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T H E M AG A Z I N E O F T H E Q D O B A F R A N C H I S E E A S S O C I AT I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 2 2

In 2021

Andrew Anderson became a QDOBA franchisee. Read about his journey to ownership in the Franchisee Spotlight.

2022 QFA Franchisee Convention Provides Perfect Opportunity to ‘Bet on Your Future.’

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QDOBA

US Foods® is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 restaurants and foodservice operators. We provide a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions to help our customers make it.

table of contents

QFA Board of Directors

Columns

Ron Stokes Chairman

Randy Key Vice Chairman Tom Lewison Secretary/Treasurer John Ghirardelli Director Leo Stathakis Director Debra Finkler Chief Staff Officer Christy Williams Elevanta CEO

QFA Editorial Board Sean Ireland Editor-in-Chief seani@qdobafa.org Rachel Jackson Managing Editor rachelj@qdobafa.org

Departments 4

QFA Member News

Look, Listen, Read

One Topic: 10 Facts

Franchisee Spotlight

Directories 6

Associate Member Listing

Advertisers Guide and Editorial Calendar

Features 10

QDOBA Franchisees Managing Difficult Supply Chain Challenges by Sean Ireland, QFA director of communications

I Think What You Meant to Say Was ‘Thank You’ by Dennis Snow, Snow and Associates Inc.

Advertising Sales

The Political Divide at Work: What to Do About It by Douglas H. Duerr, Elarbee Thompson Sapp and Wilson LLP

Trust Is the Critical Element by Dan Coughlin, The Coughlin Co.

As COVID-19 Went, So Went the Nation: The Results of the 2020 American Time Use Survey by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®

Design and Layout Kristen Thomas KT Graphic Design ktgraphicdesign@gmail.com

2022 QFA Franchisee Convention Provides Perfect Opportunity to ‘Bet on Your Future’ by Rachel Jackson, QFA associate director of communications

Savannah Daly Communications Coordinator savannahd@qdobafa.org

Christy Rowan Sales & Development Manager christyr@qdobafa.org 678-439-2284

Chairman’s Column by Ron Stokes, QFA chairman

On the Cover QDOBA Mexican Eats® franchisee Andrew Anderson’s family has always had a role to play with the brand, and now he owns and operates his own location in Vail, Colorado. Read more about Anderson and what he’s learned as he opened his own franchise location in the Franchisee Spotlight on page 9.

Headquarters 1701 Barrett Lakes Blvd. NW, Suite 180 Kennesaw, GA 30144 Phone: 678-797-5160 Fax: 678-797-5170

www.qdobafa.org

Qdoba Franchisee Association publishes Flavor. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the contents of this publication is prohibited without prior written consent of Qdoba Franchisee Association. All Rights Reserved. In keeping with our commitment to the environment, this publication is printed on certified, environmentally friendly recycled paper using eco-friendly inks. Copyright © 2022 Printed in the U.S.A.

chairman’s column

The QFA Remains as Strong as Ever as We Welcome the New Year W

hat a great year 2021 has been for the Qdoba Franchisee Association (QFA). And not everyone can say that! In 2021 alone, the QFA sent 87 electronic communications to its members, published its biannual publication, Flavor, as well as the Products & Services Directory, held a virtual town hall meeting, a membership meeting, started planning for the 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention and welcomed new members and associate members! So, as we closed out 2021 and watched the ball drop to start 2022, we have so much to look forward to.

The 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention provides the perfect opportunity for your team to relax after two hard years, connect with other teams from around the nation and brush up on best tips and practices from our keynote speaker Don Rheem. 2

2022 will start strong for us with our 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention at the Wynn Las Vegas! As I’m sure you know, after considering the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in early January, and with the health and safety of QFA members and their teams first and foremost, the QFA Board of Directors made the necessary decision to move the convention from February to April 19-23. Please mark these dates on your calendar! Registration is still open, and we look forward to welcoming you to Las Vegas! If you haven’t registered yet, you may do so by visiting https://cvent.me/28qgX0. This year’s event will prove to be extremely valuable as the QFA did not have a convention in 2021. We have so many new and exciting updates to share with you! I also implore you to bring your management team and any superstar team members you would like to reward to Las Vegas. The 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention provides the perfect opportunity for your team to relax after two hard years, connect with other teams from around the nation and learn new tips and practices from our keynote speaker Don Rheem. As the new year brings in continued opportunities for us, it also brings along some uncertainties, one of those being our potential new brand ownership. During these times it is important to remember the solidarity of the QFA and its members. This association represents an intangible unseen strength among this group of flavor WINTER 2022

owners that is unmatched. The QFA has been and will always be a key underpinning to the strength of the QDOBA Mexican Eats® franchisee community. That alone sends a strong message to our current and potential future owners – that franchise owners speak with one voice. The QFA will always protect franchisee interests and stands ready to work with brand leaders as we move into the future. I wish you the best of luck for 2022 and look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas in April! l

Ron Stokes Chairman

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member news

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Remodels and Refreshes Two Locations L

ast fall was a busy one for Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, which owns and operates 58 QDOBA Mexican Eats® restaurants in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. From August through October, the group was hard at work remodeling not just one, but two of its locations. From Sept. 26 through Oct. 4, in a total of nine days, the restaurant group refreshed the look of its Glendale, Wisconsin, location by adding new dining tables and chairs, creating a new color scheme for the interior and removing old, outdated carpet from the lobby.

