Im at a loss here guys. My partner is down my neck. My food cost hovers around 28 -30 % My Payroll is about 36%. I was not expecting to have such a terrible summer. TERRIBLE! Anyway. Food prices are high. My payroll is high because this is my 8th month…hate to be slammed and not prepared…also he would yell at me for not having enough help when we are busy…unfortunately my crystal ball is broken and he demands perfection. He does not work the store but he likes to point out the piece of paper in the corner of the restroom. BTW. I work 70 hours plus a week. I make pizza, manage and sautee and prep and play happy go lucky manager at night. I know sales drive everything. What would you say to relax this high strung individual. ZERO rest. experience. He is a nice person but can definitely bust the stones.
You could suggest that his help during peak hours would reduce labor, or that he could start doing some door tagging to raise sales.
What is your position, it sounds like minor partner or not at all…if I had a non-working equal partner I sure wouldnt be thrown around like a rag doll like he is doing to you.
Suggest you two sit down and work on improving things rather than blowing his top in view of employees and potential customers.
You have a buyout in place for either party?
50 percent partner. I could not have him here. He is not of the rest. caliber. Looks at everything from a cust. perspective (which is fine). I told him one time that it takes about 15 minutes to cook a pizza. One friday night we had 35 tickets pinned up and he could not understand why all those pizzas werent out in 15 minutes…we hand toss everything. He has done alot to spend money advertising with the local HS…but he has other business interest that keep him tied up.
Thats good to hear (50% partner)
I would tell him that as a NON WORKING partner that until he understands the business and the industry that he needs to calm down with the criticisms and focus on improving things and that you wont tolerate that kind of behavior.
You might suggest he become a silent partner, cut down the visits or make notes of things and share them over a starbucks versus in the store.
Please dont tell me you work for free or split the profits equally…
I would definately suggest he spend more time on the other side of the counter, that is a must. That or he cannot step foot into the establishment and do these kind of operations audits, that or he can buy you out…
:o
Yeah, this seems like a now win situation. I used to be in exactly the same situation. My business partner made about $250,000/yr at his regular job, and looked down upon our business, as this little side venture, I worked for a sub-standard wage for 3 years. We made very little money, because everytime I tried to spend money on improvements, or marketing he would nix it before I spent the money, or got the advertising.
My best suggestion I have for you is whilst the business is down per se. Have your Business Partner draw up his evaluation of the value of the business, and then buy him out. Offer him a contract of say $500 a month minimum or 50% of profit, whichever is greater until the note is paid off, and to sweeten the deal you might offer him 6 or 7% interest, this way you can run the business the way you see fit.
Some thoughts for building sales. Focus on the area closest to your store take the area a one-mile radius around your store and make that your focus for a year. Domino’s had a belief that the average store should be able to do $1.00 for every man woman and child with in there zones.
I don’t know how populated your area is. But if you focus on the closest people first they will get the best service, and respond in kind.
Allot of the Domino’s I managed didn’t open for lunch Mon thru Thurs, If you don’t have a lunch consider closing, or run the store by yourself, forwarding the phone to your cell phone, when you leave on a delivery.
I had several stores with managers that did that and handled upwards of $1000 in sales all by themselves.
Crosstrain all your employees to do every task in the house. If they balk, show them the door. Your business is your survival, so take it seriously, and personal. If your employees, have a problem with working hard for what you pay them boot them to the curb.
A new employee should be able to make 10 pizza/hr. A 3 month employee should be able to make 20 pizza/hr.
Limit your drivers to Double on there deliveries, If you give them more than that, you loose control of them, they grab 5 deliveries, and they are gone for an hour or more, and all but their first delivery, is probably a little disgruntled because the pizza’s are late, cold, and probably crumpled my the weight of the stack, or have slid around in the box, cause your driver is racing around. Limit them to double, and your drivers will be more efficient.
On predictably slow night keep and train and inside who you trust to run the inside, and make deliveries yourself, this give you a chance to meet your customers, and also monitor the strength of you inside’s(future manager) capabilities.