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THE MAGAZINE OF FRANCHISE BUSINESS SERVICES
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2 020 ISSUE 3
Potters Wings flies into the Franchisee Spotlight as the company tests the use of drones
Read more from franchisees on takeout and delivery innovations
PAGE 14
All of us at McLane Foodservice would like to extend our well wishes to the entire BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchise community, their businesses, and especially their families during these trying times. We look forward to coming through COVID-19 and building on our strong partnership for the future.
Š2020 McLane Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2020 Issue 3
FBS Board of Directors Wray Hutchinson Chairman Mark Jones Vice Chairman Jenny Beaudoin Director James Bitzonis Director Brian Carmody Director Steve Grube Director Roz Mallet Director Bobby Pancake Director Larry Podlogar Director Christy Williams Executive Director
FBS Editorial Board Jessica Loeding Editor-in-Chief jessical@myfbsonline.org Sean Ireland Managing Editor seani@myfbsonline.org Rachel Jackson Associate Editor rachelj@myfbsonline.org
Advertising Sales Jeff Reynolds Director of Business Partner Relations jeffr@myfbsonline.org 678-797-5163 Montserrat Almaraz Sales & Development Manager montserrata@myfbsonline.org 678-439-2284
Design and Layout Kristen Thomas KT Graphic Design ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com
ON THE COVER Brian Jordan and Jason Hall of Potters Wings aren’t letting the pandemic slow their momentum. Jordan discusses the company’s use of drones in a story about delivery innovations on page 14, and you can read more from him as he flies into this issue’s Franchisee Spotlight on page 12.
COLUMNS 2
Chairman’s Column
DEPARTMENTS 4 FBS Member News
12 Franchisee Spotlight
8
Event Calendar
30 One Topic: 10 Facts
8
Recognitions
31 Look, Listen, Read
FEATURES 10 11 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 29
2020 Community Day Recap Spotlight on the 116th Congress: Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) Franchisees Answer Pandemic Challenges With Innovation in Delivery and Takeout by Sean Ireland, FBS associate director of communications Companies Emphasize Safety First as Dining Rooms Reopen by Sean Ireland BWW System Has Opportunity to Move Minority Causes Forward by Sean Ireland BLM? #MeToo? What Is Next and Why You Should Not Fear It … If You Implement the Right Policy by Douglas Duerr, Elarbee Thompson Preparing Restaurants for Winter Prevents Problems Later by Lockton Affinity Look Ahead and Remove Obstacles by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co. How to Ensure Your Employees Are Show Ready by Dennis Snow, Snow & Associates Inc. Eliminating Energy Drains: Identifying Stressors in Your Life by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro® What is Unclaimed Property? Did You Know It’s Your Job to Find it? by Stacy Smith, Mize CPAs
DIRECTORIES 9
Associate Member Listing
32 Advertisers Guide and Editorial Calendar
Headquarters 1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW Suite 180 Kennesaw, GA 30144 Phone: 678-797-5161 Fax: 678-797-5171
In keeping with our commitment to the environment, this publication is printed on certified, environmentally-friendly recycled paper using eco-friendly inks. Franchise Business Services publishes The SCORE. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the contents of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of Franchise Business Services. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright© 2020
Printed in the U.S.A.
www.myfbsonline.org
From the Chair
I
n the annals of sports lore, there are those moments that live in infamy – for all the wrong reasons. Jim Marshall taking the ball 66 yards – the wrong way – in the Vikings 1964 meeting
with San Francisco. Roberto De Vicenzo signing an incorrect scorecard to finish one shot behind Bob Goalby at the 1968 Masters. How about the Oakland Raiders’ series of forward fumbles in the 1978 matchup with San Diego? Sometimes it’s not even the players who make history. Take, for instance, Stanford’s band storming the field in the 1982 game against Cal. The blunder allowed Cal the game-winning touchdown.
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But we often forget what happened after these infamous moments. Marshall would go on to force a fumble with a sack, with his teammate scooping up the ball and scoring the winning Vikings touchdown. De Vicenzo won more than 230 golf tournaments, including the inaugural U.S. Senior Open in 1980 at the age of 57. “The Holy Roller,” as Oakland’s fumble series was dubbed, ended with the game-winning touchdown and led the NFL to amend the rules to prevent such plays in the future. As for Stanford, well, that was two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and MVP John Elway’s last game with the Cardinal.
As we head into the last quarter of 2020, the year has felt a lot like watching a highlight reel of those moments that leave you asking, “Did that just happen?” While we will never forget the challenges this year has presented the world and our businesses, it is important that we remember the leadership, perseverance and innovation our teams demonstrated. When our focus shifted to best practices in delivery, carryout and new on-premise standards in the spring, B-Dubs® franchisees learned on the fly. Some literally. Franchise organization Potters Wings’ headline-grabbing partnership with Deuce Drone took a creative approach to adapting for contactless delivery. The possibility of using drones is a solution that, going forward, puts BWW® ahead of the industry in meeting guests’ demands for timeliness, quality and safety. And, let’s face it, it’s just cool. As we navigate reopening dining
rooms, B-Dubs teams are improving efficiencies, streamlining processes, and going above and beyond to keep staff and guests alike safe and healthy, and across the country, Buffalo Wild Wings® is stepping up support in the communities where we live and work, whether it’s feeding front-line workers on the East Coast or firefighters in the West. Despite having to delay the FBS Summit to 2021, the association has been hard at work for you behind the scenes since March. Members had access to elected officials and important information on legislation and employment law through our participation with the Coalition of Franchisee Associations in the months following coronavirus-induced closures. Even more crucial, however, is the work undertaken by FBS and Trinity Capital on a systemwide financial analysis. Our ability to understand the fiscal health of the BWW franchise system will be paramount to the future of the brand and our businesses. While 2020 may feel like one crazy play after another, when the dust settles there will be achievements to look back on. Our businesses will have adapted to delivery and carryout at a pace we never thought possible. Our teams will have persevered, growing in their ability to be creative and develop best practices that help their fellow B-Dubs team members as well as the guest. And our association will have helped us understand the impact COVID-19 had on our businesses and our overall position as a brand. Here’s to looking ahead, past the surreality of 2020, and remembering the wins, not the challenges.
Wray Hutchinson
FI ND SOM E
A GA IN.
Elevanta Health is an always stable, affordable and trusted partner for your employee benefits program. We can give you back peace of mind knowing you and your employees have the best health insurance coverage available.
678.540.6203 I memberservices@elevanta.com I elevantahealth.com/fbs I www.elevanta.com
MEMBER NEWS
Wingin’ It LLC Celebrates Local Athletes’ Achievements With Drive-Thru Awards Ceremony
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he Buffalo Wild Wings® in Florence, Alabama, operated by Wingin’ It LLC, has continued to support its local athletes despite the 2020 sports seasons being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant has been working with its local Fox Sports radio station for the past eight years to honor the “Players of the Game” and “Players of the Year” during the high school football and basketball seasons. At the end of the year, the restaurant typically hosts an award ceremony for the players, parents and coaches to celebrate. The restaurant team would present awards to the “BWW Player of the Year” and “BWW Coach of the Year.” Fox Sports usually would set up a remote broadcast during the ceremony and interview the winning players and coaches on the air. As the 2019-2020 basketball season wrapped up in the spring, the restaurant was unable to hold a traditional ceremony like years past. However, the team improvised and made sure the athletes were still celebrated.
“We didn’t want to take away anything from these incredible players and still wanted to celebrate them,” said Leslie Nabors, marketing manager. BWW instead hosted the “BWW and Fox Sports Player of the The BWW in Florence, Alabama, celebrated local athletes with a Game Drive-Thru” on drive-thru awards ceremony. July 23. The drive-thru made available for the community. was set up in the front Florence High School student Dee of the restaurant with tents and balloons. Beckwith won the boy’s BWW and Fox The restaurant happens to be on a busy Sports Player of the Year and Muscle road, and the decorations created a lot Shoals High School student Sara Puckett of buzz as Florence residents passed by. won for the girls. Both players plan on Players came by and picked up their continuing their basketball careers at the plaques, trophies and even some coupons University of Tennessee. for a free meal at BWW. Wingin’ It LLC is happy to continue Fox Sports Shoals radio hosts Jordan to show its support for these athletes. As Campbell and Chuck Hammer still the football season ramps up, the team is conducted interviews with the Players hoping it can celebrate the players this fall of the Week and Year via Zoom. These in person. S interviews were compiled together and
JK&T Wings Builds Partnership With Ferris State University
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he Buffalo Wild Wings® in Big Rapids, Michigan, has developed a special relationship with its hometown school, Ferris State University (FSU) in west central Michigan. The restaurant has a large partnership with the university and has provided financial support to the athletics department over the years. In turn, the restaurant advertises during FSU basketball and football games and uses other marketing strategies at the university. The sports bar also provides food to the school’s athletics coaches and streams the university’s games throughout the football and basketball seasons for fans to watch. “The best thing that has come from this is the relationship it has brought us,” said Jon Grayeb, director of marketing at JK&T Wings. “The coaches know our general manager personally, and it causes them to reach out to him if they need anything. This has brought the college, even though it is a half mile away, right
Participants in the Alumni and Friends 2020 Golf Outing show off their awards at the luncheon.
