I spent the Thanksgiving Holiday in Chicago visiting my daughter. We arrived on a Sunday evening and left on Friday, so it was a short visit. (And a cold one as well, at least for this Southern boy.) While there we visited a number of restaurants, all very good. But one in particular stood out. It seems to have hit on the formula for success. It is a lesson that can be learned by all organizations. From my observations (I ate there three mornings out of the 5 we were in town) here is the list:
- Quality (the food was varied and delicious)
- Fast (we never waited more than 10 minutes, barely time to finish a half cup of coffee, which was on the table within 2 minutes of our drink order)
- Friendly (everyone had a smile and we were greeted as we walked in the door)
- Pride (we overheard the chef, as he was handing a customer another egg, that one of her eggs had been "cosmetically challenged" so he wanted her to have one that looked better)
- Understood their limitations (the restaurant was smaller and served breakfast and lunch.)
- Knew that customers would pay extra for the extras. (It is not the McDonald's price list.)
I was not only impressed with the place as a restaurant but also as a business. I have no financial interest in the place and will probably never visit again, but I will name them as a recommendation. If you are ever in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago stop into the Over Easy Cafe. Everything I said about them is shown in a quote from the chef/owner Jon Cignarale, “Everything about the meal is important, from coffee on the table as soon as you sit down to your eggs actually coming over easy… This is what I love to do – I wouldn’t want to wake up everyday doing anything else.”
Do you have a similar quote about yourself?
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