Page 106 - Entrepreneur - USA (January - February 2020)

F
T THEHE FRANCHISERANCHISE
s host of the television show Bar Rescue, Jon Taffer shows
up to fix other people’s restaurants. Now he’s also looking at
A the casual-dining sector more broadly, and he sees signs of
trouble: “They’re dinosaurs,” he says of many brands that have been
around for decades, “and I think they’re facing extinction. All the
Uber Eats in the world can’t bail them out.” His diagnosis: rising
labor costs, plummeting meal prices, and an economy in flux. That’s
why starting this year, Taffer plans to spend a lot of time in restau-
rants of his own. He’s launching a new franchise restaurant concept
called Taffer’s Tavern, which is designed for efficiency—with
minimally staffed, robotic kitchens cooking vacuum-sealed food,
and data-driven decisions everywhere. The first unit is expected to
open in Atlanta in April this year. There are agreements to sell
another 50 by then as well, and a television tie-in is in the works.
“This is my baby,” he says. “Not only can I build immense value with
this, but it could be a heck of a business model.”
This past fall, as he was negotiating the TV deal and developing
104 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / January-February 2020
his first test kitchen, Taffer spoke to Entrepreneur about the fran-
chise industry, how he developed his concept, and why he believes
all restaurateurs need to become more efficient.
You’re experienced in the hospitality space, but this is your first
step into franchising. Why do it?
I found the casual-dining sector to be incredibly frustrating. I look
at these companies doing all-you-can-eat appetizers, two-for-one
entrées, $10 all-you-can-eat meals. They’re fighting for customers
while, at the same time, labor pools are shrinking. We’re approach-
ing $15 minimum wages—so labor costs are through the roof,
and we’re discounting food. The numbers don’t work. It’s going to
implode. I said to myself, Somebody’s gotta create a franchise model
that works. How do I solve that with robotic cooking, and what kind
of approach to cuisine production can I take that assures quality and
consistency, and attacks the labor issue? So I’ve been working on test
kitchens with sous vide cooking. f