Advice for Angelo's

By now, most know of the make-over at Angelo's Family Restaurant on the Woodstock Square. Restaurant Impossible dropped in and attempted to perform magic with a very limited budget.

I suspect that most people would like to see Angelo's stay in business. For sure, the Square does not need that corner empty.

The local daily paper has been kind to Angelo's with its reporting, but readers haven't been so kind. They have provided mixed reviews, and a few of them have been downright mean. But not undeserved, and therein lies the problem.

Sunday 1:50PM, Dean St. side

So, what is needed at Angelo's? The "atmosphere" needs to change. Attitudes need to shift. And fast. Or there won't be anything left there but dust and trash. And, speaking of trash, the trash problem is back. The trash problem is a lot better than it was 10 years ago, but the City still has not persuaded Angelo to solve it. It's a difficult problem, but there must be some storage space for the trash off the sidewalk

More importantly, it's what happens inside the restaurant that really counts.

I knew a restaurant owner in Evergreen, Colo. who announced one Tuesday that he was closing - that day. He fired all his employees, and they were shocked. Before they left, he called a meeting and told them that, if they wanted to be re-hired when the restaurant re-opened on Saturday, they should fill out applications and attend training.

A consultant was on hand and did some "brain surgery" on all the employees. They were trained in  real customer service and were told they would be expected to serve customers as if they owned the restaurant.

A chalk board was installed in the kitchen. At the top was WW/WDW, standing for What Worked/What Didn't Work. Every employee could write on the board.

If someone did well, an employee could write praise on the board.

But, if someone wrote a complaint on the board (for example, about the busboy's being hung over), that person also had to write what could be done to fix the problem, such as helping the busboy stay on the wagon, and that he would help that happen.

When the restaurant re-opened on Saturday, the customer saw a great difference in service, attitude and atmosphere.

What if Angelo's became a place where the energy was "electrified", where everyone was happy, where the food was tasty, hot and good, where all the employees were friendly, fast and helpful. I'll bet the tips would be great for the waitstaff and that Angelo's profits would increase.

And listen, folks, when you go to Angelo's and want to take up a table for an hour for coffee with a couple of friends, just remember that what you pay for the coffee doesn't keep the lights on. Buy food and leave a generous tip. Angelo's in a business...