February 5, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Amber Polk, Catering Director at Soulman’s Bar-B-Que. With over 10 years of experience in the catering industry, Amber has played a pivotal role in growing Soulman’s Bar-B-Que’s catering operation across 20 company-owned locations.
Amber shares how consistency, training, and customer relationships have been the foundation of their catering success. She dives into the importance of word-of-mouth marketing, leveraging customer trust and referrals, and how Soulman’s stays true to its roots with scratch-made recipes and a focus on hospitality.
They also discuss the role of technology in streamlining catering operations, from online ordering to delivery logistics, and how Amber personally took the initiative to bring CaterZen into the company—proving its value by increasing efficiency and sales.
This episode is packed with insights on building a strong catering brand, maintaining quality across multiple locations, and training teams to deliver exceptional customer service. Whether you’re looking to scale your catering business or refine your operations, Amber’s story is a must-listen!
Restaurant Catering Smarts is sponsored by CaterZen Catering Software.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:28):
Hello again, I'm Michael Attias, your host of Restaurant Catering Smarts and today's guestis Amber Polk, Catering Director at Soulman's BBQ.
With over 10 years of experience in the catering industry, Amber has played a pivotal rolein expanding Soulman's catering services, delivering exceptional barbecue experiences to
both large events and intimate gatherings.
(00:49):
Her passion for creating memorable meals and building strong customer relationships hasmade her a respected leader in the catering community.
Amber's
deep expertise and dedication to service excellence makes her a sought after voice in theworld of event catering, and we're thrilled to have her on the show today.
But before we get into asking Amber a bunch of questions, let's take a minute to recognizeour sponsor.
This episode is brought to you by CaterZen Catering Software, the industry leader inhelping restaurants turn their catering chaos into calm.
(01:16):
Discover why top independent and enterprise restaurants trust CaterZen to save them timeand increase catering sales.
Go to www.caterzen.com and sign up for a walkthrough of the software or a free 30 daytrial.
Now let's dive into this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts.
Amber, let's start off with an icebreaker question.
(01:37):
Give me a number between one and 300.
Do I tell you?
12.
12.
Okay.
Number 12.
12.
If you had the option to live in any period in history, what era would you select and why?
(01:57):
Cool.
I go to the 20s, which is weird because the Great Depression, but I think the 20s and theflapper era just seems like so much fun.
Would you have just hung out with the party crew and just partied all night?
Pearls and fun dresses.
And then you'd have to get up at six o'clock in the morning, unload the pivot, get thecatering out the door, and do it all over again.
(02:20):
As we record this, it is the day after Christmas.
Did you have a good Christmas with your family?
We did, we did.
My kids are now six and eight, both boys, so it was a fun, busy morning.
So do y'all do elf on the shelf?
I've got to say that you see the very creative ways that people are doing the elf on theshelf.
(02:42):
It's worth getting an elf to do that.
No, it's just more work.
I guess being Jewish, I don't have that work.
just eat Chinese food and go to the movie theaters.
Okay, let's just dive in.
Welcome.
I'm glad you could be here.
You've been a longtime client of CaterZen's Tell me where you got started with Soulman's.
(03:03):
It's a family business.
We'll divulge.
When did your dad start it and when did you get into it?
How did you get into it?
Sure.
So my dad started the company in 1974, kind of by happenstance a little bit.
He was actually in the carpet business, just kind of one of those things where he had afriend that kept coming by and convinced him to start a restaurant.
(03:24):
So lots of hard years in there.
And in 2007, he hired our CEO.
family friend, his name's Brett.
And at that point it was kind of, okay, we need a team of people.
I was working at a bank.
I had kind of left the company just to see what else we could explore out there.
And Brett was like, well, I'm hiring the family.
(03:46):
So she needs to come back on board, do some marketing.
Let's just see.
was in UT Dallas in the business program there, kind of focused in marketing, but thatwasn't really, I guess it wasn't my passion.
Sales and people just see.
I I guess that is marketing, but it wasn't the perfect fit for me.
So it was a couple hard years, but sales and catering just really fit.
(04:10):
And we had four stores when Brett started with us.
We've got 20 locations now.
So lots of growth over the last 16 years.
It's that, they all chain stores or are franchises?
No, they're all company owned.
It is?
Yes, it is.
(04:31):
So how many, when you came on board, did you come on board to head up catering sales?
No, I was actually supposed to be the marketing director.
And how'd you transition into catering sales?
It was just kind of organic.
It was like we didn't have either of those positions at the time.
