The Hidden Cost of Multi-Unit Leadership
Restaurants need systems that turn field visits into development, not disruption. Every brand talks about supporting their restaurants, and most multi-unit leaders I work with genuinely want to help their teams succeed. I know this because I have lived it. Over the last 30 years, I have worked for more than 20 restaurant brands and completed well over 10,000 field visits as a multi-unit and above restaurant leader. I have run the miles. I have carried the clipboards. I have checked the boxes. I have handed out green, yellow, and red scores that brought relief to some GMs and tears to others. And somewhere along the way, one truth became impossible to ignore. Every time a multi-unit leader walks into a restaurant, the cost of that visit quietly climbs toward $1,000. Not because of travel or mileage. Not even because of payroll. But because of the invisible disruption that comes with the visit itself. The GM shifts focus. The team tightens up. The rhythm of the restaurant changes. And a visit that was meant to be supportive turns into a performance. Some of those costs are worth it. Real coaching takes presence and meaningful observation. But many visits unintentionally create more disruption than development. And most operators have never stopped to calculate what these visits truly cost. Before we talk about ROI, we need to talk about reality. The True Economics of a Field Visit. When I ask executives what one field visit costs, the honest answer is usually, “We have never calculated it.” Most have not. But the math is simple once you break it down.
- Direct Multi-Unit Leader Cost per Visit
Based on annual compensation packages that include salary, benefits, car allowance or mileage, mobile and tech allowances, meals, and training:
Annual cost range: $100,400 to $166,300
Average annual visit count: 350 to 400
Direct cost per visit: $250 to $475
This is the cost before a single minute of disruption inside the restaurant.
- Indirect Store-Level Cost per Visit
This is where the real expense shows up…
The Accounting Blind Spots Draining Restaurant Profits
Year-end reporting is built on year-round habits. Here’s how to start. One day it’s January, and the next it’s already December—and the stack of invoices and inventory logs you meant to keep up with have taken a back seat to the nonstop pace of service. The stress of end-of-year reporting doesn’t materialize overnight. It builds all year long, with each invoice left unprocessed and every vendor credit unclaimed. Each missed detail might seem minor, but together they distort the financial picture, making it harder to plan with confidence. Consistent financial habits are what keep that picture clear and current. By leaning on real-time data and connected systems, this enables fewer surprises and smoother reporting when year-end hits. When handled with care and consistency, those receipts and invoices don’t have to spell chaos—they can tell the story of a healthy business that’s in control and profitable. Handwritten receipts. Recipes scribbled on napkins. Orders buried in ten different email chains. By midyear — let alone year’s end — restaurant operators are left trying to piece together scattered fragments of financial activity that never quite made it into the books. The problem isn’t just the clutter, it’s what gets lost because of it. When invoices, vendor credits, and inventory counts live in different places, it’s nearly impossible to see how money is moving through the business. Come crunch time, that lack of visibility turns financial statements into guesswork instead of reliable insight. Take inventory management as an example. Skipping regular counts or not comparing what’s used against what’s sold might save time in the short term, but operators are left unaware of what’s actually leaving the shelf. Without those best practices in place, waste goes unnoticed, overordering ties up cash, and inventory numbers won’t line up when reports are due. Lapses like these accumulate over time. What feels like a minor oversight at the start of the year becomes a major hurdle towards the end, when missed credits and miscounted orders pile up beside a mountain of receipts left to reconcile…
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The New Rules of Recruiting Gen Z Restaurant Employees
Restaurants are revamping hiring for the next generation of workers. Gen Z is no longer the future of the restaurant workforce. It’s the present. This cohort, born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, already represents nearly half of restaurant employees and is projected to become the majority by 2030. For an industry that has faced unprecedented labor shortages over the past several years, that reality has major implications. According to a survey by the National Restaurant Association conducted late last year, 77 percent of operators said recruiting and retaining employees remains a significant challenge. Nearly one-third admitted they don’t have enough staff to meet current customer demand. As restaurants rethink how they staff their businesses, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: the traditional playbook for recruitment doesn’t resonate with today’s younger workers. Posting a generic job listing and waiting for applications to trickle in is no longer enough. Gen Z has grown up in a digital-first, on-demand environment, and their expectations for the workplace reflect that. To stay competitive, restaurants are reimagining not only how they recruit, but also how they position themselves as employers of choice. Recruitment today is about showing up in the spaces where potential employees already are. That’s the message from Mary Pillow Thompson, founder of foh&boh, which provides hiring and onboarding tools for independent restaurants, franchises, hospitality groups, and hotel chains. “If you think the job post you put up on Indeed or any of those job boards is going to get seen by this generation, then you’re mistaken,” Thompson says. “They’re not going to those platforms and searching for barista positions in their city. Once you understand that, then you can begin to wrap your head around how to actually get in front of this workforce.” That shift requires restaurants to be far more intentional and proactive. Darren Spicer, co-founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar, says success comes from flipping the old model of waiting for applicants to find you…
