Page 24 - LandscapeSA Issue 110

BUSINESS FEATUrE

KITCHEN rULES

– THE ULTIMATE rECIPE For BUSINESS

BY BErT WEENINK

I have a genuine love for great food and an equal wheel instead of relying on our systems.

passion for business. Given this, I took some time to We end up feeding fewer customers and,
as a result, struggle to feed ourselves. I
watch a few cooking re-runs from the well known call this “productive avoidance” as we drift
towards the things we want to do versus
Gordon Ramsay during this past holiday season. the things we need to do.

There is also another downside. When the
et again, I was amazed at the This usually starts with a menu listing too time comes, and the customer wants us to
discoveries made during his initial many entrees or meal options. At other make our company’s version of a soufflé,
yinvestigations. Identifying the times, recipes have too many steps and we cannot do it because we’ve spent
fundamental problems causing the ingredients. The complexity of running all our energy complicating the most
financial distress of these establishments these restaurants keeps the team from uncomplicated products. Some business
is not always easy. yet somehow, he gets to fulfilling their core mission, which is to owners and entrepreneurs are dissuaded
the root causes for the poor performance create great food and do so efficiently for due to their simplicity. There is great
of the restauranteurs and business owners. enough people, thus enabling them to power in executing a plan with focus and
feed the team and the business with the efficiency while serving many customers.
South Africa has a similar TV show called gross profit they make.
“In Die sop: Restaurant evolusie” run by Wikipedia describes the concept of
Bertus Basson, our very own famous chef In one of the episodes of Kitchen keeping things simple as the “Keep It
and entrepreneur. Bertus’s restaurants Nightmares, Ramsay asks an owner/chef Simple Stupid” principle. It states that most
have won numerous eat Out awards, and to make a broccoli soup. The chef used 16 systems work best if kept simple rather
in 2019 he was named the S.pellegrino ingredients and not only did it take forever than complicated; therefore, simplicity
Chef of the year. to make, the colour was off. Worst of all, should be essential. Whether you call it
the core ingredient (broccoli) could not be the KISS principle or sound systems, we’re
I have suddenly developed an addiction tasted at all! making broccoli soup at the end of the
to the Kitchen Nightmare series and “In day. Find the need, create a recipe, and
Die sop”! Watching Bertus and his team On the other hand, Ramsay’s version was keep serving your customers.
transform restaurants in only 72 hours is kept simple, composed of only water,
impressive. All these episodes essentially broccoli and salt. It was a lush green How do these principles play out in your
feature entrepreneurs in peril. However, colour, tasted superb, was quick to make landscaping or horticulture business and
amid the disappointing food, slow service and inexpensive. As a dish, it ticked three what could you gain by keeping things
and loss of angry customers, there’s a necessary boxes: quality, cost and speed! simple and systemised? Will it lead to
universal lesson that Bertus and Gordon So here is my question: how much of higher profits?
Ramsay are sharing. Entrepreneurs, what you do in your business is an over-
business owners and leaders need to pay complicated broccoli soup? I would love to hear your comments and
attention to the underlying advice. shared experiences. Please contact me
As a business owner, once we have for a free 45 minute business exploratory
While the issues of these distressed and identified the customer’s need, it’s discussion that will add real value towards
nightmarish restaurants are all unique, time to make the soup. Many of us are running a better business.
the problems can be classified into three experienced, well-educated, ambitious
common focus areas: time, team and and academically curious, and we want Coach Bert Weenink
money. to show it, but in doing so, we wind up Email: bertweenink@actioncoach.com
tossing all of our mental ingredients into Mobile: +27 82 320 6072
A common theme among them sticks out every broccoli soup we make. It’s the source: Michael Gavino - Gordon Ramsay’s ultimate
like a sore thumb: over-complication! ultimate trap and we try to reinvent the recipe for business n

22 Landscape SA • Issue 110 2022