Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2014 | Page 32
2014 MVP AWARDS
“I love what I’m doing. For me, it’s fun.”
treating employees like team members accounts for much of
his company’s success. “I’m told I have strong interpersonal
skills. I listen to our team and our customers and I respond.
Taking action is part of success. I know how to produce
top- and bottom-line results. By inverting the triangle and
putting myself at the bottom, I’m helping our team do well
for our customers.”
As he approaches 70, this family man is far from ready to
retire again. “I love what I’m doing. For me, it’s fun,” he says.
“Our goal is to be the best alternative in each neighborhood
throughout Utah, and we’ll be building restaurants where
they’re convenient for our customers.”
MANAGEMENT
Business philosophy: My style is to invert the triangle. I’m at the bottom
and the guest is at the top. We assist our team to do well for the guest. We
say “Yes” to the guest before they ask the question.
Management method or style: We provide an atmosphere where each
manager feels they are running their own business as a part of a team. Our
atmosphere is “we,” not “I.” We are a team and we help each other succeed.
We start with sales, not EBITDA. We want our people to have the best deal in
their neighborhood working at Del Taco. I want their neighbors asking them
how they got to be part of such a great company.
Greatest challenge: Governmental regulations that are not business- or
growth-oriented and increasing ingredient costs.
How do others describe you? As a listener who’s fair and acts with
integrity, someone who’s positive and passionate.
How do you hire and fire, train and retain? We hire carefully those
with a passion to do well. We have minimum turnover and are continuously
sharing best practices.
BOTTOM LINE
Annual revenue: Prefer not to disclose.
2014 goals: Double-digit sales increase and record-breaking bonuses for
our team.
Growth meter: How do you measure your growth? Comparable
restaurant sales and traffic growth every year.
Vision meter: Where do you want to be in 5 years? In 10
years? We want to be the best alternative in each neighborhood throughout
Utah. We also will be adding restaurants to be convenient to the guest.
What are you doing to take care of your employees? We offer
every benefit available to our management. We try to pay above the market
and expect productive team members, minimizing the need for turnover.
What kind of exit strategy do you have in place? I’ve tried to
retire twice and it didn’t work. This is the best annuity and fun for the future.
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2014
PERSONAL
Formative influences/events: Growing up in a family with integrity
and a strong work ethic and growing up in Chicago, where I worked in retail
since age 13, went to a challenging high school (Loyola Academy), and completed my