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When your young and need cash and you’re not disposed with a criminal mind, you get a job. And the easy job to get has always been in a restaurant. That’s what set Scott Foster off on a career path that’s taken him on a journey from the dish pit through an encounter with Oprah Winfrey’s only foray into the restaurant business to leading the Nova Group of 7 restaurants. Ambition, passion and no fear of hard work have been his guides along this track of success. That and letting every encounter with those who hired him to be a mentoring lesson of what to do, or not to do, to build restaurants with stamina and fervent guest appeal.

Even though I’ve known Scott from his early days in the biz, and he does hand me some credit for his success, it’s easy to hear how many great people he’s been able to work with over the years that have all contributed to the restaurateur he is today. There were so many points we covered it’s hard to summarize but I hoped you were able to follow the structure he’s developed for the Nova Group that allows them to succeed and grow. To build an organization, it must have a foundation, much like a building. Without it, the walls may rise, but won’t stay up for long. The foundation is made up of training materials, production guidelines with routines to open run and close every position in the restaurant coupled with a culture of hospitality and service to the guest. Without these the restaurant is left to the whims and ability of the staff. In some very few cases with luck and constant attention by the owner, that can work. But why dance down that path when doing the other will work a whole lot better.

Nova Restaurant Group

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