I have this very clear feeling that a fundamental shift in many of the ways that we have been used to conducting business and interacting with each other is underway. (see also my previous post are you a frog in the pot) And that when the dust settles things will not return to what we have known previously as normal but will have undergone a clear shift. This is not a passing storm but fundamental climate change.

In pursuit of that theme I have been hunting for signs that would support this gut feeling.

This has led me to The 2009 Shift Index published by Deloite and presented on the Harvard publishing website.

Her you will find the following resume of key findings:

The 2009 Shift Index reveals a disquieting performance paradox in the US corporate sector. On the one hand, labor productivity has nearly doubled since 1965. During those same years, however, US companies’ Return on Assets (ROA) progressively dropped 75 percent from their 1965 level.

How can firms be getting lower returns even as they’re becoming more efficient? The answer resides in the heightened competition among firms. Competitive intensity nearly doubled between 1965 and 2008, forcing firms to compete away the benefits of productivity gains, which were instead captured by creative talent in the form of higher compensation and numbers of consumers through increasing performance/price ratios and wider choice.

It’s little surprise to find also that the highest-performing companies are struggling to maintain their ROA rates and are increasingly losing market leadership positions. Taken as a whole, the findings portray a U.S. corporate sector in which long-term forces of change are undercutting normal sources of economic value. “Normal” may in fact be a thing of the past: even after the economy resumes growing, companies’ returns will remain under pressure.

To respond to this performance challenge, U.S. companies will need to let go of industrial- era organizational structures (and the reporting relationships, incentive systems, and managerial processes that go with them) and operational practices in favor of the new institutional architectures and business practices needed to create and capture economic value in the era of the Big Shift.

Companies must move beyond their fixation on getting bigger and more cost-effective to make the institutional innovations necessary to accelerate performance improvement as they add participants to their ecosystems, expanding learning and innovation in collaboration curves and creation spaces. Companies must move, in other words, from scalable efficiency to scalable learning and performance. Only then will they make the most of our new era’s fast-moving digital infrastructure.

So what does this Big Shift entail in pratical terms?

John Hagel one of the co-authors of the 2009 Big Shift index does a superb job summarizing what he essentially sees as a shift from push to pull on his blog Edge Perspectives

What obviously caught my atention was this:

From knowledge transfer to knowledge creation
Most companies today will acknowledge the importance of knowledge flows, but they tend to focus on transferring knowledge more efficiently, especially within corporate boundaries. While useful, this is ultimately a diminishing returns game on multiple levels. The greatest economic value will come from finding ways to connecting relevant yet diverse people, both within the firm and outside it, to create new knowledge. They do this best by addressing challenging performance requirements that motivate them to get out of their comfort zone and come up with creative new approaches that generate more value with fewer resources.

This correlates well with the experiences that we have using action learning as our primary developmental tool in helping managers and organizations tackle the changes that they are in. It is not our job to teach but to help them learn – and that is a very different story.

But I urge you to read the full unfolding of this thinking here under the following headlines:

From knowledge stocks to knowledge flows.

From knowledge transfer to knowledge creation.

From explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge.

From transactions to relationships.

From zero sum to positive sum mindsets.

From push programs to pull platforms.

From stable environments to dynamic environments.

Lots of food for thought, and now I realize that my gut was telling me something important and I shall continue to pursue this investigation.

One day, while they were looking at a sandwich glass case with despair in their eyes, John Vincent asked his colleague who also happened to be his best buddy from the years of school: ‘Hey, how do you think a fast food restaurant would look like if God had to design one?’ That statement was the very first step in creating ‘Leon’.

On their menu you find salads, soups and wraps for lunch and in the evening more solid meals like lamb and mackerel – but no sandwich in sight. Ingredients used are quinoa, broccoli, alfalfa, chicken, hummus, coriander and cardamom – as if it was a health food store and with reasonable prices between 5 and 8 dollars for a meal. Take a look at their menu here: http://www.leonrestaurants.co.uk/

But don’t be mistaken. Behind this cosy family image there is a powerful determination to make the world a better place. “We have to make an end to our industrial foods”, John Vincent says, “and it won’t happen before we get big enough to influence the development. That is why the goal is to reach 2.020 businesses before the year 2020 – if God will.

I gave a speak on the subject at the UK CESA conference in november – presenting the new and creative concepts that I have encountered in the major cities. Among these a quite unique concept in Barcelona – made by Camper. Watch it here.