into our back yard.” BWW® recently hosted a luncheon after the FSU Men’s Basketball Alumni and Friends Golf Outing in July as the latest event in this unique partnership, the sixth year it has participated. The golf tournament is a key factor in the success the men’s basketball team has had, including six straight 20-win seasons and
an NCAA Division II national championship in 2018. Even with 100 people at the luncheon, attendance was down this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Golfers were offered boneless wings, fries, and chips and salsa. The event was moved outside to keep guests socially distanced, and staff wore masks and gloves and sanitized the area frequently to prevent any spread of the coronavirus. “Our relationship with FSU athletics has brought a store in a small town to the next level,” Grayeb said. “We have been involved with them since we decided to plant our roots in Big Rapids. We have built our relationship on trust and them knowing we are here to help. As a result, it has grown our exposure within the community. It is nice to stream an event and see our logo on the field, in the rink or on the court. It shows that we support them, and it’s also a moment of pride as you are watching the game.” S
MEMBER NEWS
Two Joes Inc. Creates Together Today Initiative to Show Support for Community T he Two Joes Inc. team, owned by franchisees Joe Frederick Sr. and Joe Frederick Jr., wanted to show its guests gratitude for their support during the COVID-19 closures. The Two Joes’ BWW® restaurants in Minnesota were thankful to those who showed support by ordering takeout and wanted to let furloughed team members know they were thinking about them. The team decided to create a social media campaign using the hashtag #TogetherToday. “The idea spurred from a video montage that Buffalo Wild Wings® corporate put together with team members from locations across the country,” said Jen Epper, business and marketing manager for Two Joes. “We knew our own photo montage with our team members would be well received by the local fans who consider the Mankato or Hutchinson locations ‘their’ B-Dubs®.” Throughout the campaign, team members from both BWW locations were asked to make signs with encouraging messages for medical professionals, B-Dubs fans and their fellow team members, and post them with the hashtag. Collages and slideshows of the photos were posted on the Two Joes social media pages, providing optimism for both fans and team members. “I feel like it gave them a
Staff members from Two Joes Inc. restaurants in Minnesota made signs to show support for their fellow team members and to let their guests know they missed them during their dining room closures.
sense of hope that we would all be together again very soon,” said Epper. In addition to spreading happiness through social media, the teams at each BWW location also made tangible contributions to their local health care heroes. They brought party platters
of salads and wraps to the Mankato Clinic and Hutchinson Health Systems. Members of the medical staffs at these facilities frequently place large takeout orders, so the restaurants knew that this was a good way to support them during this challenging time. S
Buffalo Wild Wings in Newark, Delaware, Wins Best Wings Award
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University of Delaware and igh 5 Hospitality’s (H5H) in Newark. When voting Buffalo Wild Wings® in opens each year, the team Newark, Delaware, was recently encourages local guests to awarded the “Best Wings” award vote for their favorite wings by the local newspaper, The at BWW®. Newark Post. Each year, The Ewald also noted that Post conducts a poll in print and the restaurant was recently online and asks readers to vote updated and refreshed, on multiple categories. which the team is proud H5H is honored to have of. “They take great care in won the 2020 “Best Wings” High 5 Hospitality’s BWW in Newark was recognized for its wings by making sure they provide award. The company also took the local newspaper for the fourth time. the best wings in Newark. the award in 2015, 2016 and We appreciate that the 2019. “It is a huge honor to be local community recogrecognized by the community of dining experience for our guests is the nizes us and allows us to be honored Newark,” said Lori Ewald, marketing best it can be.” for what we pride ourselves on – the manager for H5H. “The Newark team The restaurant has great relationbest wings.” S works extremely hard to make sure the ships with the students at the nearby
MEMBER NEWS
High 5 Hospitality Provides Guidance to Local Restaurants During Webinar
High 5 Hospitality added some levity to social distancing in its restaurants with humorous signs.
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hroughout 2020, business owners across the nation have had to make tough decisions to adapt to the pandemic. In Delaware, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted a webinar with local business owners to provide guidance on adapting successfully to COVID-19. High 5 Hospitality (H5H), which operates eight BWW® locations and several other restaurant concepts, was selected by the SBDC to be featured and give advice to others in a similar situation. CEO Bobby Pancake and Marketing Manager Lori Ewald were both panelists on the Zoom webinar. After meeting to discuss what items each would present, then meeting with the organizers from SBDC and the Delaware Business Times, the duo was ready for the July 16 event. Pancake discussed how his team’s “wake-up call” in April 2019, when a Hepatitis A case struck one of the restaurants, helped it prepare for the current pandemic and allowed it to react and respond effectively. “When COVID-19 hit, we needed to go to our playbook and look back to see where we had gone before,” he said. “History tells you a lot of things.” The team learned to implement a “Be the buffalo” strategy, inspired by how herds of buffalo face a storm head on and walk directly through it, allowing them to pass through quicker. Pancake also advised choosing team members carefully during this time. After having to furlough 71% of H5H team members, he had to select employees who work hard, move swiftly and stay flexible. During her segment, Ewald placed emphasis on staying connected to guests, whether through social media or other avenues. Ewald noted that the H5H team communicated to guests exactly what safety measures its restaurants were taking to give guests peace of mind. She also discussed the company’s shift
Bobby Pancake discussed his team’s “Be the buffalo” strategy on the July 16 webinar.
from being involved in community-based marketing to strictly digital, menu modification tactics and partner relationships. Pancake and Ewald both recommend that other franchisees get involved with their own community partners, such as the SBDC, chambers of commerce, visitors bureaus or similar organizations. Especially during tough times, support from these groups is critical. “They have reached out to us with unique opportunities; provided updates to our hours, menus and features on their social media; and included us in email blasts to their followers,” explained Ewald. The webinar had 80 registrants, and even more viewers accessed it on demand after the event. “We definitely felt honored to be selected for this webinar,” said Ewald. “There are many businesses doing a lot of right things out there and to be recognized as one of them feels great.” S
MEMBER NEWS
Four M Stays Connected With Community Partners Despite Difficult Times
Four M teams have delivered meals to various community organizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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They discovered that officers throughout the entire force loved BWW and have been loyal guests, coming in every Tuesday. As a surprise, the team stopped by the respective stations and donated boneless wings and sodas to the officers on duty. They also visited firefighters and delivered some of their favorite wing flavors – honey BBQ and mild. Likewise, teams in White Plains, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut, donated to their local fire departments. “The firefighters have been busy keeping our city safe, and we showed our support by donating boneless wings, chips and salsa and some fries,” said a White Plains team member. “The gentlemen just came off training, so they were hungry and appreciative of our donation!” Team Forest Hills provided a Labor Day treat to Fire Station Engine 305, delivering 100 wings, potato wedges and a large order of the new Asian Zing cauliflower wings to the firefighters. In addition to showing support for first responders and front-line workers, some restaurants have also been donating to local community organizations. The team at New Rochelle, New York, has strengthened its partnership and bond with the United Community Center of
Westchester. The team has visited the center several times and helped create food packages to be distributed to families in need. The families were extremely grateful for the support. Team Hicksville organized a similar event for families at its local Boys & Girls Club. The team set up two appetizers of chips, salsa and queso and mozzarella sticks. When the families came in, they chose which sauce they would like in their wing bundle. The team was excited to put smiles on faces in such tough times. For Community Heroes Appreciation Day, Team Hicksville chose to thank volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, which has a mission to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope. BWW delivered 40 meals to volunteers who were beaming with smiles and gratitude. The Hicksville team also thanked the crew at Long Island Select Healthcare, which works with children and adults with developmental disabilities and people who are recovering from strokes or accidents, with 80 boxed meals. The Danbury BWW team has been collecting donations for the Dorothy Day Hospitality House for several weeks. The Dorothy Day House has been dedicated to feeding and sheltering the homeless since 1982. The team donated several in-demand items, including bananas and bottled water. The volunteers working during the donation had nothing but gratitude for the BWW team. Four M is proud to have teams that show constant support for their communities. S
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hroughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Four M Franchising, owned by franchisee James Bitzonis, has remained connected with its local communities. Located in New York and Connecticut, many Four M Buffalo Wild Wings® restaurants donated meals to deserving community members. Team members have continued to grow their relationships with staff at local hospitals who have been working to contain the pandemic and protect their communities. Staff members at Yale Hospital in North Haven, Connecticut, are longtime loyal guests at the North Haven BWW®. The restaurant recently added a special surprise of extra food onto the staff’s order to show a token of appreciation. Team Riverdale had the pleasure of providing lunch to 20 local doctors and nurses. Site Manager Rene and her team were very appreciative of the donation. Four M teams have also been delivering wings to their local fire and police departments. College Point, New York, BWW staff members visited local firefighters, who are regular guests, at Station 163 in Queens. The firefighters were thrilled to enjoy their favorite wings. In Forest Hills, New York, BWW staff had the pleasure of delivering 100 wings and buffalo chips to Police Precinct 112. Officers Strebel, Matamoros and the rest of the crew were excited to receive the food. Employees from the restaurants in Forest Hills and Stamford, Connecticut, had similar conversations with local police officers that came in for lunch.
RECOGNITIONS Congratulations to the following World Wide Wings employees … Lamont Harris has joined the World Wide Wings team as district manager of Indiana District 10. Harris has been in the hospitality industry for over 34 years, with his most recent experience with QDOBA Mexican Eats. He also worked for O’Charley’s as an operations director and Applebee’s as a district manager. Lynisha Sadler has accepted the position of assistant general manager at the Montclair, California, restaurant. Sadler has been a member of the World Wide Wings family since 2015, when she started as a department manager in Mira Loma, California. Rick Putnam recently started as the general manager of the BWW® in Quincy, Illinois. Putnam has been in the food business for over 30 years and was the original general manager that opened the Quincy B-Dubs® many years ago! Most recently, he worked as the general manager of Applebee’s in Quincy. Leah Collins is now the district manager for Indiana. She recently celebrated her 13th anniversary with the brand and has worked in several positions over the years, including bartender, server, general manager and more.