QDOBA Restaurants Raise Money With Toonies for Tummies

“The community loves the new look, and the store is looking fresh again,” said Keith Oman, regional manager for Roaring Fork Restaurant Group. “The only real challenge was working with the North Shore fire marshal, ensuring we were in compliance with all requests.” Roaring Fork Restaurant Group’s goal for the new and improved Glendale location is to maintain the store’s fresh new look, upgrade the talent, perfect OLO procedures and grow sales by 12%. But the Glendale location wasn’t the only one getting a facelift. From Aug. 16-23, in a total of eight days, the restaurant group also refreshed its Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, location. “We added a back line to allow us to really push out our online orders with a focus on accuracy, while at the same time allowing us to be more interactive with the guests in front of us,” said Jason Hyler, store coach for the location. “It lightens the burden on the front line.”

group of QDOBA Mexican Eats® restaurants in Canada has been participating in a fundraising campaign that provides extra money for schools and students. For several years, QNorth Development, which has five QDOBA restaurants in Ontario, including three in London, one in Kitchener and one in Windsor, has participated in the Toonies for Tummies campaign organized by The Grocery Foundation. The campaign seeks donations of “toonies,” or $2 Canadian coins, by customers of grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses each fall. The money is raised for the benefit of school student nutrition programs for children living with food insecurity. “It’s a really helpful program, and the great thing about it is that each restaurant location is funding a school close to them, so you’re helping kids locally,” said Dale Irwin, director of operations for QNorth Development. In 2019, the restaurants sought donations through inrestaurant signage with information about the campaign. In 2020, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the emphasis shifted to seek donations through the restaurants’ social media and app. More than $1,500 has been raised through the QNorth Development locations over the last two years. Irwin draws personal fulfillment from the campaign when he remembers taking his own daughter to school and witnessing children going in without lunch boxes or winter coats. “I’ve often thought about that and wondered how I could help children like that. It inspires you to help because not everyone gets dealt an equal set of cards to start life,” he said. Irwin said QNorth plans to continue working with the Toonies for Tummies effort. “We’re looking forward to COVID-19 going away so we can continue to do it in-person through our restaurants,” Irwin said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to have an even bigger impact.” l 4

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group refreshed the inside of its Glendale, Wisconsin, restaurant in the fall of 2021.

The QDOBA Mexican Eats in Wauwatosa was remodeled to include a community bar and new booths with outlets and USB charging ports for guests.

Additionally, the Wauwatosa location received an added community bar and new booths both with outlets and USB charging ports for people who want to work while on lunch. This remodel brings in a modernized and updated look and feel to the atmosphere and decor. “The community was excited to see the store after the big remodel. We haven’t had a fresh face in over 10 years. Also, because we are the only location in our area that serves breakfast, we have a lot of regulars,” said Hyler. “They were over the moon with how much brighter and vibrant the store looked.” This was the largest remodel with the shortest turnaround that Roaring Fork Restaurant Group has done yet. “Although we run a very clean store, prior to the remodel it felt old and run down. People can sometimes confuse the two,” said Hyler. “This remodel is a fresh chapter. It’s inviting, warm, pleasant and cozy. The colors, the music, the smells and the smiles make us the place to go.” l

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member news

Fresh Made Foods LLC Shows Support for Center for Children and Young Adults T

he Center for Children and Young Adults grown, providing more children with a wonder(CCYA) provides a home for youth who ful holiday celebration. have been abused, neglected and/or abanPrior to the event each year, the CCYA doned by their caregivers in the metro-Atlanta recruits sponsor families for each foster child. The Center for Children & Young Adults’ area. Each year, the center hosts a Christmas Those families buy presents from the child’s mission is to provide safe and suitable party and members of the community come list and celebrate with them on the day of the housing, youth development and together to provide a great holiday experience event. After opening their presents and enjoycomprehensive services for at-risk hometo at-risk children. Foster centers across the ing lunch from QDOBA, a DJ put everyone less youth who have severe histories of metro-Atlanta area are invited to participate. in the holiday spirit with music. The children abandonment, abuse, neglect and/or For the past several years, franchisee Tim sexual exploitation. were invited to dance, sing and even show off their skills in a talent show. They can also take Velleca and his team at Fresh Made Foods photos with Santa Claus throughout the event. LLC have been donating lunch from QDOBA Several foster center directors shared their feedback after the Mexican Eats® to the Christmas party. This year’s event was hosted event, with one of them saying, “It brought tears to my eyes to see on Dec. 5 and had over 500 people in attendance. the children having such a wonderful time. Some of our children Velleca first heard about the event from his eye doctor, Christal that we very rarely see smile were laughing, talking and dancing. Smith, who has been putting it on for over 15 years. Fresh Made We just can't thank you guys enough. We are so very grateful!” l Foods has contributed for five years, and every year the event has

Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Raises Money for Victims of Waukesha Christmas Parade Tragedy

n Nov. 21, a driver of a sport utility vehicle killed six people and injured 62 others by hitting parade participants and crowd members at the annual Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. This was a tragedy that caught the nation’s attention. With the incident so close to home for Roaring Fork Restaurant Group, the company knew it had to do something for its community. Roaring Fork Restaurant Group operates 58 QDOBA Mexican Eats® locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa and is the largest QDOBA franchisee nationally. On Dec. 7, the group’s Waukesha and Silvernail locations held a fundraiser to support the victims of the Christmas parade tragedy. Profits from the entire day’s sales at both restaurants were donated to the United for Waukesha Community Fund. “This tragedy hit close to home – those directly impacted were friends and family to our guests and our teammates. In the aftermath, Roaring Fork Restaurant Groups’ we saw the people of Waukesha and Silvernail team memWaukesha band together bers worked hard during its Dec. 7 to support those impacted fundraiser. through volunteer efforts and fundraising,” said Roaring Fork Restaurant Group Director of Marketing Hanna Anderson. “We’ve been embraced by this community since we opened here over 15 years ago, and there was no question that we wanted

The Dec. 7 fundraiser successfully raised over $2,000 for the victims of the Waukesha Christmas parade tragedy.

to be a part of supporting our neighbors after this event.” Roaring Fork Restaurant Group spread word of its fundraiser via email blasts, social media campaigns and in-store signage. “We promoted the event not only to our guests, but to our teammates at other locations as well,” said Anderson. The Waukesha and Silvernail restaurants raised almost $2,500 for the fund through a Dec. 7 fundraiser. Roaring Fork Restaurant Group additionally donated $5,000 to the fund as well as Hot Bar certificates for auctions benefitting the fund. “The community has supported us with their patronage over the years,” said Anderson. “They’ve been here for us, and we do what we can to show we’re here for the community as well.” l

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recognitions Congratulations to the following Dakota Kid LLC employees:

Mike Kelly, director of operations, recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with Dakota Kid LLC. He has been working for the company since its creation in 2010 but worked with franchisee Chad Thompson for several years prior. “Mike is a tremendous leader and cares so much about his people and the business,” said Thompson. “I am so lucky to have him leading our teams.” Nikki Nevrost, general manager, is celebrating her 10-year anniversary with the company. She began her QDOBA Mexican Eats® journey as a line server and worked all the way up to her current position. “Watching Nikki move through the ranks of our company and learn how to run her business has been such a treat,” said Thompson. “She cares for her people and really has an amazing work ethic.”

