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Don't use DATA like a Drunk uses a Lamppost! Paul Kirschbaum: Does this sound familiar? Avoid leaning on data for support instead of illumination. Don’t use numbers to defend decisions—use them to drive them. Let data light the way to more innovative operations and better guest experiences. Restaurants run on passion, but they thrive on precision. When used correctly, data can reveal trends, optimize costs, and enhance the guest experience. ✅ Shine a Light On: 🔸 Sales trends to identify your true bestsellers (not just what you think sells well). 🔸 Customer order history to personalize promotions and loyalty programs. 🔸 Inventory data to reduce waste and improve purchasing efficiency. 🔸 Guest feedback (both structured reviews and unstructured social sentiment) to refine service and menu offerings. ❌ Don't Stumble Into: 🔸 Cherry-picking data to confirm assumptions rather than challenge them. 🔸 Ignoring seasonality, local economic shifts, or cultural trends. 🔸 Over-relying on outdated or incomplete data that skews decision-making. The best operators blend data with instinct. At 1033, we know numbers guide strategy, but hospitality is still a people business. Use data to serve guests better, not just to squeeze margins. What’s one data-driven insight that changed the way you operate? #1033consulting #Hospitality #RestaurantConsulting #DataDrivenDecisions #GuestExperience

**Join us this afternoon ** for this fireside chat featuring Ashley Waddington, Founder of Ponder This Consulting, and Leslie Wootton, Co-Founder of 1033Consulting. Together, they’ll candidly share their leadership journeys, offering insights into the pivotal moments, hard-earned lessons, and unexpected realities of stepping into leadership. This event is for you if: 📌 You’re curious about what it takes to lead with purpose and impact; 🌟 You value authentic stories of success, mistakes, and resilience; 🤝 You’re seeking inspiration and connection with others on their leadership journey. What to expect: ✅ Real stories about making the leap into leadership ✅ Thought-provoking insights on navigating team dynamics and building trust. ✅ A relaxed, interactive format where you can connect and reflect. This isn’t just an event—it’s an opportunity to reflect on your leadership path, learn from the experiences of others, and connect with a community of like-minded professionals. 🗓️ Date: January 15th, 2025 🕒 Time: 1pm PT/3pm CT 📍 Location: https://lnkd.in/gKrChKu6 Looking forward to hearing your stories. 📖

Rachel Covello, as someone who champions inclusion, your insights are invaluable to this conversation. Our latest feature in The 1033 Hospitality Compass takes a closer look at DEI in Hospitality—Progress or Performative? We explore the evolving corporate approaches to DEI (like rebranding as "Culture & Belonging") and ask: Are these shifts driving real change, or are they just optics? We’d love to hear your perspective—are these updates moving the needle, or do we still have work to do as an industry? #DEI #InclusionMatters #HospitalityLeadership #1033Consulting

In just 2 days Leslie Wootton and I will be sharing our stories with you. Not our polished stories, our authentic stories. We want to hear yours too. Join us! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g5Zy7jXp #Event #Leadership #PeopleLeadership #ShareYourStory #Community

