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Being conservative can be understood as a mindset, a way of thinking. A conservative person is someone who does not want to embrace the new, or metaphorically speaking, a conservative person is someone holding onto something tightly and unwilling to let go. The things they hold onto could be valuable possessions, knowledge, experience, but they could also be outdated, broken, and no longer suitable for the present. 'Conservative' and 'stubborn' always go hand in hand. If conservatism means refusing to change, stubbornness is sticking stubbornly to one's own opinions, always insisting on the mistakes of others. The most negative and specific manifestation is by any means defending something that has been denied, regardless of reputation, honor, regardless of seeing failure right in front of them but still stubbornly insisting they are not wrong.
With the rapid and outstanding development of science, technology, and the internet today, people who hold conservative or stubborn thoughts, unwilling to change, will easily fall behind quickly.
Do not equate 'personal opinion' with holding onto your own 'ego' without caring about the constant movement of society. A restaurant owner who does not know how to change the layout of the restaurant according to new trends or the needs of customers, then the best way is to close their restaurant before it falls into bankruptcy.
The business situation of restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic period is the most typical example. Restaurants quickly have innovative thinking, shift or combine from offline sales (booking at the restaurant) to online sales (delivering food to homes, ordering takeaway) - most of them are able to survive the pandemic, even ahead of the game and increase revenue afterwards.
Conservative thinking in the middle-aged Restaurant Owners' class
The middle-aged class mostly consists of people still influenced by the old Vietnamese economy, the period before 1975. Along with that period is the slow integration and development of the economy, technology, and science. Therefore, the conservative restaurant business style of this class is most clearly manifested in the following 3 points:
- Outdated, backward thinking, unwilling to change
- Always believing their knowledge and experience are superior
- Looking down on the values of others
Failing to keep up with new trends, or because they do not want to change, these experienced managers or restaurant owners are gradually 'killing' their own restaurants. Ask yourself, will you 'sell what customers need or sell what you have?'. It's great if your answer is 'what customers need what you have'. But how many more customers will there be in the future and what percentage of existing customers will stay with your restaurant?
The most notable example of resistance to change is the famous grumbling porridge and pho restaurants in Hanoi in the past. When economic conditions were difficult, customers accepted good food but poor service. However, as society developed, the needs of today's diners not only stopped at good food but also wanted good service.
After being featured in the media, these grumbling porridge and pho restaurants seemed to become even more famous, with customers lining up and, of course, having to endure the shouts and curses of the restaurant owners and receive the rude attitude of the restaurant staff. But after a while, these eateries saw a decrease in customers and a gradual decrease in revenue. Why is that?
Because human nature is very curious, they want to come and see for themselves if what the media says is true. And after one visit, everyone 'runs away', not wanting to come back. Look, what have those eateries lost due to their stubbornness? Restaurant owners are the same way, they create their own menus without consulting the chef to balance the dishes, ingredients, and expenses. Or restaurant design requires knowledge of architecture, interior design, creativity, and artistic vision. However, conservative restaurant managers overlook all those details and carry out designs based on personal feelings.
Instead of spending time and effort correcting mistakes, they can completely become comfortable and flexible by exchanging specifics with the design and construction department. Working as a team can change the entire idea, but that is only for the common purpose of making the restaurant, eatery develop better.
Conservative restaurant owners are very likely to lose talented people due to their dictatorial management style. When the opinions of employees are not valued, they will quickly become discouraged and seek a more suitable place to work. In addition, the difficulty of reconciling opinions leads to conflicts among investors or partners. Leading to restaurant closures or cessation of business.
Conservatism in restaurant business thinking among the youth
In the youth class, conservative thinking also exists but is manifested in different aspects. They quickly adapt to the changing world, but they suffer from the 'foreign' disease. Many restaurant business people tend to Europeanize without considering the traditional tastes of Vietnamese people and the culinary needs of customers.
With the knowledge gained in the new education system, young people underestimate the knowledge and experience of the older generation. They are arrogant, disregarding advice gleaned from years of restaurant business lessons from the previous generation.
One downside of integration is the elimination of traditional values. If you think opening a restaurant in European, Japanese, or Korean style doesn't need to consider the tastes and dining styles of customers, you're mistaken. Even a Hanoi-style pho restaurant opened in Saigon has to adjust the broth to suit the taste of people in the South. So, why can't you do the same just because of your conservative mindset?
Avoiding conservative thinking
It's undeniable that changing one's personality and viewpoint is very difficult. However, if you're willing to acknowledge your weaknesses, the risks your restaurant has, is facing, or will face if you stick to those stubborn ideas are insurmountable.
Learn to listen and accept feedback from others to come up with the most suitable approach for your restaurant business. Additionally, you can participate in restaurant groups, associations, and related culinary communities to learn, share, and gain experience regularly.
In addition, enrolling in restaurant management courses or seeking advice from reputable business partners are effective ways to enhance your knowledge and listen to insights from experienced industry experts.
Wishing all restaurant entrepreneurs great success!
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Reference: SmartGoal
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