Winning with Guest Feedback: Twin Peaks’ Restaurant Turnaround Strategy for Success

How do you take a struggling brand and turn it into an industry leader? A Restaurant Turnaround Strategy- just ask Roger Gondek.

With over 40 years in the restaurant industry—Gondek joined Twin Peaks in 2016 with a clear mission.

He focused on what he says matters most— whether your a CMO, a CFO, or anyone else on a restaurant team—guest satisfaction, hospitality, and unforgettable experiences.

The result? Consistent double-digit sales growth and a post-COVID comeback worth studying.

This isn’t just a success story—it’s a blueprint for any restaurant looking to thrive.

Let’s break down the specifics of their Restaurant Turnaround Strategy.

Guest Feedback as the Heart of Success

For Gondek, guest sentiment is more than a metric; it’s the heart of operational decision-making.

Twin Peaks aggregates feedback to identify trends and pinpoint issues.

Key takeaways from their approach include:

• Data-Driven Leadership:
  Twin Peaks identifies under-performing units by analyzing sentiment.
  This is done across food quality, service, ambiance, and value.
  Feedback enables the team to address concerns while focusing on continuous improvement proactively.
• Sales-Driven Operations:
  “Positive sales result from doing things right,” Gondek emphasized.
  For Twin Peaks, low guest sentiment often points to issues. This includes indicators like poor staffing, which directly impacts sales.
• Encouraging Guest Mentions:
  Twin Peaks actively solicits reviews through QR-code-enabled business cards.
  Gondek believes in making feedback effortless. This results in higher mentions and more substantial online visibility.

The Power of Staffing: A Foundational Element

One of Gondek’s standout Restaurant Turnaround Strategies is hyper-focusing on staffing. In his view, “staffing is where success starts.”

Twin Peaks sees a spike in traffic during event-based occasions like UFC fights or NFL games.

Thus, Twin Peaks teams strive to ensure adequate staffing to maintain service quality.

They do so by prioritizing their workforce to enhance guest experiences.

Twin Peaks found that well-staffed restaurants contribute to:

• Faster service and higher table turnover.
• A better work environment, which reduces employee stress and turnover.
• Increased per-table averages through attentive upselling opportunities.

Operational Excellence Meets Data-Driven Incentives

Twin Peaks aligns its management teams around guest feedback through incentives.

Managers can earn significant bonuses tied to guest sentiment scores.

Simultaneously, this helps foster accountability and motivation.

Gondek’s philosophy is simple: “We pay for excellence. Anything below 90% is a concern.”

Additionally, Twin Peaks benchmarks its performance against competitors.

Gondek stresses that looking outward is as crucial as focusing inward in order to effectively execute a Restaurant Turnaround Strategy.

Lessons from the Field: Elevating the Guest Experience

Gondek’s approach underscores a universal truth for restaurateurs…

Guest satisfaction and sales performance are inseparable.

He emphasizes using feedback to refine operations, combined with disciplined staffing and clear performance incentives.

Additionally, this has solidified Twin Peaks’ position as a leader in casual dining.

As the industry continues to evolve, Twin Peaks’ story is a testament to the power of innovation, data, and unwavering commitment to the guest experience.

For anyone navigating the restaurant world?

Twin Peaks offers a blueprint for excelling by putting the guest first.