Congratulations to the following Canticle Inc. employees:

Jenifer Cole, director of operations, is

celebrating her 10-year anniversary with Canticle Inc., and 13 years with the QDOBA brand. She started as a manager at the restaurant in Morgantown, West Virginia, and worked her way up to her current role. “Jenifer is one of the most dedicated and loyal employees we have,” said Tessa Norris Blankenship, senior regional marketing specialist for Canticle Inc. “At QDOBA, we believe in bringing flavor to people’s lives, and we truly believe she has brought flavor to all of us!” When Cole was asked what she has learned over the last 13 years being in her leadership role, she replied, “I learn from yesterday, put it to bed today and focus on tomorrow!” l

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SSDC US Foods Avanti Restaurant Solutions Jolt Smithfield Accutemp Products Inc. ADT Commercial Allen Industries Inc. Bluetree Casework First Franchise Capital Flybuy by Radius Networks Gordon Food Service Green Dot Corp./rapid! Hughes Impossible Foods Keurig Dr Pepper Leasecake Inc. Lingle Design Group Inc. LSI Industries Madison Brothers Consulting Group Inc. Masters Gallery Foods McIlhenny/TABASCO PrepWizard Roll-A-Shade SKECHERS Tapcheck TundraFMP Tyson Foods Inc. Unified Brands Villa Lighting Workstream

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dean.flory@ssdcsoap.com nicole.nix@usfoods.com ssnyder@avanticorporate.com lori.rodriguez@jolt.com croark@smithfield.com mlee@accutemp.net corinnesnyder@adt.com eric.hillesland@allenindustries.com mhausman@gobluetree.com bill.nicholson@oakstreetfunding.com bethany@flybuy.com chase.groll@gfs.com scole@greendotcorp.com neda.noorani@hughes.com nathan.amaya@impossiblefoods.com chad.dohlman@kdrp.com kristi@leasecake.com carllingle@lingledesign.com sandi.halo@lsi-industries.com nicole.durio@madisonbrothers.com vwatson@mastersgalleryfoods.com christopher.cascio@tabasco.com cole@prep-wizard.com paris.waddill@rollashade.com shelley@skechers.com jason.field@tapcheck.com jwhite@etundrafmp.com krystal.tyler@tyson.com ccooper@unifiedbrands.net nicole.smith@villalighting.com cade@workstream.us

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flavor WINTER 2022

LOOK LISTEN 5 READ

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Wave is one of the only truly free accounting software systems – allowing you to use its online-based platform, mobile invoicing app and mobile receipts app without paying anything for a subscription. The Wave accounting app is great for small-business owners, and it offers payments and payroll paid add-ons to give you the opportunity to extend your functionality within a single application.

ook, Listen, Read is a quarterly compilation of some of the most highly rated and reviewed apps, podcasts, books, websites and other resources. QFA 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.

With the near-constant change occurring in the startup and tech space, it can be tough to keep up. “Product Hunt Radio,” hosted by Ryan Hoover, is your answer to staying current with all things tech through interviews with world-famous investors and entrepreneurs and the reporters covering them. Whether you want to learn about tech that could affect your business, keep up with trends or apply lessons to your enterprise, this small-business podcast will be useful.

Zoho Creator, a low-code app-development platform, helps you build tools to streamline and automate your business’ mundane tasks. It gives you the power to consolidate all your data management, workflow automation and business intelligence needs in one place.

Originally published in 1983, “Guerilla Marketing” is filled with a wealth of real-world tips and tricks small-business owners can use to take their marketing game to the next level. Whereas traditional marketing wisdom used to suggest that big budgets and lots of resources are requisites for success, author Jay Conrad Levinson thinks otherwise: Every time your small business interacts with anyone outside of your company is an opportunity to market your products and services.

Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a time-tested classic that’s sold more than 30 million copies since it was released in 1936 – making it one of the bestselling books of all time. Once a successful salesman, Carnegie eventually left his sales career and took up public speaking, and the advice from his seminars is compiled into this book. Learn how to get people to like you, how to convince others that your reasoning is the right way of looking at an issue and how to change folks without them hating you for it.

Designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works in social media marketing, the “Social Media Marketing” podcast runs about an hour as Michael Stelzner interviews social media experts and explores various social media tools. Some of his best business podcasts are those featuring small-business owners sharing how they found success via social media.

“Business Casual” is the new podcast from Morning Brew brought to listeners by host Kinsey Grant. The episodes focus on a range of topics in the news like breaking up big tech and interviewing CEOs and other executives on hot business topics. The podcast is available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, and the newsletter is also free.

With Delivrd, you can access an online-based inventory management application for free. Using Delivrd, you can create a product catalog; count, receive and issue stock; enable stock level alerts and access your inventory transaction history. l

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One topic: 10 facts

Robotic Takeover: Automation in the Restaurant Industry

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The National Restaurant Association recently reported that four in five operators are understaffed.

This includes 81% of full-service operators and 75% of limited-service operators. Robotics can help ease the staffing challenges and speed up operations.

Forty-seven percent of full-service operators and 37% of quick-service operators feel new tech-

nology is key for their businesses.