We had pieces of paper in the store, you know, like those little
(04:51):
Yeah.
of paper and it was very unorganized and very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants on production.
So there was formulas to tell people what to produce but there really wasn't anybodytelling them what to produce in the kitchen.
And so I was taking these papers and I'm like, I need to call these people, we need tofollow up, we need to do some, just making sure that we're doing things correctly.
(05:15):
And it's really cool to see where we've been and where we are now.
Right.
So obviously growing that many stores, what have you, like what was your playbook to growcatering sales?
So I am very much a handle the problem as it comes human But what has what has helped usis that we are very well sought out after and our referral book is very big.
(05:42):
So it usually happens that somebody uses us and then they tell somebody hey I usedSoulman's, you should call them too.
We have a lot of like departmental so like a FedEx facility and everybody in that FedExfacility uses us for their events
We've actually recently got on with a couple Amazon plants.
(06:03):
So it's all very organic.
It just has been like we do a good job and we're awesome and then it just grows.
So you haven't done anything external, any...
Ha
So this is a short interview.
I'm just awesome, just spewing rainbows and butterflies.
I obviously I had to work hard because I must be very unlikable.
(06:28):
I had to every marketing trick out of the hat to make a sale.
No, but you're really good at that.
I'm just not very creative and I just do people well and I think that just handling ourbusiness internally has really caused growth externally.
Yeah
(06:48):
Yeah.
You know, Texas is known for its barbecue, right?
I mean, there's a lot of places known.
I grew up in Memphis.
It's a big barbecue town, Kansas City.
But Texas, it's like the whole state.
It's not just like one city.
It's the entire state.
To have 20 something stores, I mean, you can't be mediocre, right?
(07:08):
What do you think makes you stick out that you've been able to grow and have a goodreputation in Texas?
So I think consistency is probably our biggest selling point.
We have 20 locations and across the board, each location does things the same way.
We cook things the same way.
All of our recipes are still pretty original recipes and we make everything in-house.
(07:33):
So we still make our own potato salad dressing.
all made from scratch?
Made from scratch.
And I think that even though that's hard, right, because there is the inconsistencyfactor, I think it just stands out of who we are that we haven't given that up.
You know, that's a really good point.
(07:53):
think today, you know, when I was growing up, like if you got taken to Shoney's forspaghetti dinner, that was a fancy night out.
Now, you know, your kids are probably having truffles on their mac and cheese and, youknow, sushi gets taken to school in kindergarten.
mean, kids, just in general, we're all more foodies thanks to Food TV and how people pushthe boundaries.
(08:16):
And I think there is this missing authenticity in the kitchen.
You know, when I started working at Corky's, God, it was a long time ago and they actuallyused to make beans.
When I say beans from scratch, they were canned beans, but they, doctored them up withlike fresh chopped onions and bell peppers and mustard that came out of a real container
(08:38):
and barbecue sauce.
And then at some point, you know, that somebody looked at the volume and said, look, wejust can't keep up with this.
And so they had somebody formulate a dehydrated mix and it's not bad, but anytime I'vemade the beans, like by the original recipe, it's like nine day difference.
(09:00):
It's nine day difference.
So I think people will pay more and they will drive further for something that's more.
authentic and hasn't changed.
But you do have the burden in, know, and so how do y'all do that in 20 stores?
Like it's one thing to say this is the original store and Mr.
(09:22):
Bob has been here since day one and you know, Ms.
Betty, but how do you do that when you have 20 stores and you know, how do you do that?
It's a lot of training.
We launched a training platform.
We titled it One Way.
So it's one way.
You got to do it all the one way that we tell you to.
(09:44):
And it is extremely oriented from beginning to end as far as the training process, but italso has all the recipes and they are to pull it up as they're preparing the food.
It's not, hey, well, I know that like the back of my hand.
I don't need to look at it anymore.
It's you look at it because it has to be done correctly.
It's on a tablet.
(10:06):
Thank God it's on a tablet.
It used to be, we used to call it the Bible and it was this huge, you know, metal standwith all these flip pages and yeah, thank God for the digital era.
I don't know what people did before...
Modes.
Like, you know, my kids have no idea what the yellow pages are.
(10:26):
I mean, they've probably seen it in a movie or something.
And I don't think my kids could navigate to the mailbox without GPS.
And, you know, when I was growing up, it was like...
You'd have to call somebody for directions to their house and it'd be like, you go downPoplar Avenue and then, the Exxon station, you take a left and you go down there and don't
go on that street.
You'll think it's that street, but you go where it's the brick mailbox and you take aright.
(10:50):
And if you got lost, you had nothing.