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Andrew Pedersen is now working as the general manager of the B-Dubs in Burlington, Iowa. After serving in the military, he established a career in the food and beverage industry with brands like Hilton Hotels, Red Robin and Delta by Marriott.
Sean O’Donnell has been promoted to general manager at the BWW in Macomb, Illinois. He began working as a team member in 2011 and has worked his way up at the Macomb restaurant. Jerod Eakle has been promoted from department manager to assistant general manager for the downtown Indianapolis sports bar. After working with brands like Pizza Hut and Jimmy John’s, Eakle began his career with BWW 2 1/2 years ago. Jeff Chervany is the new general manager of the Union Gap, Washington, restaurant. He has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years, managing restaurants like Applebee’s, Red Robin, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Laila Syed has been promoted to general manager for the Lafayette, Indiana, B-Dubs. She started in the food business working for her family’s restaurant and has worked in various types of restaurants, even opening two bars of her own. She recently celebrated her first anniversary with the company. Chris Moriarty was promoted to general manager at the BWW in Champaign, Illinois. Chris has been in the food industry for over 14 years, previously working for Pizza Hut and Red Lobster. Briana Stager has been promoted from assistant general manager to general manager for the Cascade Station BWW in Portland, Oregon. Stager also recently celebrated her fifth anniversary with World Wide Wings. Previously, she worked for BURGER KING in several manager and training roles.
We want to highlight your company’s achievements (employee promotions, new hires, employee or restaurant anniversaries, and sales records). To submit information for Recognitions, complete the online submission form at www.myfbsonline.org/submissions, email communications@myfbsonline.org or call 678-797-5161.
Congratulations to the following High 5 Hospitality employees … Patrick Zediker is celebrating his five-year anniversary as a manager at the Buffalo Wild Wings® in Middletown, Delaware. Nichole Shrieves, server at the restaurant in Salisbury, Maryland, is celebrating her five-year anniversary with High 5 Hospitality. Robert Ramey is a server at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Middletown, Delaware. He has been with the company for five years. Corey Johns is celebrating his five-year anniversary as a host and cashier at the Christiana, Delaware, restaurant. Caitlin Conner has been a server at the Belair, Maryland, restaurant for five years. Patrick Bonk is celebrating five years as a server at the Christiana, Delaware, B-Dubs.
Congratulations to the following Franklin’s Management employees … Mark Szabo is celebrating his 16th anniversary with Franklin’s Management. After working as the general manager at the Strongsville, Ohio, restaurant, he helped open the Warrensville Heights BWW in 2012. Currently, he alternates between the three Franklin’s Management locations. Ken Henwood, the assistant manager at the BWW in Strongsville, Ohio, is celebrating his 12-year anniversary with Franklin’s Management. He has worked as an assistant manager at all three locations over the years.
EVENT CALENDAR FBS Summit May 5-7, 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada
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2020 Community Day Recap O
n Aug. 19, nearly 800 sports bars participated in Community Day to raise funds for the BWW® Foundation in partnership with local Boys & Girls Clubs. This year’s program raised more than $400,000 and will support the ALL STARS youth sports program at many local Boys & Girls Clubs. One highlight of this year’s campaign was the partnership with four professional athletes who have done meaningful work with Boys & Girls Clubs. These athletes are Rodney Hood of the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA, former NFL wide receiver Victor Cruz, Jordan Bell of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA and K’Lavon Chaisson of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Each athlete posted a #WayBackWednesday photo of themselves as a child athlete, an Instagram story telling their followers about Community Day and a call to action to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings® on Aug. 19. Thank you to those who participated in Community Day
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and for your ongoing partnership with your local clubs. This month, we’ll launch the Team Up for Kids fundraiser and continue to raise awareness about the importance of youth sports and our commitment to ensuring all kids have the opportunity to belong to a team. S
(Above) Jordan Bell of the Cleveland Cavaliers included this photo of himself in an Instagram post urging followers to support Community Day. (Left) Former NFL receiver Victor Cruz’s post about Community Day included a picture of him practicing football in high school.
Spotlight on the 116th Congress:
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) Q
where we truly impact small businesses in everything we do. As we craft public policy solutions, we must always consider the impact of these policies on smaller companies, and that’s been my focus.
As the son of a small-business owner, what qualities or skills did you develop growing up that you utilize as a senator?
A
I learned a lot growing up in a small-business family. I worked there and got to watch my dad build the business from scratch through integrity, accountability and a lot of hard work. His motto was “total reliability and people and product.” He always viewed it as a team effort, focusing on helping people in the company meet their potential. He was ahead of his time in a lot of ways, including providing profit sharing and retirement savings accounts long before that became the norm. The lessons I learned from him combined with my own experiences now as a small-business owner have allowed me to better understand the real-world impacts that policies made in D.C. have on small businesses in Ohio.
Q A
How is relief legislation, similar to what was passed during the pandemic, important to small-business owners?
How has your role on the Senate Committee on Finance influenced your opinions on the impact of legislation on small business?
Whether it is taxes, trade, health care, or pensions and retirement security, the Finance Committee is a place
Over the years I’ve focused a lot on small-business tax cuts, regulatory relief and making retirement plans simpler to use for small businesses. Recently, I was proud to help Cincinnati small-business owner Troy Parker receive a $235,000 PPP loan in June after we worked to expand PPP eligibility to cover Second Chance businesses owned by individuals who have a previous criminal record but have turned their lives around. Troy is a Second Chance success story, having started Innovative Labor and Cleaning in 2015 after re-entering the community. He hires others returning to the community, many of whom struggle with addiction and mental health issues. The PPP application initially asked applicants to declare unrelated felony records, which prohibited him from accessing the loan program. Together, we worked with the administration to remove barriers to PPP loans for entrepreneurs who have been involved with the justice system.
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In what ways are you seeking feedback from small businesses in Ohio and using that information in Washington, D.C.?
Over the August recess, I’ve visited several small businesses across Ohio to hear directly from them about how the federal response has helped or hurt them thus far and what they need moving forward to keep the doors open and continue to hire people. I look forward to taking the ideas and concerns I’ve heard back with me to Washington as the negotiations on the next COVID-19 response package continue. S
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What challenges have you helped small businesses in your district overcome?
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Through no fault of their own, a lot of small businesses have been under stress with the pandemic. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in particular has helped keep small businesses like Vinylmax in Hamilton, Ohio, and World Class Plastics of Russells Point, Ohio, afloat by providing loans – which in turn become forgivable grants – to keep employees on payroll with their health care and other benefits. This program has been a lifeline for so many in Ohio. I hear about it wherever I go.
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FRANCHISEE SPOTLIGHT
Brian Jordan Company Name: Potters Wings Partner(s): Bill Hall, Jason Hall Year Became a BWWÂŽ Franchisee: 2000 Total Number of BWW Locations: 7 States Where Located: Mississippi and Alabama Total Number of Employees: 570
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Brian Jordan, left, and Jason Hall of Potters Wings are testing drone delivery of food from two of their BWW sports bars and plan to start making limited deliveries later this year.
How did you and your partner(s) meet? We are family – myself; my
– we have friends. I can’t count the number of guests that have become personal friends of mine over the years.
What drew you to the brand?
Buffalo Wild Wings only. We sold the BURGER KINGs in 2006.
father-in-law, Bill Hall; and brother-in-law, Jason Hall. We owned and operated 11 BURGER KING® locations in the Jackson, Mississippi, market. In 1999, we began looking to diversify as fast food had become very competitive with dollar value menus and deep discounting. Jason was graduating from college, and we were looking to find a niche concept/ sports bar that we could develop moving forward. I attended The Ohio State University in the mid-’80s and spent many Tuesdays in the original Buffalo Wild Wings® off North High Street. I saw an ad in Nation’s Restaurant News about BW3® franchising and reached out to Bill McClintock. We received the franchise info packet the same day we received a call from a fellow BK® franchisee asking us to fly to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in two weeks to attend an important franchisee association meeting. Whether this was a coincidence or destiny, we flew to Minneapolis to attend our meeting and spent the next day at the BWW corporate office with Jim Disbrow, Sally Smith and the rest of their team and visited a couple of locations in Minneapolis with Bill. We then visited several Columbus, Ohio, locations that fall on trips back for Ohio State games and decided that we were in. We loved the concept and the ground-floor opportunity – there were approximately 100 locations at that time.
What is your favorite thing about the brand? I love the sports atmosphere
What are your current top three business goals? We are currently
building our seventh sports bar, which will open in October, and we’re in the process of negotiating a new ADA. That said, our top three goals are to attract and retain the best people; continue to grow our current sports bars AUVs and profitability; and pay off debt.
Describe your best recent business decision. When our dine-in
services were suspended because of COVID-19, we made the decision that we were not going to lay off our team members. We wanted to keep our teams in place so we would be ready for when it was safe to reopen our dining rooms. It cost us on the front end, having to carry that payroll, but it has been so beneficial to us. So many other restaurants and competitors that let their people go have really struggled operationally because they have not been able to staff back up.
What is the best business advice you have received? I’ve received so
much great advice throughout my life from family, friends, pastors, teachers, coaches,
Describe the biggest industry change since you started. I’ve been
in the restaurant business since 1987. It was much simpler then. It is more difficult today because of all the federal, state and local regulations. Industry and insurance changes and challenges, as well as dealing with all the difficulties of social media and a very litigious society, make things more challenging.
Describe your current biggest challenge as a franchisee.
