How to Prepare Your Restaurant for the Slow Season

So what we're talking about today, guys, uh, we are talking about basically the season we just went through, which is, like, August and September.

And for most restaurant owners, uh, what you probably experienced is that there was a slowdown in August and September, like, post Labor Day.

A lot of this is because people get back into their routines.

There's back to school.

There's all sorts of stuff.

Now, there are some restaurants that their sales do pick up during this period, so we're not talking about you as much during this episode.

But still listen in, 'cause there's some useful stuff for you, for your slowdown season.

But usually what happens is sales drop.

There's another complexity which shows up, uh, which is staffing, right? 'Cause people are going back to school, and even if you don't have a bunch of people going back to school, it affects the labor market overall, right? People who were full-time in the summer are now maybe part-time in school or maybe not at all.

Maybe they're moving back to their locations where their college is at.

Like, all sorts of stuff's happening.

So sales tends to go down.

What happens when sales tend to go down? Well, guess what? Uh, that means your costs typically go up if you're not prepared for it, if you're not adjusting your variables.

Usually, your food costs go up because you're still ordering based on what it used to be versus what it is now.

And so that takes you by surprise.

Takes a few weeks to, uh, to adjust that.

And ultimately, your bank account then takes a hit.

So I'm sure a lot of you guys were probably looking at your bank account going, "Oh, shit.

This is different.

My, my bank account's down.

Like, I'm used to having some solid numbers." Maybe in the summer, maybe in spring when things were a little better, you're used to having some money there.

Um, and all of a sudden, boom, a bunch of it vanishes, and you basically freak out.

So Chris, am I, am I kind of on the right path with what you've been seeing lately?

Right on it.

Yeah, people getting caught off guard's the big one.