It’s Pre-shift Somewhere - The Power of Repetition

weekly dose of wisdom from my partner and our Director of Operations, Phil Zelonky

Every great team has one thing in common:
they don’t get bored doing the basics well.

Repetition is the backbone of hospitality. The way you greet a guest. The way you reset a table. The way you walk the floor. The way you communicate on the fly. These aren’t small things — they’re the whole thing. And the best in our industry don’t wait to be reminded. They already know.

Consistency is what separates a good restaurant from a great one.
Consistency is what builds trust.
Consistency is what guests come back for.

You can’t fake it.
You can’t shortcut it.
You can’t “wing it” and call it hospitality.

The teams who thrive are the ones who treat every shift like a chance to tighten the screws just a little more — sharper stations, cleaner lines, stronger communication, better timing. They understand that excellence isn’t one big moment; it’s a thousand small ones, repeated with purpose.

And here’s the truth Phil lives by:

If you can master the simple things under pressure, you can master anything.

That’s the skill.
That’s the craft.
That’s what separates pros from everyone else.

As we move into another week, carry this with you:

Show up prepared.
Show up consistent.
Show up ready to repeat the basics until they look effortless.

Because when you do that, everything else — the flow, the energy, the hospitality — takes care of itself.

It’s preshift somewhere.
Let’s get to it.