Obviously, it has been and continues to be managing our business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is your favorite BWW wing sauce? Caribbean Jerk. If I weren’t a franchisee, I would be … An independent restaurateur. S
A CleAn You CAn Count on.
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Ecolab is here with expertise and resources to help keep your staff, kitchen and guests safe. Training on heightened procedures
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and the people. We all played sports and are huge sports fans, so we love that side of the business. At the end of the day, being in the restaurant business, you have to love people. I have been so blessed with many relationships that I have developed with team members who started as hourly employees and are now in leadership roles on our management teams, as well as those who have moved on to other careers outside of our organization. And, of course, our guests – we really emphasize to our team members that they get to know our guests on a personal level … not just their food or drink order. We do not have “regulars” in our restaurants
What other concepts do you own?
mentors and business associates. It really is too difficult to break it down to just one piece of advice, so I’ll give you a few. 1. It’s not magic, just hard work. You have to be willing to work harder – and hopefully smarter – than your competition. The harder you work the more things go your way. 2. Be a servant leader. Be unselfish and serve others, team members, guests and the communities we operate in. 3. Maintain a balanced life with focus on God, family, work and personal growth.
Franchisees Answer Pandemic Challenges With Innovation in Delivery and Takeout
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here are two ways to take a sucker punch: You can stay down for the count, or you can pull yourself up and swing back. Buffalo Wild Wings® franchisees took a tough blow from the coronavirus pandemic. Shuttered dining rooms meant switching all food sales to takeout and delivery. For quick-service restaurants, with established drive-thru lanes and staff well-trained on the procedures for serving guests that way, a closed dining room does not have the same impact as it does for a casual dining brand. For restaurants like BWW®, well, POW! B-Dubs® franchisees are not waiting for the ref to count them out, however. Organizations like High 5 Hospitality, Potters Wings, Spark Restaurants and World Wide Wings are back on their
feet and throwing counterpunches with innovations that not only answered the challenges their organizations faced in transitioning to takeout and delivery sales, but also have the potential to stick around when things eventually return to normal. Early this summer, Potters Wings and franchisee Brian Jordan, with seven BWW locations in Alabama and Mississippi, made headlines by partnering with startup company Deuce Drone, based in Mobile, Alabama, to begin making food deliveries by drone. “I believe it is the future of last-mile delivery, and it gives us the ability to be the last ones to handle the product before it gets to our guests,” Jordan said. “It is a contactless form of delivery, which COVID-19 has shown us the importance
Limited delivery of orders by drones from two BWW restaurants in Alabama is scheduled to begin in the fall. by Sean Ireland
of. Food will get to guests quicker, hotter or colder – depending, it will be less expensive, and the cool factor is undeniable.” When ready, the system will allow a BWW team member to package a completed order into a box that is then loaded into a port inside or outside the restaurant. The port system does the rest, with loading and takeoff occurring automatically. Drones are guided by a pad displaying a large QR code at the destination. Testing was done in August, and plans are for the first deliveries to be made in the next few months from Potters Wings’ Foley and Mobile, Alabama, Buffalo Wild Wings locations. “We will then add to our other locations as the service becomes available in those markets,” Jordan said. While perhaps not as high-flying as delivering food by air, other franchisees have been no less energetic about devising ways to improve their systems for safely providing food to customers outside of dining rooms.
receipts back to the guests, who go back to their cars and are called when their orders are ready. “The system is designed to make the customer experience the easiest, fastest and most comfortable possible while eliminating contagion risks in the process,” Rosckowff said. “Spark is proud to have employees like these, and we congratulate them for the great effort and such fantastic ideas. Our goal is to always be in front of trends in the industry, and these initiatives are the ones that allow us to stay one step ahead.”
BWW franchisee Potters Wings LLC and Alabama grocer Rouses Markets tested drone delivery of food in August.
SEAN IRELAND is the FBS associate director of communications. You may reach Ireland at 678-797-5165 or seani@myfbsonline.org.
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Likewise, the eight restaurants of High 5 Hospitality, located in Delaware and Maryland, had to build out new systems to handle the sudden shift. “We utilized sections of our dining room for staging and social distancing. We got really good at takeout,” said franchisee Bobby Pancake. “We found ways to make our expo areas more efficient for to-go food and, of course, added additional staffing. As of mid-August, we are still trending north of 55% takeout.” At World Wide Wings, with 67 locations in seven states across the country, the story is similar. “Our locations have set up streamlined pick-up operations, including separating parties by order type and encouraging the use of our mobile app for contactless payment and ordering options,” said Jimmy Calo, a district manager for the company in California. “These focuses have allowed our guests to complete orders and payments at a faster rate while bypassing any concerns they might have regarding social distancing and cash handling while ordering.” The brand itself is also focusing on carryout operations. In May, Buffalo
Wild Wings opened a new concept called Buffalo Wild Wings Go, a new scaleddown to-go format in 1,800 square feet in a location near its Atlanta headquarters. The outlet has a pared-down menu with wings, tenders, fries, tater tots, fried pickles, onion rings and cheese curds. It has heated lockers from which customers can pick up orders without interacting with an employee. It does not offer beer or other alcoholic beverages. For some of the franchisee groups, however, alcohol sales have played an important part in their success with carryout and delivery. Many municipalities around the country relaxed restrictions for restaurants on off-premise sales, and World Wide Wings made an aggressive push to offer bottled and draft beer to go. “Our locations were able to quickly acquire the necessary permits to begin takeout alcohol sales within days of ending dine-in operations,” Calo said. “Our locations have seen to-go beer sales be wildly popular. Our franchise has promoted growler sales and six-pack beer sales for $9.99, making it an easy sale for our guests.” High 5 Hospitality found that alcohol sales did not affect its restaurants as significantly, generating less than $1,000 per month in sales, according to Pancake, but it has experienced what he called “phenomenal” online ordering, with plenty of potential to grow in this area. “Our brand has found huge success with the use of online and mobile app ordering and payments,” Calo agreed. “It has allowed our guests to order and pay while making social distancing a non-issue. The technology has also given our brand a venue to reach out to our guests with specials, announcements and promotions via push notifications in the mobile app.” “As trends continue to be strong in delivery and takeout, we will continue to drive promotions and mobile specials to encourage our guests to order with us,” Calo said. “Free delivery agreements with third-party services and additional mobile paying options are all initiatives we continue to explore.” S
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“The biosecurity measures and the new threats to our customers’ and employees’ health have catalyzed innovation in our Buffalo Wild Wings units around Houston,” said Mick Rosckowff, chief operating officer of Spark Restaurants, which owns eight BWWs. “Our teams are thinking day and night of new ways to improve takeout, curbside, delivery and offer the best service while keeping our customers and our workers safe during these uncertain times.” The group’s team at its sports bar in Sugarland, Texas, quickly developed a system to manage orders, ensure safety and solve other problems with customer pickup that developed when its business became exclusively takeout. Particularly after 6 p.m., the restaurant was swarmed with guests coming to pick up orders at the tent that it set up outside. Social distancing was difficult, and there were also safety concerns about large numbers of pedestrians mixing with cars entering and leaving the parking lot. The team invented new job descriptions and organized itself so that all the new roles were filled. New positions included: Web Outside Names, Outside Names, Caller, Runner, Payment Runner, Inside Names, Phones/Tablets, Bagger and Side Bagger. The process starts on the sidewalk near the front of the building, which is roped to make two lines: one for web orders and one for call-ahead orders. The outside name employee gets the names and phone numbers of five guests at a time and gives them to the runner, who will deliver them to the inside name employee. Once the orders are ready, the runners call the guests to come back and pick up the orders. “This way, guests can park anywhere they want, and our runners don’t have to walk around the whole parking lot to find them. It also limits how many people are in the tent at a time,” Rosckowff said. Inside the kitchen, the baggers manage tickets. They give the heart of the house team the tickets 20 to 30 minutes before the order is due. If a customer arrives early, the bagger pushes the ticket so it can be made earlier. To avoid infection risks during money handling, call-ahead and walk-in guests give payment to the outside name employee, who requests a payment runner. Guests are given a small card to show that they are making payment as they wait at the tent. Runners bring
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Companies Emphasize Safety First as Dining Rooms Reopen by Sean Ireland
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o one ever said owning a small business was easy, but with hard work, focus, passion and a little luck, many find entrepreneurship to be fulfilling and rewarding. Of course, there are always obstacles to success, but in 2020, the challenges have gone far beyond what any small-business owner reasonably expects to face in a year. The difficulties brought to bear on the restaurant industry by the coronavirus pandemic have been particularly heavy. COVID-19 and the corresponding government-mandated closures and restrictions on dine-in operations have caused more disruption of this industry than perhaps any other, save for fitness clubs and hair salons. Buffalo Wild Wings® franchisees have been stung particularly hard. The closures of their dining rooms forced them to quickly ramp-up takeout operations without the benefit of a drive-thru lane and limited staff experience for working with customers that way. Mastering that, there was then the challenge of developing new procedures for safely reopening dining rooms and getting their teams trained to execute them. Of course, nearly six months into the pandemic, not all states had allowed restaurants to open their dining rooms, and in most places where they were open, there were restrictions on how many guests could be served as part of the regimen to ensure safety from the coronavirus. Operating within those restrictions was one piece of the puzzle that restaurants were faced with solving to get eat-in service restarted. BWW® franchisees are quickly putting the pieces together, however. Groups such as High 5 Hospitality and World Wide Wings (WWW) have taken guidance from health officials, the
franchisor and other experts and combined it with their own operational acumen to develop practices that keep dining rooms sanitized and socially distanced and give employees and guests confidence that they are safe. “Our franchise focus, from the beginning of the pandemic, has always been the safety of our team members and guests,” said Jimmy Calo, a California district manager for World Wide Wings, which has 67 BWW locations in seven states. “As such, our reopening guidelines were developed with strict adherence to all federal, state and local guidelines. Our locations have reopened on the side of caution and have ensured that our sports bars and teams are hyper-focused on maintaining a safe dining environment.” That is the guiding philosophy behind the practices that have been developed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. WWW made changes to floor plans by putting some tables into storage and adding space between others. The company retooled server support stations to accommodate additional tools and supplies for dining, including single-use utensils and condiments. It’s also added sanitation stations in strategic locations. In California, the company has had to move all dine-in business to seating outside the sports bar, a monumental task that required equipment rentals, retooling of audio and visual systems, and additional safety and sanitation measures. “The biggest changes during round one of reopening have been the reduced seating capacity and the additional procedures necessary for sanitation for COVID-19,” Calo said. “The reduced
carrying out the new procedures. H5H does it with continual follow-up at its locations by its managers and chief operating officer and providing consistent updates to employees on any changes they need to make. WWW’s operators use audits, check lists and digital check-ins to ensure that all the guidelines and safety procedures are being maintained and updated as needed. They’re certainly being watched to be sure that they do. Health inspectors make regular visits at the sports bars of each company. “Many of our locations have had positive, fair and helpful visits from local health authorities,” Calo said. “Our operators have found that these authorities and our brand have the same goal: safe operations for our team members and guests. They have been a great resource for clarification of guidelines and have been sharing best practices from across industries to aid our locations in maintaining safe dining environments.” H5H’s interactions with health authorities and alcohol enforcement officers have been somewhat less collaborative, with Pancake reporting that officials are deputizing members of the public to make them aware of any violations by the sports bars. It’s all the more reason to ensure that employees know what they are doing and that all the reopening and safety procedures are being followed consistently and visibly. “It is very important that both our teams and guests know that our sports bars are following all mandated guidelines for reopening and, in many ways, going beyond recommendations to ensure the safety of our team and guests,” Calo said. S SEAN IRELAND is the FBS associate director of communications. You may reach Ireland at 678-797-5165 or seani@myfbsonline.org.