Restaurants are also warming up to the idea of using automation technology to fill labor gaps, with 50% of U.S. operators planning to deploy this technology in the next two to three years.

It’s becoming crucial for restaurants to deploy technological solutions that ease labor pressure. The quit rate among hospitality workers has reached 6.8%, more than double the national average, and full-service restaurants are operating with 6.2 fewer kitchen employees than they were in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Miso said its Flippy 2 robot can fill a tough role in kitchens — the fry station. The robot can cost up to $3,000 a month.

The bot, which retails for up to $20,000, has been tested at restaurants including California Pizza Kitchen.

Along with making food in restaurant kitchens, expect to see more robots rolling food out to tables. As of May this year, Keenon Robotics said it had 6,000 of its server robots already working in hotel and restaurant industry locations around the world.

Economic data suggests that the shift to automation has been underway for months now. Productivity surged 5.4% in the first three months of 2021...

… its fastest rate of improvement in more than 20 years.

Sources: CNBC, The Spoon, Business Insider, Restaurant Dive

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franchisee spotlight

Andrew Anderson of Sherger Ltd. opens up about his experience with the QDOBA Mexican Eats brand and owning and operating a location in Vail, Colorado.

Andrew Anderson Looking ahead, what are your top three business goals for the company?

Company name: Scherger Ltd. Number of restaurants: 1 State your restaurant operates in: Colorado

1. Better align with QDOBA standards. 2. Utilization of its tools. We can do a better job using all the systems and tools QDOBA has in place. 3. Stay operating and stay profitable. What do you feel is the biggest challenge currently facing franchisees?

How did you become a QDOBA Mexican Eats® franchisee?

This happened recently in March. Michael Lemon, who owned this store prior to me, contacted Michael Scott, president of Flavors West, who is getting out of resort locations. He heard I was moving to Vail, Colorado, and thought I might be interested. In your opinion, what stands out about the QDOBA brand?

The simplicity and value. We include queso and guacamole. Nothing is extra, and that simplicity and value is something that stands out to me. What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received?

I was fortunate enough to work for Jimmy Lambatos, the founder of Quiznos, when I was 16-17, and he had a catering operation in town. We were running the concession stands in Denver, and while working one day, Lambatos sees the line is running long and says, “I want one more guy here on the weekend.” And we say, “Jim, we’re running great numbers. Our percentages look great!” And Lambatos responds with, “I don’t take percentages to the bank, I take dollars.” That has come back full circle. That was 25 years ago, almost, and I’ll never forget it.

Staffing. We feel the squeeze here a lot in a resort town. With COVID-19, people have left cities and moved to mountain towns, so our places that used to be affordable for people to live in are also getting very expensive. The cost of flights out of cities has changed the landscape for us, so the places that were 40 minutes away are getting more expensive to live in. What is the biggest industry change that you have seen since you started?

My family has been involved in the business for about 15-20 years. I would say the biggest change to the industry is unpredictability with staffing, with employees showing up on time or at all. When I worked in Alaska, things were steady. We knew our deliveries were going to come. We knew our staff members were going to show up. Things have become much more unpredictable. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I helped to open stores about 15 years ago in Anchorage, Alaska. I left the business after that and went into teaching and fishing. I now have left Alaska and moved to Colorado and purchased the franchise. If I weren’t a franchisee, I would be … A fishing guide. l

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2022 QFA Franchisee Convention Provides Perfect Opportunity to ‘Bet on Your Future’

he 2022 Qdoba Franchisee Association (QFA) Franchisee Convention promises to be another spectacular event as the QFA brings together franchisees and business vendors alike in the City of Lights – Las Vegas! Join franchisees, the QFA Board of Directors and QDOBA Mexican Eats® brand leadership as we dive into an insightful agenda full of brand updates and best practices. Find out what’s coming next for QDOBA, enjoy time with fellow franchisees and vendor partners, and kick back and relax at our closing event. The annual convention provides key takeaways you can carry back and implement to bet on the future success of your businesses right away. Whether it be staffing and hiring best practices or creating an award-winning culture to increase retention, this convention offers every attendee valuable information that helps ensure the continued success of your business! Held April 19-23, at the glamorous Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, the 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention affords you the perfect opportunity to engage the association that supports you as well as the vendor business suppliers that back your business!

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Keynote Speaker

long with hearing from QFA and brand leaders, QFA is proud to announce that Don Rheem will be the keynote speaker for the 2022 QFA Franchisee Convention. Don Rheem is CEO of E3 Solutions, an employee engagement tech company that allows organizations to build engaged, highperformance cultures. Rheem focuses on using neuroscience and behavioral sciencebacked research to consult with leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. His passion for delivering truly outstanding improvements in business performance conveys quickly to the CEOs and senior executives he works with. A former science adviser to Congress and the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Rheem shares a grounded and empirically validated methodology to get employees more engaged and better positioned for success targeted at the bottom line. Rheem and his team at E3 Solutions show business leaders how to create the workplace conditions that trigger hard-wired motivators that improve employee performance. These intrinsic drivers of human behavior increase engagement in ways that improve productivity, team alignment, morale and retention. A leading speaker and author, Rheem lectures on employee engagement throughout North America and Europe, helping thousands of CEOs understand the key drivers of exceptional workplace behavior. His ForbesBooks publication, “Thrive By Design: The Neuroscience That Drives HighPerformance Cultures,” lays out the neurological underpinnings of human behavior that distinguish Don’s company from conventional leadership consulting. As a featured TEDx speaker, Don presented some of his most popular content in “Can Work Save Our Relationships?” at TEDxBYU. l

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Don Rheem

QDOBA Franchisees Managing

DIFFICULT

Supply Chain Challenges

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by Sean Ireland

or hospitality business owners, economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic has been plagued by two vexing complications, both with roots in the coronavirus pandemic now reaching completion of its second year. The ongoing labor shortage that affects the abilities of franchisees to keep their restaurants fully staffed is having an equally harmful effect on the supply chains that provide the products, packaging and equipment those businesses need to keep running

