How prepared are you to rise from the ashes and how many of your competitors or employees would stand by your side waiting for your re-birth?
According to their website, “Barbacoa is more than a restaurant…, it's a museum, an art gallery, and a promise to all of your senses”. In December 2009, the Barbacoa was typically packed with patrons enjoying the local artwork, the food, the drinks and the holiday atmosphere. Ironically, I was in Phoenix, Arizona to watch the Fiesta Bowl when I learned about a tragic fire that gutted the Barbacoa putting about 100 people out of work.
Like the mythical bird the Phoenix, Robert Castoro the owner of Barbacoa, immediately began planning for reincarnation. He put his management staff to work trying to find new jobs for his employees. Another local restaurant, China Blue, held a fund raiser for the Barbacoa Employee Trust Fund.
I am pleased that on January 1, 2011; that Barbacoa has officially risen from the ashes and re-opened in Boise. The local news reported that the “entire” management staff has returned a full year later and that over 60 percent of the original employees have already returned.
As you go about setting your business plans for 2011, think about what would happen if your company were to be burned to the ground. Is it worth rebuilding? Would your competitors help put on fundraisers on your behalf? Would your employees quit other jobs to return a full year later?
Again I ask, “How healthy is your Phoenix?”
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