restaurants that you need to start putting systems in place and there’s actually a way to be able to calculate how much labor you need given the amount of sales you’re doing crazy systems at work and oh by the way. I appreciate it I’m hearing new stories all throughout this we talk all the time and I’m hearing news stories and you know what’s interesting is. I love you to death and and.

I think you as well as other Mastery Plus members or RTI members when they have success they want to evangelize and. I swear sometimes people think you’re part of a cult this is a cult no yeah making money having a life is a cult I’m in it all day long right right yeah in fact. I have to tell you though because that guy that.

I was sitting next to I’m like. I. I go are you in like what are you doing he are you here for a Convention as well and he said yeah I’m learning about you know bookkeeping and stuff and I’m like you’re in the wrong convention you need to be.

Like we’re so we’re we’re turning the world in the results of being a restaurant business owner yeah yeah no that’s awesome if there was first of all. I want to thank you. I this was like pulling teeth to get you here.

I cannot tell this enough that everybody listening that this was a big deal for me to get you actually to do this um. I think the world of you world of Emily your restaurant what you’ve done your mom what she’s created uh. I love what you do as far as making sure people feel appreciated and that’s why.

I wanted to bring you on here um with that said. I don’t want to take much more of your time is there anything we didn’t talk about or anything you’d like to share or advice you’d give somebody listening to us that we didn’t touch on before we go.

Um let’s see.

What you you know. I do have to say that I’m a big advocate of yours David and. I know it’s come through on the podcast um.

I feel you know for anybody new who’s listening that has not that’s on the fence of whether or not they should join. I would say 100 percent like there’s you if you want to be successful and grow your business that you’re you have the best program that’s on the market and we have gone through other programs before right but there’s nothing like yours. I appreciate you very much and again thank you for taking time to do this.

I hope everybody listening to us understands that what you shared with us can truly make a huge difference and the Beautiful part it is trainable it’s learnable and that’s incredibly important in today’s day and age with the labor shortage and the cost of Labor having good people having them respect you having them appreciate you and be appreciated means they stick around they do a better job it’s just it’s just invaluable information. I want to thank you again thanks David hey that was an awesome episode. I want to thank you for taking the time to take action on building a better more prosperous restaurant before you go.

I want to give you these three thoughts one by combining leadership and taking action with systems and training being checked by accountability you are on your way to creating prosperity for you and your restaurant Two,. I have something. I need from you please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you happen to listen to podcasts by leaving us a review other restaurant pros seeking out this information are able to find it.

com be passionate about what you’re doing be persistent but more importantly, become better and help everyone around you become better and your restaurant is going to kick some ass if you’re tired of not being able to leave your restaurant because no one else knows how to run it. I want to make sure you know it doesn’t have to be that way you can leave your restaurant it is possible to build a team of people who know how you want the restaurant to run with these trained and responsible people in place you can give yourself time away what would you do if you had time away from your restaurant.

Would you sleep better would your relationships improve would you feel more relaxed these are all things you deserve to experience as a business owner It’s why we own our own businesses if you would like to learn how to own a restaurant that doesn’t depend on you to be successful click the link in the description to watch a free training course that teaches you exactly what you have to do also be sure to subscribe to get my weekly tips and watch these two videos to get more information and guidance for running a successful restaurant.