“The pandemic has resulted in significant supply chain challenges across our industry. We have experienced a lack of product, unreliable delivery, poor or no communication, and inaccurate items.” – Matt Herridge

franchisee for QMG Venture LLC

efficiently. Workforce losses have slowed production of materials, and shortages of drivers and warehouse workers have slowed the flow of food and material. The combination of labor and supply chain issues has led franchise operations ever further from their ideal levels of operation. “The pandemic has resulted in significant supply chain challenges across our industry,” said QDOBA Mexican Eats® franchisee Matt Herridge. “We also happened to switch providers, which has exponentially increased our challenges. We have experienced a lack of product, unreliable delivery, poor or no communication, and inaccurate items.” “The supply chain issues have also created a huge increase in our costs, thus reducing our profitability,” added Bill Nelsen, director of operations and chief operating officer for North by Northwest. Experts warn that for both the labor and supply chain markets, a return to normal is still down the road. Unfortunately, combating the cascading consequences of the disruption in these markets will remain the focus of business owners for months to come.

Problems Throughout the U.S.

QDOBA Mexican Eats operators across the country are experiencing problems with food and materials. With food, most seem to have found alternate suppliers, though often at higher costs. The more vexing issue seems to be with supplies, such as paper and Continued on page 14

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Supply Chain Continued from page 13 packaging materials. Running short of these items needed to safely transport food items is just as important. • “The biggest challenge has been with supplies, with paper products as one example,” said Herridge, who owns QMG Venture LLC, which has three QDOBA locations in Ohio and West Virginia. “Food is available but just at a significantly increased cost.” • “The list [of shortages] is long. Our packaging has been such a challenge – we have had to go without lids for our bowls, which doesn’t make our carry-out bowl all that attractive to our guests,” said Chad Thompson, owner of Dakota Kid LLC, with four restaurants in North Dakota. “That one is a critical piece to the operation of our restaurants. As I said before, the list is long, but that one drives me nuts.”

“We have continued to give even better service to our guests and emphasized our managers being more patient with our employees so that they know how much they are truly appreciated.” – Bill Nelsen

director of operations and chief operating officer for North by Northwest

• “Paper products were challenging because it was difficult to find even paper bags, our bowls and the lids that we use for to-go entrees,” agreed Nelsen, of North by Northwest, which has nine units in Oregon. “Sometimes we would have the bowls but not the lids, and sometimes we would have the lids and not the bowls. This caused us to go to grocery warehouses, and eventually the grocery warehouses were out of paper products as well. It really had an impact on our catering business because we couldn’t get the chaffing racks and large aluminum pans. I was able to find them online, but the cost of these items was double.” • Tony Page, managing member of Bluegrass Fresh Mex LLC, with two Kentucky restaurants, said his company was purchasing plates, lids and cups locally at double the usual cost. “It’s stressful to managers making sure we have enough products to get through a shift,” he said. “Managers are working longer shifts to cover issues with supply chain and crew shortages.”

Managers, Staff Bear the Burden

Frustration – with both the search for items from alternate sources and the higher costs to acquire them – doesn’t end with franchisees. As Page noted, managers and their teams feel the brunt of operating shorthanded, making do with the supplies they do have and dealing with the fallout from guest disappointment when food items are unavailable. 14

Nelsen said there are times when stores must borrow food and packaging from one another, and when that’s not possible, remove specific items from digital platforms and cover parts of menu boards to keep people from ordering those items. Guests are obviously disappointed when their favorite items are not available, but they sometimes also complain about the packaging solutions they receive for their orders. “It created extra stress for our employees, who had to explain to the guests that we were out of certain products,” Nelsen said. “I will say that, for the most part, our guests were very understanding as to why we were doing what we were because it’s been in the news for weeks.” Teams also must spend more time, from leadership down, fixing, clarifying and communicating with the provider and the franchisor when disruptions occur. The good news is that once these problems have been encountered, they are easier to anticipate and manage if they happen again. “Our teams have been very resilient in sourcing backup products to let us run our daily operations as normal as possible. [Consumers] have been understanding, but I feel we are failing as a franchise company to make sure that our packaging and products are ‘on brand,’” Thompson said. “We need to prioritize to ensure the best experience possible for our guests. The blocking and tackling of the business must be solid. Sometimes, we need to put projects that are outside of our core on the back burner to make sure our foundation is solid.”

Tools for Coping

Franchise companies must develop and use a variety of tools to cope with disruptions when they occur. There are many mitigating actions that can be taken, from diversifying sources, increasing backup inventory stocks and sharing goods among restaurant locations to working with suppliers on simple adjustments to operations, such as accepting deliveries outside of normally accepted windows. The foundation of these plans is good communication. Franchisees and their teams must redouble efforts to talk with suppliers and each other. “The best strategy has been to be patient and recognize that being a ‘squeaky wheel’ is often necessary to effect change,” Herridge said. Strong and regular communication with the franchisor has also been helpful. “QDOBA Corp. is looking into the future and planning much further out to help eliminate the outages,” Nelsen said. “We currently have a Zoom meeting with the vice president of supply chain and the franchisees every two weeks to keep up on the latest challenges.” Focusing even more closely on the guest experience is also a must by doing things like aligning local advertising with on-hand inventory and keeping communication focused on customers and their needs. “Commiserating with guests about the overall situation can often make a frustrated guest more patient or understanding that so much is out of [our] control right now,” Herridge said. “We have continued to give even better service to our guests and emphasized our managers being more patient with our employees so that they know how much they are truly appreciated,” Nelsen added. “It’s important that we stay positive about the challenges and that we keep the communication open with corporate, the vendors and the restaurants.” l SEAN IRELAND is the QFA director of communications. You may reach Ireland at 678-797-5165 or seani@qdobafa.org.