What Not to Say: Staying Ethical, Legal, and Aligned (More from Stove To Strategy: Chapter 3) When interviewing, certain questions are more than just “off-limits”—they’re irrelevant, invasive, and counterproductive. Effective interviews focus on skills, alignment with the company’s culture, and the candidate's ability to grow in the role, not on personal characteristics or unrelated life choices. Staying within ethical and legal boundaries isn’t about jumping through hoops; it’s about respecting the candidate as a professional and human being. Let’s go beyond a basic “do not ask” list and explore why certain areas are inappropriate, and, just as importantly, unnecessary. When interviewers focus on what actually matters, they respect boundaries, foster genuine rapport, and reduce the risk of legal issues. Avoid Personal Characteristics: Why Asking “Irrelevant” Is Risky Asking about personal characteristics like age, marital status, family planning, religion, or ethnicity not only breaches legal boundaries but risks alienating strong candidates by making them feel their personal life is under scrutiny. In addition to the risk of legal repercussions, these topics have zero relevance to the candidate’s ability to perform well. Here’s why these areas should be off-limits: Age: Age-based questions, even in the guise of small talk (“So, when did you graduate?”), can lead to age discrimination claims. Instead, focus on the experience and skills they bring to the role. Skills have no age, and experience is valuable whether gained over decades or in a few transformative years. Marital or Family Status: Questions like “Do you have kids?” or “Do you plan to start a family?” not only invade personal boundaries but can lead to claims of discrimination if a candidate perceives these as affecting the hiring decision. If the concern is about availability or scheduling flexibility, address it directly: “The role sometimes requires additional hours. Would that fit within your schedule?” Religion or Beliefs: Even casual remarks about religion or spirituality can be misinterpreted or feel intrusive. Avoid this area altogether, as it’s wholly irrelevant to job performance. Instead, focus on adaptability or alignment with company values by asking how they approach company or industry challenges. Asking about these characteristics places the interviewer in a position to make judgments based on biases, even subconsciously. More importantly, these areas do not and should not affect whether a candidate can excel in the job. Interviews that veer into these personal details undermine the professionalism of the hiring process and can dissuade top talent from pursuing the role further. Keep It Relevant: Align Questions with Role Requirements #StoveToStrategy #1033Consulting

Defining Cultural Fit: Moving Beyond the “Gut Feeling” When someone says, “I just didn’t feel like they were a fit,” what are they really saying? Too often, this vague sentiment is influenced by biases or superficial factors that have little to do with a candidate’s potential. Relying on instinct alone isn’t just ineffective—it’s legally risky. Without objective criteria, those “gut calls” can lead to inconsistency and discrimination claims. Cultural fit must be clearly defined and intentionally assessed. It’s about finding candidates who share the values and behavioral norms that drive your company’s success. For example, if your organization prioritizes teamwork and open communication, cultural fit means identifying candidates who value and demonstrate those qualities. The key is to ask targeted, behavior-based questions that go beyond the superficial. Instead of asking, “Are you a team player?” opt for something like, “Can you tell me about a time you helped resolve a team conflict?” This approach elicits concrete examples, allowing you to evaluate how candidates align with your company’s culture in actionable terms. Here’s what a defined cultural fit might look like: What it is: A candidate who demonstrates guest-first service by proactively identifying and resolving customer needs. What it isn’t: A candidate who may be technically proficient but struggles in high-communication, service-oriented environments, leading to disengagement or misalignment with team dynamics. When interviewers ground their assessments in measurable criteria rather than abstract feelings, they eliminate ambiguity and ensure fairness. By doing so, you’re not only identifying candidates who can thrive within your culture but also protecting your company from the pitfalls of subjective decision-making. ...This is an excerpt from our upcoming book, Stove to Strategy. We hope to publish and release the full book in Q1 of 2025. #StoveToStrategy #1033Consulting

January Edition of The 1033 Hospitality Compass Now Available! The January edition of The 1033 Hospitality Compass is here to help hospitality leaders navigate the year ahead with confidence and clarity. What’s Inside? Urban Hospitality in NYC: Explore how congestion and rising costs are reshaping operations—and the strategies to thrive in the city that never sleeps. DEI in Hospitality: Are updated policies driving progress or just rebranding? Discover how authentic DEI efforts can boost trust, culture, and ROI. Regional Insights: From Virginia’s boutique lodging boom to Texas’s festival economy, uncover actionable lessons for your market. Trends to Watch in 2025: AI-driven guest engagement, sustainability, and workforce evolution are set to redefine the industry—are you ready? 💡 Packed with expert insights, actionable strategies, and industry data, this issue is your guide to turning challenges into opportunities. 📥 Read now and start navigating your path to success. 💬 Have questions or want to discuss how these insights apply to your business? A conversation is always free. #HospitalityLeadership #DEI #1033Consulting #HospitalityTrends2025