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capacity required all our locations to rearrange their dining rooms to ensure social distancing. The additional sanitation procedures required additional training for our team members and systems of accountability for our operators.” WWW used the resources of the franchisor, including its digital learning and training platform, as a key tool for getting the federal and state health guidelines into the hands of employees. “The ServSafe COVID-19 training that was mandatory for all managers and team members was instrumental in aligning everyone on all safety procedures. In conjunction with shoulder-to-shoulder coaching, it has helped us to ensure a safe and smooth operation,” Calo said. High 5 Hospitality (H5H) put social-distancing marks on the floor at its sports bars and switched to single-use and digital menus, removed condiment bottles from tables and requires employees to wear face masks, answer health questionnaires and complete temperature checks before starting shifts. The company also makes sure guests see employees regularly wiping things down, especially high-touch surfaces, something industry research conducted and published by Toast shows will be considered most important to the dining experience by 64% of guests as restaurants resume on-premise service. The company was keenly focused on getting its employees trained on new procedures for serving and interacting with guests. “Fortunately, we had the guidelines a few days before we went ‘live’ and the dining rooms were closed,” said Bobby Pancake, franchisee with H5H, which operates eight locations in Delaware and Maryland. “This gave us ample time and a great facility to hold all staff meetings. As the rules are constantly changing, we update the teams via the communication board, notes in the scheduling app and pre-shift meetings.” Slowly, but surely, H5H’s locations are getting back into action. “Beginning June 1, during phase one [of reopening] in Delaware, it was reservation-only for a couple of weeks and 30% capacity and no bar seating. In Maryland, it was patio-only for a couple of weeks. Then we moved to 60% and 50%, respectively, social distancing at the bar and a plethora of mandated signage,” Pancake said. From these beginnings, there is hope the pandemic will fade and things will continue to improve. As more and more sporting events return to the airwaves, both companies anticipate a positive effect on dine-in business. “We have no doubt that our guests are ready to watch sports in our sports bars,” Calo said. “Our operators are plugged into their locations and guests and are constantly revising schedules, orders and staffing to meet the demand for live viewing in our sports bars.” H5H expects a 25% increase in sales versus current trends and to get back to 50% to 60% of its pre-pandemic numbers if things continue to improve across the nation as it moves into football season. “Hopefully, we can get past all the restrictions and back to a new normal,” Pancake said. That new normal includes expanded operating hours too. Both companies curtailed hours in the name of meeting state and local government safety mandates. H5H began to open for longer periods of time in August, and WWW has also boosted hours in locations where it is allowed. Everyone hopes that as the nation moves into the fall, COVID-19 infections will drop and restrictions on dining at restaurants can be eased further. Both companies know that to help make it happen, their sports bars must stay focused on
BWW System Has Opportunity to Move Minority Causes Forward
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he summer of 2020 became a season of reckoning on race in the United States when video of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, while in the custody of four Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officers covered social media and news programs across the country. Floyd’s death, combined with other incidents earlier in the year, touched off protests focused on systemic racism in social and civic institutions. More broadly, however, the incident also led many organizations across the spectrums of business, education and philanthropy to assess their own policies and positions on diversity and inclusion. At franchisee organizations like World Wide Wings LLC, which has 67 Buffalo Wild Wings® sports bars in seven states, leaders work very hard to ensure that within the company’s culture and structure, everyone is treated equally and opportunities for advancement are based on merit and work ethic, not skin color or gender or sexual orientation. “We foster a culture where every voice is heard, welcomed and respected,” said Wray Hutchinson, president of the
company. Since its founding, World Wide Wings has operated using Equal Employment Opportunity Commission practices, and it closely monitors EEO-1 compliance survey results, pay scales and differentials, and strategic succession planning to ensure diversity is maintained throughout the organization. “Currently, World Wide Wings LLC is working to engage all leaders within the company in a diversity and inclusion training course to ensure we are continuing to uphold our cultural expectations,” Hutchinson added. “In addition to this training, we have enrolled all team members in an online course discussing diversity and inclusion in the workforce.” As protests grew out of the incidents from the spring and summer, the company reinforced its commitment to diversity. “Our CEO has reached out electronically to every member of our organization to ensure our teams understand what we stand for and how important it is to embrace diversity within our company,” Hutchinson said. “In addition, I send out biweekly video messages that are communicated to
all team members regarding not only business updates, but societal changes going on in the world, which has created an atmosphere that encourages open communication amongst our team members.” Many companies share this commitment to equal opportunity in their organizations, but there is more work to be done. At Franchise Business Services (FBS), where Hutchinson is chairman, he and franchisee Karim Webb of PCF Restaurant Management co-hosted a webinar attended by dozens of franchise and brand leaders on June 26 to discuss race and inequity in society. The discussion they and others shared was enlightening and challenged leaders to have conversations with people on their teams who are different from them to learn more about their lives and the disadvantages people of color often face. As an extension of that conversation, Webb wrote this piece to explain why leaders must continue to broaden their horizons and reach out to their employees to better help them overcome the challenges they face. S
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good, above all else. We are all fortunate to be Buffalo Wild Wings® franchisees. Discipline, hard work and good fortune have unlocked our blessing. As leaders, let’s demonstrate a new way that prioritizes those left behind who, through no fault of their own, face life circumstances that have created barriers too burdensome to overcome. Barriers too high for hard work and discipline alone to rise above.
A healthier, more prosperous America cannot exist without improving outcomes for African Americans and other minorities. We know it works. We’ve experienced the difference ownership has made in our own lives.
KARIM WEBB is an entrepreneurial activist and co-founder of PCF Restaurant Management.
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Racial disparities and income inequality run deep in America. Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen the bottom 10th percentile’s wealth go from an average of $0 to being in debt $1,000. During that same time, we’ve seen the top 99th percentile’s wealth jump sevenfold. (And that does not include
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s has been the case for the last 18 years, in September, we reflect on the most devastating attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor – Sept. 11, 2001. That day Americans of all races, religions and cultures died. Numerous others died abroad in the wars that followed, and to this day, first responders continue to perish from toxic exposure at ground zero. Instantly the magnitude of 9-11 cut through our differences and created a cohesive resolve unique to current-day Americans. And for myself and many others, it made evident that we could unite for a shared purpose. Together. This year, a global pandemic made the pervasive inequities endured by people of color visible to everyday Americans. Then, the brutal killing of George Floyd and the ensuing civil unrest further illuminated our significant differences of experience and beliefs. Seemingly, the feeling we had after 9-11 has dissipated. “Togetherness” doesn’t seem to live here anymore. In his posthumous letter to America, the great John Lewis spoke of the first time he heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio, “He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. [E]ach generation must do its part to help build what we called the beloved community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.” We all deserve to exist equitably in America. But equity will not happen unless we, as leaders, demonstrate foresight and actively create the outcomes we seek with a commitment to the greater
the wealth increase of half a trillion dollars billionaires have received thus far during COVID-19.) As of 2016, the typical white family has a net worth of $171,000, nearly 10 times that of a Black family’s $17,150 net worth. This lack of wealth means Black and Hispanic families live generational poverty, inheriting debt instead of assets. And as the studies have shown, this severely impacts health outcomes amongst these groups. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently found that the life expectancy gap between the top 1% and the lowest 1% is 14-plus years for men and roughly 10 years for women. That is incredible. But it is not happenstance; it is deliberate and reflects a society that does not afford equality to all its citizens. I know these obstacles can be overcome with the assistance of people like you and me. On average, ownership doubles household wealth, and the impact of this wealth creation for people of color is pronounced. However, of the nearly 30 million businesses in the United States, only 8 million are minorityowned. We should be deliberate in our commitment to improving outcomes for people of color because it’s in our collective interest to do so. A healthier, more prosperous America cannot exist without improving outcomes for African Americans and other minorities. We know it works. We’ve experienced the difference ownership has made in our own lives. I’m hoping you will consider helping someone own a business who otherwise would not. Your experience and acumen are gifts that can be shared and leveraged to change lives. People admire you for what you’ve accomplished. The chance to learn what you know is a carrot that will incentivize people to behave in winning ways. That positive behavior shows up in interactions with their families and communities, not just in business. The soul of America is calling for its leaders to lead with love. What better way than to teach someone how to fish? S
BLM? ? o o T What Is Next and #Me Why You Should Not Fear It ‌ If You Implement the Right Policy by Douglas H. Duerr
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ven if you are not a news junkie, it is unlikely you have missed the increased attention to issues of racial justice sweeping across the country and even internationally. There is no debate that, in 2020, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has regained energy and, at least for now, largely displaced the #MeToo movement from the front pages of news publications and feeds. Who can predict what movement is next and what does this mean for you, the small or large employer? Well, that depends. Did you really expect a different answer from a lawyer? Before you answer that question, let me state that, this time, it does
really depend upon what kind of employer you are. Let me explain. If you read this column with any kind of regularity (you do, don’t you?), you know a recurring theme is the importance of having clear, written policies to communicate consistent expectations to all employees, management and hourly, requiring consistent enforcement of those policies and that you, as a leader, model those policies. Over the various articles I have written, I have laid out, from a compliance perspective, what some of those policies should cover,
If You Implement the Right Policy
Most studies agree that having a diverse workforce produces greater productivity and better financial performance and, when the labor market is competitive, is more attractive to millennials.
