John Buchanan

Buchanan compared great foodservice directors to great film directors in his remarks.

“Great directors have the ability to get their vision up on the screen,” Buchanan said. “Great foodservice directors have the ability to get their vision out in front of customers.”

When hiring, “ask yourself what the candidate is bringing to the job,” he said. “Is this person going to make my life easier? This may seem selfish, but strong directors look for capable people to whom they can delegate important tasks.”

However, before employees are evaluated, successful foodservice operation “must start with great food,” Buchanan said. “If you are only cost-driven, you are going to have a hard time making your concept exciting to a customer.”

It's the little things that can push you to the top of your game, Buchanan continued.

“It is very difficult to be 100 percent better than your competition, but you can be 1 percent better in 100 different ways,” he said.