🔪 Master Your Kitchen’s Throughput with a Kitchen Efficiency Assessment! 🍴 Designing a menu isn’t just about taste—it's about efficiency. Knowing how each dish flows through your kitchen can make or break service, profitability, and your team's sanity. That’s why understanding Kitchen Efficiency Assessment is essential. Here’s a quick breakdown: 👉 1-2-3 Rating System 1: Easiest to produce—flies “out the window” effortlessly. 3: Most challenging—takes more time, skill, or resources. 👉 Don’t Forget Prep Dive deeper with a separate Prep Rating to gauge how dishes affect your team before service even starts. 👉 Who Rates the Menu? The Chef: They know the vision. Your Best Line Cook: They know the grind. Your Least Experienced Cook: They show you the baseline reality. Why Bother? An item may be high profit and high popularity, but if it consistently backs up your kitchen, it defeats the purpose. Throughput matters as much as margin. Balancing ease and efficiency ensures you maximize service potential without compromising quality. How are you engineering your menu for success? Let’s discuss! #1033consulting #MenuDesign #RestaurantEfficiency #KitchenThroughput #HospitalityInsights

Stove to Strategy – Transform Your Vision into Victory Every successful business starts with an idea—a spark of inspiration that feels effortless and real. Maybe it’s a favorite recipe you’ve perfected over the years, or a concept you’ve honed through instinct and passion. It’s personal, it’s unique, and it’s what makes you stand out. But what happens when you’re ready to share that magic with the world? When your business grows beyond your own kitchen, beyond your immediate control, and it’s no longer just you stirring the pot? The “pinch of salt” that worked in your home suddenly needs to be measured, documented, and replicated at scale. That’s when the real challenge begins. At 1033 Consulting, we call this moment the transition from Stove to Strategy. It’s about capturing the essence of what makes your idea special—your vision, your passion—and turning it into something sustainable. It’s about transforming your instincts into processes, your recipes into systems, and your vision into a business that can grow and thrive, while still maintaining the heart and soul that made it great in the first place. What does Stove to Strategy mean for your business? •Clarity and Consistency: We help you define the elements that make your idea work so you can replicate them with care and precision. •Scalability: We show you how to take something personal and turn it into something scalable, ensuring that your business can grow without losing its unique touch. •Sustainability: Through strategic planning, we help you create a business model that’s built to last, with systems that allow others to execute your vision as passionately as you do. Your idea is magic—let us help you share it with the world. Learn more about how we take your vision from Stove to Strategy at 1033Consulting.com or reach out to us at info@1033Consulting.com. Together, we can build something incredible. #StoveToStrategy #BusinessGrowth #ScalableSuccess #1033Consulting

109 Seconds Menu Test. That’s How Long You Have to Make an Impact. In those 109 seconds, your menu does more than list dishes—it’s your #1 marketing tool. It’s part advertising, part psychology, and all about driving decisions. The right menu engineering approach can transform your customer experience, your operations, and your bottom line. 💡 Here’s how to level up your menu game: 🔸The 3 P's: Pricing, Placement, Prominence- Shape the narrative to guide customers toward high-margin items and away from "price shopping." 🔸Menu and Recipe Costs: Make smarter decisions with standardized recipes, accurate plate costs, and precise food cost margins. 🔸POS & Sales Data (P-Mix): Use your sales data to pinpoint what’s working (and what’s not) during specific time periods. 🔸Menu Analysis: Classify every item on your menu—know your Dogs, Plow Horses, Puzzles, and Stars. 🔸Kitchen Efficiency Assessment: For prep and the line-  An item might be High Profit & High Popularity, but if it backs up the kitchen, it defeats the purpose. When you make objective, fact-based decisions about your menu, you’re not just serving food—you’re driving success. 🔑 The recipe for success? Accurate data. Standardized processes. And a menu that works for you. Let’s engineer menus that aren’t just good—they’re great. Ready to talk about your menu? 👇 #1033consulting #MenuDesign #RestaurantEfficiency #KitchenThroughput #HospitalityInsights #menuengineering