The Demand

Walk your dining room on your next shift and listen for the language Guests actually use — “a place I like” versus “my place.” Name one Guest who has crossed that line and one who is close but hasn’t. Decide this week what specific, repeated standard you will hold without exception so that the Guest closest to the line tests it enough times to trust it and eventually claims it.

The Work

Name a Guest who refers to your restaurant as “my place” or something close to it:

The claim test:

What have they done that proves ownership — brought people, defended a bad night, referred by instinct:

What standard, tested repeatedly, earned that claim:

The vulnerability test:

Name a Guest who recently trusted you with something they could not control — an anniversary, a celebration, a milestone:

Did the experience earn that vulnerability or merely survive it — the honest answer:

The standard-never-drops check:

Name one moment in the last week where the standard held even though the operator was not present:

Name one moment where it slipped:

The specific standard you will hold without exception this week so more Guests move from “a place” to “my place”: