Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Campbell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my career as a manager at TGI Friday’s, a popular restaurant chain at the time, before joining the Ruby’s Diner concept in 1982. I was hired at Ruby’s as the first manager at its original location at the end of the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach. I stayed with Ruby’s corporate, advancing to manager and district manager roles as the company grew to nine stores. In 1991, I became one of the first franchisees and opened my first restaurant in the quaint downtown of San Juan Capistrano. Although operationally successful, guest counts presented challenges, especially during weekday breakfasts and evenings. in 1997 when the opportunity to franchise my second location at the outlet centers in Carlsbad arose, I seized it without hesitation and have never looked back.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Raising money to build the restaurant in Carlsbad was my biggest challenge. Initially, there was a lot of skepticism since Ruby’s had never been in an outlet center before. This was a new environment, and there wasn’t much data to rely on. Additionally, potential investors who reviewed the performance of the San Juan Capistrano location weren’t particularly excited. It took numerous conversations and assurances of operational stability to get the investors on board. There was also the potential for landlord investment through tenant improvement dollars. I had many back-and-forth discussions with the developer, convincing them that my team was the right fit for the location at the entrance to the center. Ultimately, the developer agreed and provided the tenant improvement dollars while also taking a 25% ownership stake with additional investment. This solid foundation allowed us to build the restaurant.
Since early on, I have followed the operational mantra of “hire smart, train hard, and manage easy.” This sounds simple, and it is simple, but that doesn’t make it easy. Hiring smart means entering every interview with intention and looking for specific personality traits you believe are essential. Previous experience can be beneficial, although sometimes people with experience come with poor prior training. We always look for applicants who are enthusiastic, gracious, generous, and curious, among other qualities.
Training hard means taking no shortcuts. Stick to your established standard operating procedures and policies. Make sure the new team member not only understands these standards clearly but is also “bought in” on how diligently adhering to these standards will benefit them and the business.
Managing easy may seem like an unfamiliar concept, but it’s the most important and straightforward principle. Catch people doing things right. If you catch them doing things wrong, it becomes a never-ending chase to correct their actions. If you catch them doing things right, they either naturally move in the desired direction or they leave.
Fortunately, North County San Diego has been an excellent area for finding the type of people we’ve been looking for.
The shopping center was busy from the day it opened, which was a great relief to us. All the investors had their money back in less than 3 1/2 years, which was considerably ahead of schedule. Now, as we approach 26 years in this location, the yearly increases in food costs, labor costs, and insurance make it increasingly difficult to stay in business. Menu price increases are an inevitable result.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Most importantly, I take pride in being a team builder. One common observation from other business owners about me is my ability to identify the strengths of team members and align them to work cohesively towards a shared goal. When I find a team member who is not showing enthusiasm for following established policies and procedures, One of my most effective methods for getting the team members attention is to approach them with this : “I am so sorry to know that you are quitting” – Of course with a perplexed look they will invariably respond with “I am not quitting”. To which I will respond- “Well I have noticed you have quit showing up on time, quit coming in with a clean shirt” or reference some other short coming. Quite often this will get them back on track. I have had many occasions over the decades of approaching a team member who showed little enthusiasm for the work and giving them their freedom to move on only to have them come back to me years later thanking me for giving them the push.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Most people will tell you that being in the restaurant business is as risky as it gets. It seems to me that the money spent on marketing is one of the largest risks you can take. You invest substantial dollars into programs which may or may not attract customers. There’s an old saying in marketing: “50% of all marketing dollars spent are completely wasted. If I only knew which 50% worked, I’d be a billionaire.” Marketing has always been a challenge for me, and the introduction of social media has only made it more difficult since I am not typically a social media user. I do know that most marketing dollars spent will produce trial, meaning somebody will come and give you a try. But it all comes down to operations. Once they come into the restaurant, are the bathrooms clean? Is the food hot? Is their server smiling? At the end of the day, once the customer gives you a try, we have to ask ourselves this question: is this customer impressed enough to return to us? And more importantly: are they confident enough to put their reputation on the line and recommend us to somebody else? If you can answer both of those questions affirmatively, I believe you have a success!
Looking ahead, Ruby’s in Carlsbad still has a number of years remaining on its lease. We look forward to the upcoming years, providing quality service and food to our guests. As I approach my 50th year in the business, I hope this very satisfying enterprise will survive beyond that, but it’s probably going to involve someone younger steering the ship.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rubys.com
- Instagram: @rubysdiner
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubysdiner/
- Other: https://www.rubys.com/locations/carlsbad/