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I Think What You Meant to Say Was

‘Thank You’

s a customer service consultant, I am constantly stressing the importance of the little things to my clients. I believe that people and organizations that focus on the details (big or small) are ultimately the ones that stand out from other businesses. That’s why I am a big believer in the importance of saying, “Thank you.” People appreciate being thanked for their actions. It doesn’t matter if it was for purchasing something, holding a door open for somebody, going above and beyond at work, etc. That small “thank you” (or lack thereof ) from a customer, a random stranger or a boss can go a long way in determining how you behave moving forward. Obviously, saying “thank you” to someone that is paying you for a product or service is just good business (though it gets missed a lot more often than it should). This also applies to people who hold a door open for you or let you in while driving. Maybe saying “thank you” from the car isn’t practical, but a wave of thanks should be common practice. (Though it’s not, and it drives me crazy.) I also believe that thanking your employees for a job well done, or for demonstrating the right behaviors, is something that management should always be doing. Retaining excellent employees is a strong concern for all organizations in today’s workplace. Many studies have confirmed that an employee’s direct boss has the greatest impact on retention. Connected to this is the abundance of employee exit interviews that indicate a lack of recognition or appreciation as one of the top reasons for quitting a company. Therefore, it makes sense that the most effective recognition comes from the employee’s direct manager.

The Importance of Saying ‘Thank You’ Organizations are always on the lookout for the reward/recognition program that will maximize employee performance. While these programs can be effective, it’s important to know that a program can never take the place of a sincere “thank you” from the boss. If you want employees to exceed the expectations of your customers, it’s vital that you recognize them when they perform in a manner that exceeds expectations. If you want employees to perform in a manner consistent with your service standards, it’s vital that you notice when they do so and recognize their performance. Employee Communication Strategies Communication with our teams is always important, but in today’s environment, effective communication is essential. There are several communication strategies that any leader can implement. As we continue to deal with COVID-19 and the impact it has on our daily lives, leaders should be on the lookout to recognize those employee behaviors they desire. Something as small as expressing gratitude for the employee that goes the extra mile can go a long way toward job satisfaction and even building your employees’ self-esteem. There is a very real phenomenon called “extinction.” This occurs when we ignore performance of a desired behavior. If you desire responsiveness from employees, yet ignore them when they demonstrate excellent responsiveness, the behavior will eventually become extinct, and performance will revert to previous levels (not necessarily bad, but not at the desired, higher level). Other studies have demonstrated that recognition has its greatest impact when it takes place immediately after the behavior. When an employee does something special for a customer (external or internal), his or her emotions are elevated because they know they did something good. If the leader recognizes the employee while the emotion is still flavor WINTER 2022

by Dennis Snow

high, it dramatically increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated. The more time that passes, the less impact the recognition will have (although it may still be appreciated). The point is, don’t lose the magic of the moment when it comes to recognizing performance. I’ve always enjoyed this quote by Gertrude Stein: “Silent gratitude isn’t of much use to anyone.” If someone does something good, tell them and reinforce the behavior. The Importance of Storytelling Another important aspect of recognition is storytelling. Effective storytelling “locks in” recognition. As a leader, if you have recognized an individual for excellent performance, tell the story at the next staff meeting. And really tell the story. Let everyone know what the person did and the impact it had. Better yet, depending on the situation, let the employee tell the story. This not only makes the employee feel good, but it also allows his/her co-workers to join in the celebration. This type of storytelling helps perpetuate a commitment to service excellence. The word “recognition,” in fact, comes from the Latin “to know again.” Effective recognition allows the employee to know again the feeling of performing at a high level or reaching a significant milestone. l

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. 15

THE

l D a i v c i i t d i l e o P At Work:

t I t ou b A o What To D

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by Douglas Duerr

n a time when the choice to wear a face mask is considered by many to be a political statement to be cheered or jeered, it is natural to wonder how a business can survive the growing, deepening political polarization plaguing the workplace and seemingly all aspects of our lives. Indeed, you might even be wishing for the “good old days” when we, as a nation, were reportedly not so politically divided. Wouldn’t that be nice? Unfortunately, it is hard to find any time in our nation when there was not a political divide. Indeed, if you go back to our nation’s founding fathers and the presidential election following George Washington’s terms, there is ample evidence of partisan politics: Thomas Jefferson described his opponent John Adams as being “a blind, bald, crippled, toothless man [with] a hideous hermaphroditic character with neither the force and fitness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.” You do not have to look up the definition of “hermaphroditic” (I did) to understand that this is a take-no-prisoners insult that was generally, undeniably false. (While on his way to being bald, Adams was indisputably not disabled, toothless or blind, with the rest being either subject to debate or lost to history.)

Make sure that your antibullying rules and harassment programs encompass “political speech” that can become “bullying” or cross the line into harassment based on a protected characteristic. This is hardly the only example of deep, partisan disputes through history, but certainly establishes that our young nation’s political discourse was hardly genteel. Although our history reflects deep partisan divide and debate, this does not diminish the negative impact it can have on the modern workplace. Political debate can impact morale and productivity in both obvious and hidden ways, for example, through co-workers who refuse to work with each other because of a political disagreement. In some instances, the debate can spill over into customer relations. Indeed, that politics impacts work is not supported just from anecdotal evidence, but was recently confirmed (as if there was any debate) in a recent report by the research and advisory firm Gartner Inc.: • 78% of employees report discussing politics at work. • 47% of employees claim the 2020 U.S. presidential election impacted their ability to get work done. • 36% of employees reported they avoid talking to a co-worker because of the 2020 election. • 31% of employees who talk politics at work report these conversations as stressful and/or frustrating. So, you know it’s happening and that it’s causing problems at work,