which you recruit? When we refer to equity, this means encouraging behaviors, systems or policies to ensure fair and just treatment of all employees, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, beliefs, etc. Just like for your customers, one size does not fit all; every individual starts on a different playing field. Creating opportunities that meet individuals where they are and address their unique needs is key to ensuring a successful workforce. Inclusion aims to build a culture of belonging by actively inviting the contribution and participation of all people, that is, making everyone feel welcomed, needed and part of the organization, regardless of their differences. So, what does this have to do with BLM and #MeToo? If your workplace has policies on harassment, nondiscrimination, and diversity, equality and inclusion, and you actually implement those policies in practice, then it is unlikely that you have a workplace that is discriminatory based on race or sex (or any other protected characteristic). If so, you have little to fear from those or other movements seeking workplace equality. Remember, these and other movements are about treating every person, regardless of their differences, with dignity and respect. S
DOUGLAS H. DUERR is partner at Elarbee Thompson, a national labor and employment law firm with an industry practice area focused on franchises. Learn more at www.elarbeethompson.com.
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including policies on harassment, recruitment, feedback and so forth. If you have followed that guidance over the years I have been writing for this publication, then even if you do not have a formal policy on diversity, equity and inclusion, your workplace probably has few, if any, changes to make to provide an environment free of racial and/or sexual inequality. That is, your workplace already recognizes and fosters an environment of diversity, equality and inclusion because you, your managers and your staff treat others with dignity and respect. Even if your workplace practices diversity, equity and inclusion, or you have a way to go, it is important to have a written policy. Why? As discussed in prior articles, having a written policy is a vital first step in communicating (demonstrating?) that it is important to the organization. After all, if you cannot be bothered to put it into writing, why should anyone care? Second, putting it into writing communicates to your managers and staff – as well as the community at large – what your expectations are, a first step in bringing about compliance. Having a written policy does not make it happen on the ground, but it is an important first step in making consistent application of the policy a reality. So, why have a policy on, and practice of, diversity, equity and inclusion? And, frankly, what do these terms mean? There have been many studies on the impact of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As you might expect, the studies produce differing results and are not without their controversies; however, most studies agree that having a diverse workforce produces greater productivity and better financial performance and, when the labor market is competitive, is more attractive to millennials. Interestingly having such a policy statement is no longer seen as “progressive” but is becoming a minimal requirement of a desirable place to work. Of course, to realize the benefits, you need to implement the policy into practice. So, what do these terms mean? To have a diverse workforce means that you have people of varying gender, age, religion, race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, religion, languages, education, abilities, etc. While sometimes the term “diverse” is limited just to racial diversity, it is actually much broader: Does your workforce truly represent all the differences of the community you serve and, if different, the community in
Preparing Restaurants for Winter Prevents Problems Later
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ith colder temperatures on the way, it’s important to make sure your restaurant is prepared for wintery weather. Regular seasonal maintenance helps keep your store warm and welcoming and your food-service equipment ready for business all season long. With the right preparation, you can reduce your risk of accidents and claims.
Make an Emergency Plan
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emergency supplies, including first aid kits, weather radios, flashlights, batteries and tool kits. Having the necessary supplies on hand can help protect your customers from slip-and-fall accidents, keep your team safe during inclement weather, and protect your franchise and its contents from weather damage.
Service Your HVAC System
Help your team take the right steps in case of a severe weather event by putting a plan in place now before the weather gets bad. When a snowstorm hits or the power goes out, everyone should know what to do. Have the plan handy for quick reference and include a list of emergency contact numbers and safety instructions for backup generators, shut-off valves and emergency procedures. Effective emergency planning with your team can help minimize the risks of weather incidents, equipment damage, personal injuries and business disruption.
Before colder weather arrives, service your furnace and heating system. Schedule a service call to take care of routine maintenance for the whole system and address any problems. Remember to replace air filters, clean ducts and vents, and ensure air is blowing at optimal capacity. A well-maintained HVAC system is important not only for the comfort of customers in the front of the house, but also to ensure equipment in the back of the house is kept at a safe operating temperature. Equipment operated at the proper temperature will last longer and lead to fewer problems.
Stock up on Winter Supplies
Consider Cooling the Kitchen
Winter storms can come on suddenly, making it tough to stock up on short notice. Order the supplies to manage snow and ice hazards, including ice melt, snow shovels, winter floor mats and wet floor signage. Check outdoor lighting and replace dim or burnt-out bulbs. Now is also a good time to check your
Heating the kitchen is crucial for protecting your equipment but running the heat in a space where ovens, fryers and stoves are always on can cause other problems. An uncomfortably hot workplace could impact the safety of your team members, and many restaurants now cool kitchens in winter. Zoned heating
Perform Roof Maintenance
systems are one solution but retrofitting your existing system can be difficult. Another solution is to invest in portable air conditioning units in areas where heat is likely to be uncomfortable. Take the comfort of your back-of-house workers into account when considering the question of temperature. It can improve efficiency and lessen your risk for accidents and claims.
Prevent Frozen Pipes Pipes freeze easily in below-zero temperatures, leading to loss of water access and costly repairs from damaged or burst pipes and fixtures. Inside the restaurant, fix leaks and insulate water line pipes. In an extreme cold, let faucets drip Ensure your slightly to minimize the risk of damage. Ensure restaurant is cooler and freezer drains have freeze protection. ready for the Outside your restaurant, shut off the irrigation winter before system and remove hoses winter weather from outdoor spigots in anticipation of freezing arrives. weather. Water left in the irrigation system can lead to ice in the parking lot, causing a fall hazard. Hoses may trap freezing water and damage the faucet. Addressing these risks proactively can reduce the chance of damage to your building and risk to customers and team members.
Prepare for Power Outages
Learn more at Elevanta.LocktonAffinity.com or contact the Lockton Affinity team at Elevanta@LocktonAffinity.com or 844-403-4947.
BREWED F O R T H E D AY
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INSPIRED BY THE MOON
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Power outages can significantly impact your restaurant, leading to lost sales, food spoilage and loss of profits. A backup generator makes a wise investment if you are in an area prone to winter outages. With a backup generator, you can minimize losses by powering your refrigeration units, essential equipment and emergency lighting. Make sure employees know what to do in an outage, including operation of the generator, safe food temperature monitoring and other safety protocols.
Leaves and debris can accumulate near roof drains and scuppers in the fall. When snow and ice arrive, the blocked drainage can cause a host of problems for the building and personal safety. Ice dams can form and lead to water pooling on the roof, which can overflow onto sidewalks, causing a slip-and-fall hazard. It could also cause water intrusion into the restaurant. A flat roof can also collapse under the weight of pooled water, causing serious damage and business interruption. Perform the proper maintenance before ice and snow arrive to prevent these problems. Ensure your restaurant is ready for the winter before winter weather arrives. Taking care of your maintenance and preparation needs now can help minimize the risks of weather-related damage, injuries and business interruptions and protect you from claims. For more risk management tips and information about available coverage to protect your business, contact Lockton Affinity, the co-broker of the Elevanta Insurance Program. Lockton Affinity offers key coverage designed with your insurance requirements in mind. S
Look Ahead Remove Obstacles
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by Dan Coughlin
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ou and your team are on a quest. You are trying to fulfill some meaningful purpose and achieve some important objectives. On this journey there will be obstacles that will try their very best to stop you and prevent you from ever fulfilling that purpose and achieving those outcomes. This article focuses on what you can do regarding three types of obstacles: human dynamics, logistics and the unforeseen.
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Human Dynamics and the Importance of Orchestration If you announce a new way of doing something or a new product or service that you want your company to sell, it could be embraced by your employees, suppliers and customers, or it could be undermined by them.
A lot of the challenge is in the way you communicate the new item. • Who are the key individuals you need to get on board before you announce it to everyone else? • What is the order in which you need to talk with these key individuals?
