Leadership lessons from Felipe's Taqueria | Pike Howard, CEO | 047

Great teams make great restaurants. On The Pre-Shift, restaurant operators and industry experts dive into what it takes to build great restaurant teams. We explore their stories, the strategies they use, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams. Hosted by D. J. Costantino. Presented by 7shifts.

In this episode, Pike Howard, co-owner and finance and development director of Felipe's Taqueria, shares the history of the restaurant chain founded in 2006, inspired by Felipe Herrera. Pike emphasizes the significance of having a strong foundational playbook for growth, the importance of transparency and profit-sharing with leadership teams, and the role of consistent execution in a high inflationary environment. He cites influences like Danny Meyer’s book, Setting the Table, and Chick-fil-A’s operational focus. Howard stresses the need for non-defensiveness regarding feedback and aims to exceed profitability expectations.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Pike Howard and Felipe's Taqueria

00:09 Founding Story of Felipe's Taqueria

00:23 Growth Strategy and Operational Philosophy

01:11 Leadership and Transparency

01:16 Profit Sharing and Employee Engagement

01:42 Consistency and Adaptation in Operations

02:20 Commitment to Quality and Inspiration

02:49 Operational Excellence and Feedback

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7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.