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Posts Tagged ‘restaurant’

My brother and I own a local restaurant that we started last year. The location turned out not as great as we thought. We found the perfect site but the current tenant wants the equivalent of three times the annual rent value to leave. I’m not sure this is a smart financial decision. However, my brother is convinced it’s the right opportunity for us. Should we go ahead? ...read more

My company has the Kuwait rights for a restaurant franchise. We have two branches up and running, but the franchiser has been pushing us since the start of this year to open five more. The market’s condition doesn’t justify such expansions. Should we play tough or trust their judgment? ...read more

One of our non-Arab waiters sings in the restaurant around customers. We talked to him but we keep receiving complaints. Should we just fire him or penalize him?

My policy on hiring and firing is simple: hire slow, fire fast. Choosing the right people from the start is much better than trying to improve the skills of the wrong people. Having said that, once you hire the right employee you need to give him training, a brand culture manual or some sort of guidance that sets expectations. When it comes to non-Arab waiters, many of them are not highly educated, they speak limited English and/or Arabic and they come from completely different cultures. Maybe it’s acceptable to sing around customers in his hometown. Maybe it’s a self-control mechanism to calm himself when he’s nervous. Some people eat, others sleep; he sings. ...read more