• What do you need them to support and champion to other people? Answering these three questions is what I’m calling orchestration, and orchestration is critically important. Take the time to write down your answers to those questions and then follow your plan. Don’t fall into the temptation of telling everyone about the new thing until you have worked your way through your plan of who to talk with and in what order to talk with
them and what the key points are that you want to get them excited about. In addition, I encourage you to read a timeless classic called “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. Logistics and the Importance of Detailed Planning Almost nothing ruins the initial excitement of a big idea more than being unprepared to execute the details down the road. Here’s a simple example on a nonbusiness level. Imagine you are redoing the kitchen in your home. You are excited about the drawings. You take pictures as your old kitchen is taken out and the work is being done to get all the electrical outlets prepared and the new floor is put in. And then you end up waiting nine months for the cabinets to arrive.
Almost nothing ruins the initial excitement of a big idea more than being unprepared to execute the details down the road.
The Unforeseen and the Importance of Staying Calm We cannot predict the future. We don’t know what new crisis is coming our way. We can’t see every unforeseen war, tragedy and disease before it happens. However, one thing we can predict with almost 100% certainty is that something bad is going to happen at some point. It’s like people in cold weather areas being surprised by the first snowfall of the year. Folks, it snows every year. You know it’s coming. This is not an unexpected event. We don’t know exactly what the unforeseen thing is going to be before it happens, but we do know with almost complete certainty that something bad will happen at some point. When that something bad happens, stay calm and stay focused. Do what you can while you can do it. Acting like the
world is coming to an end in the next five minutes is not going to help you or your team. Staying calm and maintaining poise is one of the most important things you can offer. Conclusion To remove distant obstacles, think into the future. Imagine what you need to communicate and what order you need to communicate with individuals and groups. Write down all the details that need to be executed for the new item to be delivered on time and focus on doing all of those details. Foresee that something unforeseen is going to happen and be prepared emotionally to stay calm through that storm. S
DAN COUGHLIN is president of The Coughlin Company Inc., a management consulting firm focused on improving executive effectiveness and significance. He serves as a thinking partner for executives, managers and business owners toward improving their most important desired business outcomes. He does this through executive coaching for individuals and small groups. He also provides keynote speeches and seminars on effectiveness and leadership.
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This same lack of logistical preparation happens in business. You announce an exciting new product or service offering. The employees and customers are hyped for what is about to happen. Then you miss the rollout of the new product or service by nine months beyond the announced date because some key items are missing. Write out a plan of everything that will be needed to deliver the new item on time. Then spend even more time focused on making sure each of those details is executed well than you spent on making the big announcement of the new item.
Staying calm and maintaining poise is one of the most important things you can offer.
HOW TO ENSURE YOUR EMPLOYEES ARE
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by Dennis Snow
ven if you have been open for business in some form, the likelihood is that you’re still ramping up, and your employees must be ready. No matter what type of business you operate, the performance of your employees will likely be the driving factor in the quality of the customer experience during what could be a confusing and emotionally charged time. It’s best to think of this as an opportunity to re-onboard your people, even those who might have been working in some capacity during the coronavirus shutdown. Here are some key onboarding topics to be planning right now to ensure that your employees are show ready when the time comes.
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SAFETY FIRST. The No. 1 consideration is: How will we ensure the safety of our customers and employees? Every employee needs to know what safety equipment is available, how to use it properly and what the safety non-negotiables are. Most customers are going to be very conscious of your organization’s attention to safety. So, your employees need to know exactly what’s expected of them in making sure everyone and everything is safe.
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WARM WELCOME. How will we welcome our customers back? Even if you’ve been open in some format, you’ll still be welcoming a lot of customers back to your business. Talk to your team about what that welcome should look and sound like. Role play until everyone knows how to ensure your customers know that you and your team are thrilled that they are back and appreciate their business. Those first few days of operation will set the tone for how customers feel about your operation. Don’t leave that feeling to chance.
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FOND FAREWELL. On the other side, what does a fond farewell look and sound like? How should customers be treated as they end their visit to your business? Discuss with your employees ways to encourage your customers to come back, spread the word that you’re open and just generally feel good about what just happened. While you don’t want employees to sound robotic, there’s nothing wrong with being clear about the tone and intent of how that fond farewell should go.
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Those first few days of operation will set the tone for how customers feel about your operation. Don’t leave that feeling to chance.
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THE BIGGER PURPOSE. Reconnect your people with the bigger purpose of their jobs. A job’s purpose is always bigger than a job’s tasks. A gym is helping people live longer, healthier lives. A bank or a credit union is helping people have a bright financial future. A salon helps people feel good about themselves ... you get the idea. Tell stories about the impact that employees have on customers beyond the mechanics
of the job. When your customers come back to your business, you want them to sense the pride that your employees feel in what they do. Build or rebuild that employee pride right away. Most of what I’ve talked about in these five points will apply to onboarding employees at any time, regardless of the circumstances. But for many organizations, this reopening time is a critical moment in the organization’s future success or failure. Look at it as an opportunity to re-engage your team and deliver an outstanding customer experience. People have been cooped up for a long time, and just about everyone is hungry for outstanding experiences. So, here’s something to think about: What can you do right now to ensure that your team is show ready when your customers return? S
DENNIS SNOW is the president of Snow & Associates Inc. Dennis worked with The Walt Disney Co. for 20 years and now consults with organizations around the world, helping them achieve their customer service goals. He is the author of “Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service” and “Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life.” You can reach Snow at 407-294-1855 or visit his website at www.snowassociates.com.
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Great alternative to sodas or soft drinks, and you’ll profit from selling this beverage due to its premium high-quality price point.
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HANDLING PROBLEMS. What should employees do when there is a customer problem or complaint? There might be problems or misunderstandings that occur because of safety procedures that customers are now expected to follow. Is there a way to head off those misunderstandings before they occur by “training customers” when they arrive? There have been a handful of news stories about dangerous employee/customer confrontations that have occurred, and I think we all need to be in constant learning mode on this one. But be proactive and discuss potential problems with your team and how to handle them in a way that still makes customers feel respected and valued. And on those rare occasions when a customer
situation starts spinning out of control, train your employees on exactly what to do and how to get you involved. Again, be hyperfocused on learning and evolving with each challenging customer situation.
Eliminating Energy Drains: Identifying Stressors in
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ave you ever noticed how much energy it takes to stew about something? Stress is your body’s response to an undesirable situation. When you experience an event you perceive as stressful, the stress hormone adrenaline is released. Your heart beats faster, your breath quickens and your blood pressure rises. Your liver increases its output of blood sugar, and blood flow gets diverted to your brain and muscles. You’re now ready to “fight or take flight.” After the threat passes, your body relaxes again. You may be able to handle an occasional stressful event, but when it happens repeatedly, the effects compound over time and can have negative effects on your health. Long-term, stress has been shown to cause heart disease, ulcers, high blood pressure and low immunity. You either reduce stress with energy deposits or increase stress with energy drains. Some people expose themselves to constant energy drains. To reduce stress, you must seek to minimize things that sap your energy: Time commitments. When I began my speaking business in 1992, I joined seven different professional organizations to expand my network of contacts. After a year of attending all those meetings, I dreaded the thought of going. I stepped back and evaluated each one of them in terms of my return on time: “What do I receive from this membership?” “Is my investment of time and money worth the benefits I receive?” “Has this organization directly impacted my bottom line?” Everything can have some benefit to your career. Ask yourself what specific benefits you can trace to your involvement
Your Life by Laura Stack
and determine its worth. I quit all but three associations, to which I still belong today. Chronic worrying. Worrying can be a big waste of time. Legitimate worries are real concerns and are actually problems to be solved. Other worries may never happen, such as, “The company lost money this quarter. I wonder if that means we’re in trouble and I’m going to lose my job.” This type of worrying is often a symptom of insecurity and reflects a lack of self-confidence. Worrying about the future causes nervous fatigue and can destroy your focus. So, make an appointment with yourself to worry. Start a brainstorming session with, “What should I do about…” and write down possible solutions. If you discover there’s nothing you can actively do to reduce your concerns, it’s probably not a worthy thing to worry about. Promise yourself you’ll worry about it when and if it happens. You can only afford to spend time and energy on legitimate concerns. Interpersonal conflicts. “I simply cannot stand that man.” “I can’t believe she did that.” Unresolved conflict dissipates your mental strength, causes tension and fatigue, and is self-destructive. Ongoing anger wears you down emotionally and leaves you feeling out of control. Instead of letting conflicts eat at you, determine the most expedient way to resolve the situation. You could choose to give into the other person. You could settle on a compromise and give up something to get something. You could develop new alternatives, so that both of you still reach your goals and feel good about the situation. You always have a choice in how you handle a conflict.
Choose the best reaction and let go of the situation. Demanding friendships. Friendship is a delicate balance of give and take. When you’re having a rough time, you need support. Sometimes your friends need you. In the end, it all balances out, right? But what if it doesn’t? I’ve had people in my life that took and took and never gave back. I no longer have a friendship with those people. Friendship isn’t psychotherapy. The above items are all examples of things that sap your energy. There are many more. You can create a T-chart that lists “Things I enjoy” on one side and “Things I dislike” on the other. Once you identify the things that sap your energy, you can identify possible ways to eliminate them. The important shift is to recognize that you have choices and options in the way you live and respond to stressful situations. Make it a productive day! S
LAURA STACK, MBA, CSP, CPAE, aka The Productivity Pro®, gives speeches and seminars on sales and leadership productivity. For over 25 years, she’s worked with Fortune 1000 clients to reduce inefficiencies, execute more quickly, improve output and increase profitability. Laura is the author of seven books, including “Doing the Right Things Right: How the Effective Executive Spends Time.” To invite Laura to speak at your next event, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.