You have to go to the fire department and ask them where it was.
convenience store and say, hey, can you tell me how to get there?
Exactly.
So I think kids miss out on a lot by being stuck in their tablets and whatever, butthere's obviously there's good things that come out of it as well.
(11:10):
Yeah, definitely.
So if you're building on word of mouth, right, I would imagine the phone is critical.
How many people do you have working the phones for you?
Two and a half.
for all 20 stores?
Are you doing more full service or drop off, like pick up, you know?
(11:31):
I would say our business is probably 50 % pickup and then 50 % delivery full service.
And our delivery is still more prominent than the full service.
So let's talk about training or what's your philosophy on the phones because I'm sureyou've got one.
Mm-hmm.
Control.
(11:52):
Well, you're in control.
control.
So I am one of the one of the three two and a half.
So that has been my baby, you know, since forever.
And I love it.
That is one of my favorite things to do is just help people in their process of bookingevents.
And it's the one little blessing that I can be along the way.
(12:16):
I actually talked to a lady right before Christmas and she said, I'm so sorry, I'm a mess.
And I'm like, it's okay.
And she said,
this is our first Christmas without my dad.
Ooh, that's tough.
she said, and he loved Soulman's And that's all that we want to do is have Soulman'sbecause we want to honor him this first Christmas season without him.
(12:38):
Like, you know, that just, proves to me what we do is so important.
And so helping her through that.
So me and my assistant, her name's Christine, she's been with us since 2016, 15.
Ooh, she's right.
She's just passed her 10 year
in April of this year, so 2014.
(12:59):
And it took me a while to let her.
take on the phone calls and now we're pretty 50-50.
I take as many as she takes.
But she also has the focus in our wedding department.
So she books all of our weddings and our upgraded events.
And then my niece, her name is Samantha, she started with us back last August.
(13:20):
So she takes the overflow calls.
So we have a call tree, so it rings me first, then to Christine and then to Sam.
So it's just, you know.
We miss some, but we are very diligent in calling people back and getting them.
We do have an online ordering platform through CaterZen now, which has helpedtremendously.
(13:42):
It took me a lot of years to click that button and let people do it on their own.
But we do, during certain times, like right now, we have it turned off for delivery, sothey can only book pickup events on the online platform.
And that just gives us the ability, all of my drivers are in-house through the cateringdepartment as well.
I hire and train those people that are out doing our events.
(14:08):
We use the CaterZen app and the driver module is wonderful.
They love that.
It's helped us streamline.
They know where they're going, how they're getting there, all the checklists and makingsure they have the products.
It's great.
So out of curiosity, do they take pictures of every setup?
We have not done that, but I think we should.
(14:30):
One time I did get a picture though of one of my girls, she set up a buffet on a gurney.
That was new and different.
Yeah, she was like, this is the only place that they'll let me set up.
Like, well, I guess we're setting up.
Well, you know, the only reason we put that on there is because, well, two things, qualityassurance, because if you have a new driver, you can, you know, and everybody does it,
(14:53):
know, Amazon delivers a package, they have a picture to show that it got delivered to yourfront porch and Uber eats and, know, which is really good, but so there's quality
assurance, but then there's also CYA, right?
The customer, it's amazing.
Is little monies in the restaurant business we come under the most scrutiny Like youdidn't deliver the orange juice blah blah blah and then they never think somebody in their
(15:19):
own company would walk in and take the orange juice it's always the restaurant like Wehire a bunch of ex cons on parole to walk in with cigarette stubs.
Where do you want your barbecue?
timmy needs some orange juice.
I'm gonna take this orange.
They'll never miss a gallon.
It's like
Yeah, we're not taking orange.
(15:41):
It's like, like, you know, we don't have time to steal the food.
But it's it's a tough, mean, It's a tough, tough business for sure.
I don't know what people, how people operate without catering.
Yeah, I don't either.
And I feel like a lot of people are getting into that market, even if they haven't overthe years.
(16:05):
And I feel like that's something that we've we've always done it, but now we do it reallywell, you know and and that's the cool the cool progression that you've seen.
Since you know 2011 is the year that we launched with CaterZen.
So is that Isn't that crazy?
Jamie?
there weren't a lot of this stuff we're talking about that didn't even exist.
(16:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
And it's cool that, I mean, we've gotten to grow with you and see, you know, all thebenefits of the new things that y'all have implemented and always a benefit.
You know, sometimes change is hard, but it's always a good change.
So.
Yeah, just wait to see the stuff we're working on now.
mean, just, sorry, I've got my list of questions up there.
