In the 1980s. John Offerdahl was well-known to football fans throughout South Florida for his bone-crunching work as a middle linebacker for the Miami Dolphins.
By 1990,the name Offerdahl was still synonymous with crunching, but
of a different sort: toasty bagels, thanks to Offerdahl's Bagel Gourmet, a side business for the football star and his wife, Lynn, started in 1985.The business started with one Weston shop in 1990 and grew to more than ten locations throughout South Florida before they sold it in 1995 to Boston Market (the shops are still around, you know them as Einstein's Bagels).
By the late 90s, John (who had retired from the NFL in 1993) and Lynn were ready to get back into the restaurant business. They started Offerdahl's Café Grill, a 'fast-casual" restaurant specializing in gourmet sandwiches, "chop bowls"and salads. Since the first restaurant opened in 2000,it's expanded to nine locations from Boca Raton to downtown Miami,with six owned by the Offerdahls themselves and three by franchisees.
No
doubt about it, John and Lynn Offerdahl are winning. What's the secret to their success? Taking Care of Business asked Offerdahl's Marketing Director, Jeff Gorton for a peek inside this football-star-turned-restaurateur's winning play book.
TCB:
What's John and Lynn's game?
JG: John and Lynn's game is based on three simple things: faith, family, and food. All through his career, John felt that he had a responsibility to his community,and the Offerdahls believe the
best way for them to have a positive impact on people is through good food.
TCB:
What is their winning strategy?
JG: John and Lynn believe in the six "Ps":
people, place, product promotion, process and profit ... in that order.
The basic philosophy centers around building a concept from the inside out, and the key to their success has been a focus on leadership and customer convenience. To achieve the highest customer satisfaction, you've
got to have good quality and good experience. They also believe in starting small and working slowly at the beginning - don't jeopardize quality for quantity.
TCB:
How do they keep score?
JG: John and Lynn keep in touch with repeat customers - the ones who make up over half of the business. They also constantly assess what
works and what doesnlt,and use that data to keep improving the stores.
TCB: What is their long-term game plan?
JG:To be the market leader by
2010 with 40-50 stores!
To
learn more about Offerdahl's Cafe Grill,visit www.offerdahls.com!