What Is Unclaimed Property? Did You Know It’s Your Job to Find It? by Stacy Smith, CPA
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hat happens when an employee quits and you can’t find her to send a final paycheck? What if a customer has a credit balance on an account and you can’t locate him to return it? Or what happens when you own a rental property and a vacated tenant doesn’t leave a forwarding address for you to return the rental deposit? These are all examples of unclaimed property, which can be a risky area for business owners who aren’t aware of their obligation to account for it. As of 2020, there is an estimated $49.5 billion in unclaimed property in the United States. The top states for unclaimed property are New York, Massachusetts, Nevada, Rhode Island, Virginia, California and Connecticut. As states become increasingly aggressive to look for new sources of revenue, unclaimed property examinations are also on the rise, which could result in big penalties. What is unclaimed property? Unclaimed property laws were created to protect owners who are vulnerable to the loss of their property, which can be intangible (uncashed paychecks, stocks) or tangible (the contents in a safe deposit box). You may have also heard similar terms like “escheat” or “abandoned property.” Typically, the owner of the property has had it for at least a year. Examples of unclaimed property can include abandoned property, annuities, insurance payments, security deposits, gift cards or certificates, payroll checks, uncashed dividends, balances on a customer account, refunds, rebates – basically items of value. And there is no standard statute of limitations.
As you expand your business across multiple states, unclaimed property can be viewed as a liability. Growing your business requires transparency in accounting for liabilities and assets. Compliance with state rules can be confusing and often the definition of unclaimed property isn’t clear. Do you have to pay taxes on unclaimed property? Unclaimed property is not taxed while it is filed as unclaimed. However, when it is claimed, the property may be officially recognized as taxable income, which is another reason to pay attention and have an understanding about the unclaimed property you must account for.
STACY SMITH, CPA, is a shareholder with Mize Restaurant Group (formerly Mize Houser & Company), a full-service accounting firm that has provided the Elevanta Accounting & Payroll Solution for FBS members.
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If you are non-compliant with correctly reporting unclaimed property, the penalties can be painful. Case in point: A recent audit of a restaurant owner with multiple locations resulted in a $3 million initial assessment, including interest and penalties. Depending on the specific state, you can expect to pay significant interest approaching 20% per year and hefty penalties. If you are audited, some states will go back a decade or more looking for unclaimed property. If a business cannot provide records, estimates will be used that can greatly increase the assessment amount. If you are not compliant, there is still hope. Most states offer voluntary disclosure agreements that offer amnesty from interest and penalties if you come forward and bring your business up to date. However, these only apply if you enter an agreement before you get audited. S
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It’s your job to find it. And account for it. As a business owner, it’s your job to capture and account for unclaimed property. The challenging part is identifying these assets so you are in compliance with regulations that vary from state to state. Also, the definition of a “dormancy period” (i.e., how long the property has been unclaimed) can be different. If you do find unclaimed property, you are obligated to identify it (known as due diligence), notify or return the unclaimed property to the owner and, if you cannot locate the owner, remit the unclaimed property item to the state (also known as escheatment).
How to deal with unclaimed property. Because laws vary widely from state to state, identify the states where you have employees working. Set up a method or tool to capture information on uncollected property and a timeline for reviewing the list and sending out notifications each year. Also loop in your accountant or tax adviser to review your list of unclaimed property items.
One topic: 10 facts Restaurant Reopenings
1 Seventy-six percent of people do not have a problem with restaurants offering a limited menu upon reopening.
2 If curbside pickup is an option, 50% of Gen Z consumers are willing to try out a new restaurant.
3 The CDC has confirmed that coronavirus cannot be spread through food, but only 62% of consumers believe that cooking food kills the virus.
4 Nine out of 10 QSR operators say food trends such as drive-thrus and condensed menus are either as important or more important than before the pandemic.
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7 More than three-fifths of consumers agree that restaurant food is a treat/escape from worrying about COVID-19.
8 The majority of respondents in a recent Toast survey – 64% – reported that seeing staff take safety precautions and wear personal protective equipment will be most important to the dining experience as restaurants resume on-premise service.
9 Thirty-five percent of consumers would pay $2-$5 more per bill at a restaurant if it helped increase their level of safety.
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There was a 23% increase between May and August of diners who ate inside a restaurant.
Over half of diners agree that the quality of food is the most important factor when deciding what restaurant to order from.
6 Forty-three percent of consumers dislike having to view contactless menus online.
Sources: Datassential, Toast
LOOK LISTEN READ
L
ook, Listen, Read is a quarterly compilation of some of the most highly rated and reviewed apps, podcasts, books, websites and other resources. FBS does not support or endorse the use of these tools, which merely serve as a guide to exploring a new level of knowledge and productivity for your business.
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The Order Up podcast, brought to you by the National Restaurant Association, brings you stories from behind the research and the policy during this time of challenging decisions. Join Order Up each Friday for stories from association leaders and those in the restaurant industry, backed by research and policy. Order Up shares conversations about the recovery ahead of the industry, informed by the latest data. You’ll leave with an understanding of the current issues and insights into the best business practices.
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“Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business” is a landmark, bestselling business book and a fascinating behind-the-scenes history of the creation of author Danny Meyer’s most famous eating establishments. “Setting the Table” is a treasure trove of valuable, innovative insights applicable to any business or organization.
Over the course of 20 years, Napoleon Hill researched the most prominent men of his day for his book “Think and Grow Rich.” Turns out these men all shared 13 common habits that made them successful. Hill published his findings in 1937. Today, this classic read is considered the forerunner of self-help books. The biggest takeaway is you must have the right state of mind to become successful. Hill breaks down the exact steps needed to develop a winning mindset.
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Striven: All the power of enterprise software, designed specifically for small to midsize businesses. Finally, you don’t need a huge budget to get everything your business needs to run more effectively.
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NetSuite software is an online service that enables companies to manage all key business processes in a single system. Companies use NetSuite for enterprise resource planning and to manage inventory, track their financials, host e-commerce stores and maintain customer relationship management systems.
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Bestselling author Rachel Hollis takes on all the challenges entrepreneurs face in her podcast RISE. Hollis interviews other entrepreneurs and offers applicable advice and tactics for running your business better or being a better businessperson. By listening to the RISE podcast, you’ll learn how to kick that nasty procrastination habit or how to change your mindset to be more positive.
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Gusto makes your company’s payroll, tax and benefits processes more efficient. In addition to managing online employee onboarding, Gusto handles new-hire reporting and all local, state and federal tax filings; automates deductions for benefits and workers’ comp payments; and emails digital pay stubs to employees.
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“Who Moved My Cheese?” uses a simple parable to reveal profound truths about dealing with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life. Most people are fearful of change, both personal and professional, because they don’t have any control over how or when it happens to them. Since change happens either to the individual or by the individual, Dr. Spencer Johnson, the co-author of the multimillion bestseller “The One Minute Manager,” uses a deceptively simple story to show that when it comes to living in a rapidly changing world, what matters most is your attitude. S
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The journey to success is different for everyone. The obstacles we overcome along the way are often what make us who we are. Come along as we travel the paths of the most influential people at United Wholesale Mortgage, one of the fastest-growing companies in the country, through the Power Forward podcast. Their stories will inspire you to power forward in all that you do.
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CALL FOR FRANCHISEE NEWS
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Issue 4 is due out December 2020. As always, we want to highlight any news or events associated with our members. If you have ideas for potential stories, please submit online at www.myfbsonline.org, email communications@myfbsonline.org or call 678-797-5161 by Oct. 23. Our editorial staff can assist in writing the article.
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Important coverage tailored for FBS members As a business owner, you face a multitude of risks and protecting against those risks can be difficult. With coverage from co-brokers, Elevanta and Lockton Affinity, it’s easy.
We offer three core insurance products—General Liability, Property and Workers’ Compensation—and additional products, including: Cyber Liability • Employment Practices Liability • Alcohol Liability Commercial Auto • Professional Liability • Umbrella
Key program benefits Along with comprehensive coverage, you have access to: Complimentary policy reviews Concerned you don’t have the right protection? Email Lockton Affinity your current insurance policies and we will review them free of charge to ensure your franchise has the right coverage and limits in place. Risk management tools We offer risk management tools like loss prevention plans, risk management articles and webinars to help you mitigate risk—and lower your insurance premiums—over time. Efficient interactions Apply for coverage with a quick, downloadable application. In the event of an incident, we work to settle claims fast so that you can get back to business. Quick price indication We developed a simple price indication tool that takes less than five minutes to complete. We will review your submission and respond with an indication, allowing you to make a financially informed decision about your insurance.
Visit Elevanta.LocktonAffinity.com to get started. (844) 403-4947 or Elevanta@LocktonAffinity.com. The Elevanta Insurance Program is administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC d/b/a Lockton Affinity Insurance Brokers LLC in California #0795478. Coverage is subject to actual policy terms and conditions. Policy benefits are the sole responsibility of the issuing insurance company. Coverage may be provided by an excess/surplus lines insurer which is not licensed by or subject to the supervision of the insurance department of your state of residence. Policy coverage forms and rates are not subject to regulation by the insurance department of your state of residence. Excess/Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and therefore insureds are not protected by such funds in the event of the insurer’s insolvency. Elevanta will receive a royalty fee for the licensing of its name and trademarks as part of the insurance program offered to the extent permitted by applicable law.
OFFENSE MEETS DEFENSE CHILL WITH A PEPSI. HEAT UP WITH WINGS.
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