but what can you do about it? Ignore it? While perhaps tempting, as the Gartner report shows, letting it happen is going to have a negative impact on your workplace, with the inevitable negative impact on financial results. In addition, ignoring it can have legal implications, and not just in the handful of states that prohibit discrimination at work due to political activity and views. For example, a supervisor’s offhand comment on a “political issue,” such as about sports stars taking a knee during the singing of the national anthem, could be perceived as racially insensitive. Or, what if a supervisor rebukes an employee for supporting such athletes? Is that a basis for a claim of retaliation for raising issues of racial discrimination/inequity? Perhaps. While it can be hard sometimes to recognize when something has become a political issue (e.g., whether to get a vaccine or wear a face mask), it is important to stay on top of the issues to be sensitive to whether it is one of mere party politics (e.g., Democrat vs. Republican) as opposed to something protected in the workplace (e.g., race, LGBTQIA+, etc.). This is not just something about which top management needs to be aware. Supervisors must also understand the importance of not expressing their political views and encouraging employees to focus on less controversial matters. That type of general guidance, however, is no substitute for a formal program that recognizes politics will be in the workplace. Thus, consider whether you want to publish a policy that provides guidance on what is/is not permitted (e.g., clothing, campaigning for a candidate, etc.) at work. While such policies can be helpful tools for supervisors trying to enforce workplace harmony, care must be taken to ensure that the policy does not itself violate state or local law protecting political speech nor federal labor law, which allows employees to discuss (during nonwork times in nonwork areas) matters relating to the terms and conditions of work. Even if you do not adopt a policy on discussing or engaging in politics at work, you should make sure that managers and supervisors are attuned to this issue and that there is a plan in place when there is a complaint or conflict. Make sure that your anti-bullying rules and harassment programs encompass “political speech” that can become “bullying” or cross the line into harassment based on a protected characteristic (e.g., race, sex, religion, disability, etc.). Finally, remember, if you have been following this column for any period, you already know that fostering and nurturing an inclusive workplace in which every employee, supervisor and manager is respectful to others and their differences goes a long way to having a legally compliant workplace. When it comes to politics, as with other differences, it is important that everyone remains respectful on this point as well. Partisan politics have been around for a long time and are not going away any time soon. As such, being mindful of its presence and potential impact on the workplace is the first step to having a plan in place to deal with it. Do not wait until it is too late. l DOUGLAS H. DUERR is a partner at Elarbee Thompson, a national labor and employment law firm with an industry practice area focused on franchisees. Learn more at www.elarbeethompson.com.

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Trust

HE IS T

Critical Element by Dan Coughlin

o sustain a personal relationship, team or organization, the most crucial element is trust.

WHAT IS TRUST? Trust means that I know you will be honest with me, and you know I will be honest with you. Trust means I know you won’t say one thing to my face and say or do the opposite thing behind my back, and you know I won’t say one thing to your face and then say or do the opposite thing behind your back. Trust means I know and you know that we won’t operate in secret to undermine each other or to get our own way. Trust doesn’t mean we are always going to agree on everything. Trust doesn’t mean we won’t ever argue opposing points of view. It just means that our disagreements are out in the open, and if we are both working to support different objectives that we do so in a way that we all know what is happening. THREE WAYS TO RUIN TRUST The three most effective ways to ruin trust that I know of are: 1. Tell lies about a person. 2. Lie to a person or a group of people. 3. Operate in secrecy. LYING ABOUT A PERSON If you really want to ruin a personal or work relationship with an individual or group, make up lies about the person and tell those lies to other people. This is an amazingly effective way to destroy long-term relationships. There’s an old saying about the one thing all people who cheat in a marriage have in common: They always get caught. The same is true when people lie about another person or a group of people. Eventually, they get caught. And then the person who is being lied to loses all trust in the liar. Once a relationship goes through this devastating impact it is very, very, very difficult to ever regain that trust. LYING TO A PERSON Another super effective way to ruin trust is to lie to a person. You can choose almost any topic (travel expenses, your résumé, your meeting with a client, your conversation with the other person’s boss or employees, etc.), and then you can damage the relationship greatly by lying about it. It really doesn’t matter if it’s a big lie or a little lie, whatever the heck that means. Once you lie to the other person, then the other person will always wonder if you are telling the truth in every subsequent conversation. Just one lie. It seems so small in the moment. It seems that it’s hardly even worth being bothered by. It seems that it could never inflict any real damage. And yet it lingers. It stays in the other person’s mind, and that other person now always wonders if you are telling the truth. 18

OPERATE IN SECRECY When people in a team or in an organization start having secret gatherings, it’s almost like creating a devastating, invisible virus that sucks the life out of an organization. When people within a team or within an organization have secret meetings where it is not shared who is in the group or what they are talking about, other people start to wonder. They wonder why certain people are in the group, and other people are not. They wonder what is being discussed and what is being decided. They wonder why this is all being kept secret. Just like lies are always eventually heard, secret gatherings are always discovered. And when people find out that other people they work with have been meeting in secret, the trust disappears. It doesn’t matter if there are no deceitful acts within the secret group. When one group tries to keep their organized discussions secret from other groups, then the trust between the groups is dissolved. It’s one thing to say, “Our group is meeting in private, and we will let you know what we’ve come up with.” People understand that other people need to have private conversations to discuss topics and then decide what to do. That’s understandable. What’s not understandable is when groups have secret meetings to drive their agenda forward and never share with anyone else that they are having the meetings or what they have decided to do. When other people find this out, they stop trusting that a conversation with people in this secret group won’t be used in some way that they don’t know about. Groups of people can disagree with other groups in an organization. The different groups can have their own meetings in private. That happens all the time. When other people find out about these kinds of meetings, then they stop trusting those people. Once trust is gone, the personal relationship, the team and the organization are effectively done. People might stay, but the trust and the effectiveness of the relationship are very likely over. CONCLUSION Work to build trust every day. Build trust by being honest and upfront, even if you disagree with the other person. Avoid lying about people, lying to people and operating in secret. You can have some real disagreements and arguments and still have a strong relationship. But if you ruin trust, you likely have lost your opportunity to be effective with that individual or group. l

DAN COUGHLIN provides both individual and executive coaching and group coaching programs on management, leadership and teamwork. To visit his free Business Performance Idea Center, go to www.thecoughlincompany.com.

