He Played Ozzfest. Then He Got Into the Restaurant Business | Iano Dovi
What does touring with punk and metal bands teach you about running a restaurant?
Iano Dovi, general manager of The Attic in Long Beach and founder of The Dovi Group, joins Amani Roberts and Mandi Graziano on Adventures in Business Live. He tells them how selling band T-shirts led to tour management, why he thinks of every dinner service as throwing a party and how he promoted his DJ nights by slipping flyers in with guests’ checks.
Run Dinner Service Like a Live Show
Before Iano Dovi became general manager of The Attic, he played in bands, sold T-shirts on tour and learned how to run shows. He got into tour management after asking a promoter why other bands were getting things his band wasn’t. Their tour managers had called ahead to confirm what they needed. Iano started doing the same. Years later, he still thinks about dinner service the way he thought about putting on a show.
“Every single night that you’re at a restaurant, you’re throwing a dinner party.”
The work starts before anyone walks through the door. Iano also sees each night as a chance to get better at hosting the next one.
Confirm what your crew needs before guests arrive.
Pay attention to the experience from the guest’s side of the room.
Carry one thing you learned tonight into tomorrow’s service.
Talk About the Work You’re Proud Of
When Iano was serving and bartending, he slipped flyers for his DJ nights and band gigs into the check presenters he dropped at tables. People gave him a hard time about it, but he was happy to tell guests where they could hear him play.
“Tell people about it as much as you can. Be excited about what you’ve got.”
Iano still listens to his own music and wears his own band shirts. He talks about The Attic with the same enthusiasm. In both cases, he has something specific to share and a personal reason for sharing it.
Tell people what you’re working on and where they can find it.
Give them a detail they can remember, like where you’re playing or what they should order.
Talk about the part of the work you’d be excited to tell someone about in person.
Coach Your Team Through the Work
When one of Iano’s employees asked him to speak to a group at her school, the organizer wanted something interactive. He built an exercise that put participants in a manager’s position. They had to ask their team questions, give them room to come up with an answer and decide how to respond.
Iano describes a manager as a “head coach standing on the sidelines.” The coach gives clear instructions, keeps people talking to each other and helps the team carry out the plan.
Explain what a good outcome looks like before handing off the task.
Ask the person doing the work how they’d handle it.
Give them time to come back with an answer.
Find out whether they prefer feedback right away or time to process it.
The same goes for praise. Some people at The Attic enjoy being recognized in front of the team. Others would rather hear they did a good job in a quick conversation behind the scenes.
Ask What Your Employees Want to Do Next
Iano took a two-day-a-week serving job at The Attic because he wanted time to make art. When the owner first offered him a supervisor role, he said no. He gave the same answer when the owner asked him to become a manager. Each time, the owner changed his schedule and offered him more money. Eventually, Iano became general manager.
He remembers having plans outside the restaurant when he talks to his team about theirs. Some want to go into nursing or real estate. Others want to start a family or move out of state.
“I want The Attic to be the last restaurant job that they ever have.”
For Iano, that means taking an interest in what employees want from the time they spend working with him.
Ask what they hope to do after this job.
Find out which skills they want a chance to build while they’re here.
When turnover picks up, look at what the team is experiencing day to day.
Iano had to do that last one himself after a year with a lot of turnover. He looked at what had changed in his own approach and what he could do to give people a reason to stay and grow.
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