Brad W wrote:"but not great wages to my employees but.... ANY ONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE GLADLY TAKEN A BULLET FOR ME AT ANY TIME!! Pride, loyalty, and unwavering passion for our craft is what separates indies from chains."
ding ding ding...we have a winner on why...
Passion is important in what you do. Loyalty is important. Employee satisfaction is important. Some people are willing take less cash to work and be somewhere where they believe in the concept, the people above and below them and generally are happy to go to work there everyday.
Thank's Brad! Some thing's transend "benifits and wages" like playing corn-hole between shifts, launching vegetables with a 3 man slingshot, or watching Lebowski with my staff on Monday nights (damn I miss my place). For people in the business that have never felt it, there is an "energy" to all places and it trickles down to the guest via osmosis or some other force and that is what makes a place special (Roger has it). I have yet to feel it in a chain but have seen it in a few indies and have created it myself by undying devotion and care for a staff that shares the same sense of purpose and passion in spite of adversity. That IMHO separates chains from indies (sorry for the soapbox) P.S. Brad, though I don't know you, you can work for me anytime!
