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expert interview


The Restaurant Coach: How To Double

Your Loyal Regulars Without Marketing

Nick: So I took a little time off, and I actually went into the military. I was
On today’s call, I have Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach. Donald in the air force, and I was very lucky. I got selected for a team called
has helped thousands of restaurants take their business to the next Pararescue, which was combat rescue. So I learned a lot about team
level of success by helping them with customer service, teambuilding, development and stuff like that, high performance, and how to be
management, sales, controlling costs, and so much more. Today, we’re a high performer from my days in the military. We started with 83
going to cover how to double your loyal regulars without marketing. guys in our class, and then two years later, only seven of us made it.
So Donald, before we dive into all the valuable secrets that you have
to do this, why don’t you tell us how you got started in the restaurant After that, I went back to college. I have a degree in marketing.
industry and how that evolved into you helping other restaurant And while I was going to college, of course I had the experience
owners get to the next level? from high school in restaurants, so I could always get jobs. And I
just started thinking that now that I don’t have the pressure on me
Donald: from my dad, I kind of like this. I kind of had a natural thing for it.
Of course, Nick. Number one, thanks for having me on the show And I just started working with the right chefs and working with
today. And number two, my father basically was a chef, so I grew up the right places, and it led me to the point where I opened up a
in the restaurant business. Like most people, I started out washing restaurant, the dream of every chef. And it kind of didn’t really do
dishes and worked my way up. My father was a big believer in too well. I knew how to run a kitchen, but I didn’t know how to build
cross training, so I pretty much did every job you can think of in a a business and run a restaurant.
restaurant. I’d fill in for a hostess or a host. I also learned how to
wait tables when I was 18. So it was really good training for me, and So I had a big learning curve. This is back in the ‘90s. There was
there was a point – growing up in the business, you kind of get a no such thing as a restaurant coach. So I talked to any restaurant
little jaded about it. And he said to me, “It’s in your blood.” And I’m owners that would give me some information and give me some
like: I want a transfusion, because I don’t want to do this. wisdom. And I started studying successful restaurants, and I found

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