U.S. Dept of Labor Issues Opinion Letters Clarifying “Horizontal” Joint Employment
And employees who may participate in a tip pool. Opinion letters are formal, written guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) officials explaining to the public how the agency would apply the law to a specific set of facts. While the letters are not binding on courts, they do serve as a powerful compliance tool and can be used as persuasive authority in defending against a legal claim. On September 30, 2025, the USDOL issued an opinion letter describing when “horizontal” joint employment will require separate legal entities to be treated as a single employer for purposes of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The opinion letter involved employees who worked at a restaurant and a members-only club, both of which were located in the same hotel. After reviewing the facts relevant to the employees’ work and the relationship between the entities, the USDOL concluded that even if the restaurant and club are separate legal entities, the hours worked by employees at each establishment would need to be aggregated for purposes of FLSA compliance. The USDOL explained that separately incorporated entities may be considered a single employer under the principles of “horizontal” joint employment if they are “sufficiently associated” with respect to the employees. While there is no bright-line test, “horizontal” joint employment may be found where the employers share a common employee’s services. For example, if two retail establishments coordinate with each other over the pay or work schedule of the same cashier, they are likely to be deemed joint employers of the cashier. In that scenario, if the cashier worked 28 hours for one establishment and 16 hours for the other establishment in the same workweek, the employee would be entitled to 4 hours of overtime because they worked a combined total of 44 hours for the joint employers. In the case of the employees at the hotel restaurant and club, the USDOL opined that the restaurant and club were joint employers. Although the restaurant and club were separate legal entities, they were sufficiently associated with each other with respect to their employees. The USDOL found it relevant that: (a) the two entities appeared to be operationally integrated with each other (e.g., shared a kitchen); (b) managers periodically supervised employees at both locations; and (c) work schedules and wage rates appeared to be coordinated between the two locations. Under the circumstances, the USDOL concluded that all hours worked by an employee at the restaurant and club must be combined for purposes of FLSA compliance…
For Restaurants, AI is a Shift from Data-Centric Tools to Human-Centric Intelligence
The true power of AI isn’t the data itself; it’s how we use it to enhance human experiences. “AI is the single most powerful force of our time,” Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, said. Across conferences, boardrooms, and leadership meetings, conversations about artificial intelligence in the restaurant industry tend to sound the same. Leaders talk about data: dashboards, forecasts, efficiencies. And for good reason—insights matter. We’re doing this work, too. For decades, restaurant technology has revolved around one central pursuit: better data. Sales reports, labor models, and inventory systems have helped restaurant leaders understand what happened yesterday and prepare for what might happen tomorrow. But here’s what few are talking about yet: the next major shift is already here. AI is moving us beyond data-driven tools and into an entirely new era of human-centric intelligence. This is no longer just about generating insights—it’s about shaping decisions, guiding people, and elevating the customer experience in real time. Historically, the restaurant industry has lagged in adopting technology. McDonald’s standardized the POS system and drive-thru. Starbucks redefined loyalty through mobile. Chipotle leaned into digital pickup and robotics. Everyone else followed years later. AI, however, levels the playing field. For the first time, access isn’t limited to the top three or four brands. Emerging and mid-sized concepts can now lead as early adopters rather than playing catch-up. The real opportunity isn’t squeezing out a little more efficiency; it’s reimagining what hospitality can look like with AI empowering people, supporting managers, and creating unparalleled value for customers. Sam Altman of OpenAI captured it well when he said, “The real power of AI is not in replacing humans, but in amplifying what humans can do.” How AI Will Shape Restaurant Leadership…
What Recession Pop Reveals About Nostalgia in the Restaurant Industry
“Recession Pop” is back in rotation. Retail brands are re-releasing nostalgic favorites, fashion trends from the late 2000s are creeping back into stores, and songs like Poker Face, TikTok, and Just the Way You Are are filling playlists again, soundtracking a cultural moment that feels strangely familiar. For Millennials and older Gen Z, these late-2000s anthems of resilience are more than catchy throwbacks. They’re emotional anchors, comfort cues in an economy that feels unpredictable. Just as pop music offered escapism during the 2008 recession, today’s “Recession Pop” offers stability and optimism amid headlines about inflation, layoffs, and market uncertainty. Restaurants have always used nostalgia in some form. Many have leaned on menu revivals, retro signage, or familiar flavor profiles. Today nostalgia has expanded beyond a creative concept. It has become a reliable signal of how dining behavior shifts during uncertain moments. Consumers who are seeking comfort are gravitating toward food experiences that feel familiar, dependable, and emotionally grounded. This shows up in several consistent ways.
