Commentary

The 2016 film, The Founder depicted the story of the McDonald's franchise, when struggling Prince Castle salesman Ray Kroc, who is played by Michael Keaton, travels to San Bernardino in California to meet Dick and Mac McDonald at their eponymous restaurant.   In one memorable scene, Kroc discovers that a McDonald's franchisee has taken it upon himself to add fried chicken to the menu, clashing with the standardised offerings he sought to enforce. This moment highlights the challenges of maintaining uniformity across a restaurant network, something critical for the success of any restaurant brand—the brand promise must be the same in every outlet.   As many know, in the story of McDonald’s, Kroc’s vision extended beyond merely selling burgers and fries—he aspired to deliver the same high-quality experience at every McDonald’s location across the United States. This uniformity is essential for restaurant chain dominance and is the foundation for success—franchise or not.   It’s critical to set customer expectations through your brand promise and to ensure they are met throughout the restaurant chain. These principles can be embedded into your operations in various ways.   Clear expectations that are consistently communicated ensure franchisees and restaurant managers have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and the standards they must uphold. This can be achieved through regular communication, such as town hall meetings, newsletters, and updates to the franchise operations manual.   A ‘playbook’ is a document that outlines an organisation’s strategies, processes, and practices. It serves as a dynamic roadmap for business operations, ensuring consistency and efficiency while aligning with the brand’s goals and values. The playbook encompasses vision statements, core values, roles, responsibilities, and – most crucially – operational processes. It provides a detailed guide to daily operations and routine activities critical to the business.