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I'm sure you've seen a movie or two where one of the characters doesn't know who they are. Either they were in an accident that left them in a state of amnesia or their memory was purposely erased. The fun comes in watching them figure out who they are and what they are supposed to do in life. This makes for a great story, but it is a bad way to run a business.

An unclear understanding and definition of who you are as a restaurant will quickly lead to disorder. The food you decide to carry on your menu, the takeout service you offer, your marketing campaign, how you resolve customer complaints, and how you answer the telephone, all hinge on who you are. Are you a fine dining or family style restaurant, pub, bistro, or coffee shop? Do you envision patrons eating with silverware or with their hands? Do you want them waiting two minutes or half an hour for their food? How much should they pay for your food? Should they come to be entertained or catered to?

Having a concise and articulate understanding of who you are will guide you in both consistency and decision-making. Because you know who you are and who you are not, you can look at a decision and ask whether choosing one path or another simply fits. When looking to buy a car, I knew that the Volkswagen Beetle, Mazda Miata, and the Hummer were just not me. There's nothing wrong with those vehicles and there are numerous people who love theirs; they just didn't fit in with my understanding of who I am. I was able to scour a large quantity of web and print listings quickly, knowing what to look at and what to simply pass over. Understanding who you are leads to quick decisions--yours and those of your staff.

Definition will also help you maintain consistency. If different staff members know who you are, they will know how to resolve customer issues without being partial, without being haste, and without making the wrong decisions in your absence. They will know how to answer your phone and how to welcome patrons at the door.

If you can't answer who you are in a sentence or two (or three), take the time to define who you are. Revisit your menu, your decor, your branding and marketing. Make the changes necessary to succinctly communicate who you are. Go beyond the mechanics and inform your staff too. Have them define who you are as a restaurant from time-to-time and keep reminding them until it has sunk in.

Quick and consistent decisions will help customers know what to expect when they visit. That stability will create trust with them, bringing them back again and again.

(This article was largely inspired by a bullet-point on a presentation by Mark Thomas at the Mid-Atlantic Food, Beverage, and Lodging Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, Summer of 2007.)