Here is an attempt from restaurant guru Michael Whiteman

And here you will find a less colourful attempt from the Magazine Restaurants and Institutions

One thing I have observed is that the new mantra for buffets and food displays is that less is more – simplicity and quality have replaced volume and variety in some of the best and most progressive concepts I have seen. Tappas and Sushi style bites have replace huge displays.

The photos here are both from the spanking new Renaissance Shanghai Hotel – note that the cokkie jars are there for quest to take their pick if the feel like a cokkie with their coffee.

What do you think are going to be the dominant new trends in the Food business this year?

This is the message that comes through loud and clear in Mavericks at Work – it is the driving force behind a new town guide out in San Fransisco the Green Zebra. Closer to home – for me – it is also the driving force behind by most favourite restaurant La Chassagnette.

The restaurants purpose is to promote the Carmargue region in the south of France – as such the restaurnt is part of a larger project know as Heureuse Camargue – in their own words:
“In this natural and preserved landscape the women and men of “Heureuse Camargue” have consciously chosen to take up a challenge, an undertaking to the practice of organic agriculture, incontestably sustainable and respectful of a major ecological balance. We are committing an act of faith.”

If you are in the South of France this summer I recomend that you pay them a visit.

These spaces are luscious enough to eat in, with accessories tempting enough to take out. And lavatory luxuries often do go home with the doggie bags. “People like to take things from the bathroom as souvenirs,” says Bruno Marini, general manager of The Federalist. Many restaurateurs offer flourishes – cloth towels, hand lotion, and hair spray – and know the items will probably vanish with a spritz of good will.

“Amenities are far more critical for women,” says Bob Kinkead, co-owner with brother David of Sibling Rivalry in the South End. “Women decide where everybody’s going to eat anyway. If mom’s not happy, then nobody’s happy.”

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2004/11/28/royal_flush/

Fingerprint-identification technology by DigitalPersona, including a print reader and scanner not unlike this model, has been incorporated into the Digital Dining point-of-sale system

http://www.nrn.com/technology/index.cfm?ID=3159104253

Fingerprint ID technology requires a user to submit a finger for initial print scanning and then to press that same finger on the paper-clip-box-sized reader whenever he or she is accessing a protected application, such as a POS system’s virtual time clock.

http://www.nrn.com/technology/index.cfm?ID=3159104253

More pictures

G R A S S is an outdoor restaurant and lounge, located in the heart of the Miami Design District, amidst designer showrooms, antique stores and art galleries. The decor combines elements of Caribbean and Indonesian vernacular architecture with cutting edge contemporary design, resulting in a sensuous and eclectic display of materials and textures in an intimate setting.

http://www.themeatrix.com/

Enjoy

Man kan ikke se det, hvis man ikke lige ve’ det. Richard Melmans drengede fjæs afslører ikke, at han er god for en restaurantomsætning på over 170 mio. dollars på årsbasis.

Hans virksomhed, der blev stiftet i 1970 med det drilske og uoversættelige navn Lettuce Entertainment you (LEYE blandt venner), ejer og driver flere end 70 restauranter spredt ud over det amerikanske kontinent. Der ikke tale om kædedrift i traditionel forstand. Med undtagelse af Maggianos-restaurant der findes i over 20 byer, er de fleste af Melmans restauranter enkeltstående eller begrænset til to, tre byer/placeringer.

Det, der gør Melman så spændende, er, at han hvert år overgår sig selv med en ny idé. Selv siger Melman: “Det er egentlig meget simpelt. Vi har evnen til at give folk, hvad de vil have, før de egentlig selv ved, de vil have det. Nogen kalder det “trendsetting”. jeg foretrækker at kalde det vores evne til at lytte til vores kunder.”

Efter et lidet glorværdigt skoleforløb og et mislykket forsøg på at gennemføre sin collegetid, blev Melman klar over, at han måtte søge andre veje. Hans far og hans onkel drev en stor delikatesseforretning i Chicago, og de tog ham under deres vinger. Over de næste fire år prøvede han at arbejde i alle funktioner i forretningen, fra kundebetjening til opvask og regnskaber. Så følte han, at det var på tide, han fik del i forretningen og anmodede sin far om at blive optaget som partner. Både faren og onkelen afslog, og Melman sagde op, fast besluttet på at klare sig selv.

Tilfældighederne ville, at han mødte Jerry A. Orzoff – en succesrig ejendomsmægler, der syntes, Melmans ideer var sjove og værd at forfølge. Det blev starten på et sjældent succesrigt restaurantpartnerskab.

