Expanding a hospitality business.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT
The founder's presence is frequently what makes the first location work.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE EXPANDING
Whether the first location works without you.
HOW TO TEST IT
Be absent, repeatedly, and observe.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT FIRST
Recipes and portions Procedures Standards Training
WHY
A second location cannot inherit what exists only in your head.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Who will run the second site, with authority.
WHY WITH AUTHORITY
A manager who must ask about everything cannot manage.
WHAT TO ASSESS ABOUT A NEW LOCATION
The same analysis as the first, independently.
WHY INDEPENDENTLY
Success in one location does not transfer to another.
WHAT COMMONLY FAILS
Assuming the brand will produce custom anywhere Underestimating the second site's establishment period Dividing the founder's attention
WHAT TO PLAN FOR
Losses at the new site while it builds.
WHAT TO PROTECT
The first location.
WHY
It funds the second, and neglecting it risks both.
WHAT TO STANDARDISE
Recipes, procedures and standards.
WHAT TO ALLOW TO DIFFER
What genuinely must, by location.
WHAT TO MEASURE ACROSS SITES
Sales, costs, reviews and staff turnover, comparably.
WHAT TO CONSIDER INSTEAD OF A SECOND SITE
Extending hours, adding delivery, or improving the existing operation.