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As COVID-19 Went, So Went the Nation: The Results of the 2020 American Time Use Survey by Laura Stack

ince 2003, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the results of the previous year’s American Time Use Study (ATUS) during the following June or July. Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic was time’s greatest thief in 2020. In addition to stealing time from American workers, the pandemic affected ATUS interviews all year long. None took place from March 19 to mid-May. As a result, the 2020 ATUS is missing data for two months … but that doesn’t mean the data collected was useless. Far from it.

Homework The most obvious difference this year isn’t any real surprise. The number of people working at home nearly doubled in 2020, as COVID-19 forced employers to either shut down or allow their workers to telework using technology and methodologies they had previously avoided or underutilized. New technology and increased familiarity with Zoom, Skype and other programs made “homework” a greater success than ever before. Sometimes, when there’s no other choice, Americans step up and not just make something work, but excel at it. This was one of those times. In the 10 months surveyed in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people working from home on days they worked shot up from 22% to 42%. Men spent an average of 36% of worktime working from home, up from 20% in 2019, while women pulled off a whopping 49%, rising from 26% in 2019. Meanwhile, commuting and other travel time (store visits, vacations, etc.) dropped significantly across all demographic groups, including both workers and non-workers. As a reminder – or if you’ve never reviewed ATUS data – ATUS samples all demographic groups aged 15 and above. This includes full-time students, most of whom don’t work, as well as the retired, the homeless and those who choose not to work, including homemakers and full-time parents. That said, millions of citizens were also out of work due to the risk of contagion and the need to maintain social distancing. An average of 39% of the population worked in 2020, as opposed to 43% in 2019. This sharp increase in the jobless rate resulted in the average time spent at work on workdays dropping by about 17 minutes, from 7.7 hours in 2019 to 7.6 hours in 2020. Some might find it odd that these numbers don’t quite reach the standard eight hours per day but keep this in mind: “employed persons” includes both full-time workers and part-time workers. Some individuals worked more than eight hours on most days, some less. Average time worked at home per day rose from 3.6 hours in 2019 to 5.8 hours a day in 2020. Part of the disparity in the numbers between those previously recorded was that the 7.6 hours were for the average

workday, while the 5.8 hours were for all days, whether workdays or not, including weekends and holidays. Those Americans able to work in 2020 worked as hard as ever, though their numbers were down significantly. The number of full-time workers was 130,087,000 in 2019; in 2020, the number fell to 120,949,000, a drop of 9,138,000 workers. Over 9 million willing full-time workers were unemployed during the pandemic. The number of part-time workers decreased by 2,034,000, from 36,823,000 to 34,789,000. Therefore, at least 11,172,000 workers were out of work in 2020.

Taking It Easy We all know what we did with our leisure time in 2020: We stayed home. Still, home-based leisure activities were up only slightly. We spent about 32 minutes more per day on leisure activities in 2020 than we did in 2019, likely reflecting the 26 minutes per day no longer spent commuting to work, the decrease in daily worktime and the fact that leisure activities are easier to access at home. Most of us preferred to watch TV and play computer games. Many of us had no choice but to increase our leisure-time activities, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and, in many cases, lack of work. While some trades enjoyed more work, and many made the transition to home-based work, some could not, as they required work outside the home (for example, retail stores and construction). The stats that show us working less last year while playing a bit more result entirely from the pandemic and the measures taken to slow it. I suspect most workers would much rather have been working than staying home, trying to find things to do. l LAURA STACK, MBA, CSP, CPAE, is an award-winning keynote speaker, bestselling author, and noted authority on employee and team productivity. She is the president of The Productivity Pro Inc., a company dedicated to helping leaders increase workplace performance in high-stress environments. Stack has authored eight books, including “FASTER TOGETHER: Accelerating Your Team’s Productivity.” She is a past president of the National Speakers Association, and a member of its exclusive Speaker Hall of Fame (with fewer than 175 members worldwide). Stack’s clients include Cisco Systems, Walmart and Bank of America, and she has been featured on the CBS Early Show and CNN and in The New York Times. To have her speak at an upcoming meeting or event, visit www.TheProductivityPro.com.

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flavor advertisers guide

Avanti Restaurant Solutions

866-495-0121

avanticorporate.com

Elevanta Health

678-797-5160

elevantahealth.com/qfa

Jolt

877-396-4112

www.jolt.com

Lockton Affinity

844-403-4947

Elevanta.LocktonAffinity.com

US Foods

314-518-7240

www.usfoods.com

Smithfield

414-331-7361

www.smithfieldfoods.com

SSDC

832-435-1554

dean.flory@ssdcsoap.com

*IF=Inside Front, IB= Inside Back, BC=Back Cover

2022 editorial calendar Issue

Ad Reservation Deadline

Publication Date

Spring

March 10

May

Fall

Nov. 18

January

Call for Franchisee News We want to highlight any news or events associated with QDOBA Mexican Eats® franchisees. If you have ideas for potential stories, please email communications@qdobafa.org or call 678-797-5160. Our editorial staff can assist in writing the story for you. 20

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Making Your Restaurant Cleaner. Safer. Healthier.

EPA Reg. No. 1677-238 Refer to product label for complete directions for use.

EPA Reg. No. 1677-251 Refer to product label for complete directions for use.

EPA Reg. No. 6836-305-1677 Refer to product label for complete directions for use.

The new and expanded SSDC Cleaning Program offers high quality products, programs and services designed with Qdoba Mexican Eats® in mind to help tackle every cleaning task in your restaurant. This reputation for excellence has made SSDC a trusted partner for specialty restaurant customers and franchisees all over the world. Our goal is to create a custom cleaning program tailored to your unique business and take a step toward making your restaurant Cleaner. Safer. Healthier.

SSDC Delivers: • Commercial quality & highly effective cleaners • Innovative packaging & dispensing solutions such as the Sink Rite & Mop Rite Dispensing Systems • Unparalleled support & service • Incredible value