R.J. Grunts

I1970 lykkedes det Orzoff og Melman at skrabe 17.000 dollars (ca. 105.000 kr.) sammen, som de investerede i en virkeliggørelse af Melmans idé om at skabe et utraditionelt spisehus for singler med sund mad og masser af rockmusik. På menuen var alt, fra hamburgers til vegetariske specialiteter. En af de mange nyheder var en tag -selv frugt- og salatbar.

Navnet på det ny spisehus havde man fundet ved at sætte de to stifteres initialer foran den lyd, en gris siger (øf = grunts på engelsk), og R. j. Grunts var en realitet. Det lidt specielle navn var bare et af mange mærkelige navne Melman har “døbt” sine restauranter (se boks).

Drejebog for koncept mv.

Melman arbejder på visse områder, som man gør i filmindustrien. Når han mener, tiden er rigtig til lancering af en af de mange ideer, han konstant arbejder på, skriver han en drejebog som udgangspunkt for udviklingen af forretningskonceptet. Drejebogen skal fortælle en historie, der giver den nye restaurant en identitet. Når først historien er fortalt og beskrevet, sætter den rammerne for alt, hvad der skal bruges til at skabe restauranten, fra beliggenhed over menukort til dekorationen.

Da Ed Debevic’s Short/Orders Deluxe blev etableret, var historien bag således: “Året er 1952. En ung mand vender hjem fra Koreakrigen med drømmen om at starte sin egen forretning. Det skal være en type forretning, han har gode minder omkring og har savnet, mens han var i Korea. En rigtig “diner” med båse og en lang bar. Forkromede milk-shake miksere og andre maskiner på baren. Mad, der ikke skeler til kalorietabeller, og servitricer, der tygger “bubble gum ” og har den der venlige, men holdfingrenevæk storesøster attitude. Ed, vor hjemvendte helt, vil nødig foretage sig noget, der er mere anstrengende end at bowle. På endevæggen hænger hans Brunswick “Black Beauty” bowlingkasket, indrammet af et halvt dusin bowlingtrofæer fra hans ungdom.”
Der skal ikke megen fantasi til at forestille sig, hvordan Ed’s “diner” kom til at se ud.

Research, research & research

I begyndelsen gjorde Melman alting pr. “gefühl”, hvorimod der i dag nærmest er videnskabelig research til grund for hver eneste af hans restaurantkoncepter.

Grundideerne er stadig intuitive; han får en idé eller konstaterer et behov i markedet og skriver drejebogen. Men derefter bliver intet overladt til tilfældighederne.

F.eks. undersøgte Melmans hold i detaljer, før man sammensatte menuen i den græske restaurant Papagus Greek Traverna hvad andre græske restauranter i området serverede. Derefter tog hele holdet flere uger til Grækenland og spiste sig igennem menukortet på den ene restaurant efter den anden i området, men med system. En uge blev helliget forretter – så da spiste de kun forretter. Næste uge var helliget hovedretter, og på den måde blev der arbejdet systematisk, indtil markedet var af dækket.

Scoozi!

Af alle Melman’s kreationer er min personlige favorit den italienske restaurant Scoozi i Chicago.

Historien bag Scoozi er som følger: Året er 1926, hvor to restauratører i en lille landsby syd for Milano tilfældigt falder over et gammelt kunstneratelier. Det er faktisk mere en kæmpehal, end det er et atelier. Malingen på væggene skaller, og marmorgulvet slår revner. På nogle af væggene kan man ane forstudierne i trækulsstreg til forlængst glemte skulpturer. Andre vægge er dækket med falmede kunstplakater. Midt i denne rodebutik sætter de to restauratører deres blankpolerede mahognibar og røde læderbænke.

Restauranten har 325 pladser, og der kommer i gennemsnit 950 gæster pr. dag. En femtedel til frokost og fire femtedele om aftenen.

Det bliver til en omsætning på lidt over syv mio. dollars, hvilket er rigeligt til at forrente de ca. to og en halv mio. dollars, det kostede at bygge restauranten.

Nye ideer på tegnebrættet

Det synes som om, Melman er utrættelig. I de kommende måneder åbner han endnu en såkaldt “fine” restaurant – koncept og navn er stadig en hemmelighed. Hertil kommer, at han i samarbejde med køkkenchefen Jean Georges Vongerichten arbejder på et spændende projekt med udgangspunkt i det thai-franske køkken.

Melmans restauranter er til enhver tid et besøg værd – uanset om man vælger en af de nyeste Melman kreationer eller en af hans klassikere som Scoozi – Melmans historier er altid gode.

© mike hohnen marts 2000

Se Lettuce Entertainment imperiet på : http://www.leye.com/