Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Scott SirLouis on Franchise Operations

Full-service restaurants are among the most operationally demanding concepts in franchising. Unlike their fast-casual counterparts, full-service brands require large and often complicated build-outs, menus, staffs and kitchens. The upside is a far larger average check and a potentially wider consumer appeal for both lunch and dinner, but to fully realize those benefits, full-service brands must have airtight operational models that allow owners from a variety of backgrounds to execute the concept effectively and consistently across units.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is one full-service franchise that has successfully navigated the segment’s operational perils. The sports-pub franchise has thrived for more than 30 years and established nearly 200 units in markets across the U.S.

We talked to Scott SirLouis, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s chief operating officer, to learn how the brand approaches operations. Here’s what he had to say.

What does Beef 'O' Brady's operations team look like?

SirLouis: I have six restaurant franchise consultants, a vice president of company operations, and a vice president of training reporting directly to me. We also have two district managers reporting into the vice president of company operations and five training people reporting into the vice president of training.

Are you focused more on individual unit operations or the operations of the system at large?

SirLouis: My role strikes a balance between ensuring individual locations are executing effectively and improving the systems and practices we use for the brand at large. Success is built on the ability to be forward-looking without losing sight of our need to deliver great hospitality to every guest, every day.

What are some of the key operational concerns for any franchise brand?

SirLouis: Ensuring consistency across the entire guest experience, regardless of the location visited, is one of the largest and most important challenges for any franchise system. This is at the very heart of the franchise model. Successful brands will deploy good systems to manage that consistency. And more importantly, they will have great franchise consultants in the field, effectively practicing influential leadership to support and guide franchisees.

What are some operational concerns that are unique to Beef ‘O’ Brady’s?

SirLouis: As with any franchise brand, we work hard to ensure a consistently great execution of our product and service. Being a thirty-plus-year-old brand, we have the additional challenge of updating our facilities to ensure we deliver a great environment for guests dining. We’ve put together a comprehensive re-image program for our older franchised locations that is delivering outstanding results in early test locations. We’re introducing this to the wider franchisee community this summer for a fall rollout.

If a franchise brand is struggling, where should it look first to improve its operations?

SirLouis: 1) Start with the basics: great food, friendly people and a comfortable environment.  Ensure the majority of your efforts are focused on improving the guest experience. 2) Review purchasing and systems to identify opportunities to drive short-term profitability. 3) Create a culture of sales-building through effective media plans and great local store marketing execution. 4) Evaluate your systems for effectiveness; do you have the right tools for the right people? Are they being used consistently? Do they drive the desired results?

What do you wish you knew about franchising or franchise operations before you got into the industry?

SirLouis: Influential leadership skills are critical to success. This isn’t something taught at business schools. The importance of relationships in any business, but especially the franchise business, is something too often underestimated.