- Interest in comfort foods is rising. Burgers, pizza, breakfast dishes, Italian favorites, Mexican staples, and classic American meals are all benefiting from this shift.
- Casual dining is experiencing renewed energy. For many diners, the experience mirrors the restaurants they grew up visiting with family.
- Coffeehouses hold emotional value. They provide a sense of ritual, routine, and everyday indulgence that connects strongly with nostalgia.
- Quick service value offerings resonate. Predictable menu items and consistent flavors deliver the type of reassurance consumers want during uncertain times.
- Higher income diners seek premium nostalgia. Instead of traditional comfort food they look for elevated versions made with better ingredients or modern culinary techniques.
Across all these categories nostalgia consistently aligns with comfort, routine, value, and predictability. These are the qualities diners rely on when everything else feels unsettled…
Menus Dress Up for the Holiday Season
New trends and menus. Now that Thanksgiving 2025 is a warm memory, restaurant chains are accelerating launches of holiday menus and party packages. Festive foods and beverages are trending across all segments, with flavors like peppermint, eggnog, ginger, and cranberry getting extra play. Here’s what operators have in store for both dine-in and carryout customers. Decadence is the holiday theme at Fogo de Chao, where the Indulgent Churrasco Experience offers guests tableside service of a variety of meat cuts plus one indulgent enhancement. These include a Butter-Bathed Lobster Tail, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Roasted Bone Marrow, and Black Truffle Butter, plus a dessert such as Chocolate Brigadeiro or Cheesecake Brûlée. Lobster Mac & Cheese joins the shareable sides lineup, and a Seafood Tower and Chilled Lobster and Shrimp the appetizer list. There are also limited-time tableside additions, including a Whole Branzino, Wagyu Porterhouse and Dry Aged Tomahawk. Prime Rib Feasts return to Logan’s Roadhouse for takeout customers, filled with a meaty selection of prime rib, ribs, meatloaf or pork chops with barbecue sauce. Guests in the restaurants can take part in Prime Rib Weekends through Feb. 22. Each 13-ounce cut of prime rib is seasoned with a signature rub, then slow-roasted and hand-carved to order. To start, there’s Grilled Bacon on a Stick and Beer-Battered Stuffed Jalapeños, both LTOs, and Blueberry & Apple Cobbler and chocolate Layer Cake for dessert. Peanuts characters come to life as doughnuts at Krispy Kreme, available in a custom dozen box. The Krispy Kreme x Peanuts Collection features three new doughnuts: the filled Snoopy Cookies & Kreme dipped in vanilla icing and decorated with Snoopy’s face; the Charlie Brown Ornament Doughnut with brownie batter filling dipped in yellow icing and topped with an ornament hook; and the Christmas Wreath Doughnut topped with a buttercreme-flavored green swirl, yellow nonpareil sprinkles and a Snoopy and Woodstock sugar piece. Rounding out the collection are the Santa Belly Doughnut and Holiday Sprinkle Doughnuts, back for another holiday appearance…
Did You Know?
To Improve Your Restaurant’s Financial Performance, Monitor Your Equipment Data. If multi-unit restaurant managers can’t sleep right now, it’s not because of too much coffee before bedtime. Instead, they’re tossing and turning because that coffee is so expensive. According to the National Restaurant Association, citing data from the Producer Price Index, the wholesale cost of unprocessed coffee, unprocessed finfish, beef, veal, and other items has soared over 2024 levels. Indeed, restaurant operators rank inflation as a top business pain point, and increasing profitability is their number-one goal, according to Toast’s 2025 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey. But how can they save money and improve their margins while maintaining their existing operations…
Employee Tip
No, Coupons and Gift Cards Aren’t Tips — and Other Etiquette Reminders Diners Need. A restaurant is a place to have a good time with friends and family, but there’s a limit to the hijinks when it comes to pranking your server. Some customers might go beyond what is acceptable when it comes to playing a joke on the person who is serving their food. Saying that the food was awful while your completely empty plate is being cleared is one thing, but there are a few pranks that go way beyond anything close to being OK…