(16:50):
We've easily doubled the amount of developers we've had in the last year, because we'regetting more in the enterprise space.
And the stuff that comes out of my head can't get designed quick enough.
And I think with AI, that's one of the initiatives I want to get done this year.
just analysis, like where AI is going to take businesses.
(17:12):
Like, I don't think it's going to, we're not going to all sit at home.
you know, your business isn't going to be run by robot.
mean, you know, maybe in 20 years it would be, but, I don't know, maybe they will havekitchen robots and then they will all do it the same way because it's programmed.
They don't even have to pull out the book or anything, but, I think it definitely justhelps you do what you do better and quicker.
(17:37):
Like,
I'm a really good copywriter, but I don't write copyright copy anymore.
Usually I go to AI, I'll have it do it and I'll doctor it up.
and I think what it's going to do for analysis, like on a, on a, on a high level, I, know,I don't know, do you look at, do you do anything proactive?
Like look at who hasn't ordered in a while and call them back.
Do you do anything like that?
(17:59):
I do during slower times of the year, that's something that I try, I love thatreactivation list, because it is super helpful, because you can pull that exact, you know,
what you're looking for and follow up with those customers.
Why are you not ordering?
Did something change in your business or are you no longer the point of contact?
And it's definitely helpful to do that.
(18:20):
during the holiday season when we're at our busiest.
It's like, yeah, just focus on what you're doing and just keep on trucking through.
come January, that's always like, how do we grow?
How do we grow?
How do we grow?
Let's move on and see what we're doing better.
Well, I think where AI is going to come into play, at least this is my vision, is it'svery easy to say, Michael hasn't ordered from Soulmans in 45 days.
(18:47):
We need to him.
But really what makes up why he hasn't ordered, right?
And I call it velocity, right?
Maybe he used to order three times a week and now he's down to two times a week.
And that's just as valuable as somebody who hasn't ordered.
In 45 days, right?
He's ordering a you know, he's dropped his consumption by 33 % or maybe he's to spend $20a person now He's down to $15 a person.
(19:12):
Why is that or maybe he used to order for 30 people now?
He's ordering for 15 and so by
really diving into the numbers, it gives you some insight to, hey, I need to call Michael.
You used to order from us three times a week now too.
Can you tell me why?
Well, we just got tired of barbecue.
Well, did you know we have a barbecue baked potato bar?
(19:32):
Do you know that we do this?
You know, we can, we also have some stuff that's off menu.
can do whatever it is that you can, but if you don't catch them on the front end, thenit's too late.
And then they found somebody else that they're using to replace that.
spirit.
I think that that's going to happen.
And then the other is analyzing people.
(19:52):
Like, and again, I'm sure you're the best sales person on the team, but with AI voice,right, you can analyze and one who's using the right script.
Like, you know, we, I had certain phrase ologies I would use.
when, when, when, when people said, well, how much barbecue to bring out?
(20:15):
it's enough for one and a half good size sandwiches.
Person and people go it goes, you know, like, you know Like a size of a quarter pounderbun not a hamburger bun and they'll go one and a half I said, you know, we usually find
mentally two sandwiches women only one so it's plenty and whoever wants to go back There'splenty and they go.
Okay, that makes sense.
So you have to use words that Visualize what they're getting because you know if I sayfive ounces of pork or beef you're just like I don't know what that is.
(20:45):
It's five out.
I mean
I have no idea.
that before cooking, after cooking, whatever.
And then the other AI, I'm headed someplace with this.
The other thing we'll be able to analyze, and there's other companies doing this, is doyou have agitation in the voice or someone yelling or someone cussing?
And so if you're, you know, if you're over multiple people on the phones, I want to know.
(21:13):
I don't have time to listen to thousand calls a day across the platform, but I do want tohear the two calls where somebody was cussing.
Why was somebody cussing?
Right.
Right.
I think that that's where AI is going to help you, but also you might sell more thananyone else.
But if I look at your niece, maybe she sells a higher check average because she's not inas much of a hurry and she can upsell more.
(21:38):
So you've cost us $100,000 because you don't sell as well as your niece.
So you think you're the better sales, you just have more selling out, you're answeringmore phone calls.
But the phone call she's answering, she's converting to a higher check average where, youknow, you have to look at all that.
So that's where AI is going to come in and be disruptive.
(21:59):
And then
I think five years from now, you know, where people are working now is like ordering pizzawith AI voice, something very basic.
They're getting better at that.
Five years from now, you might have somebody just as good as you with your voice, takingAI phone calls, answering catering calls, and you don't even have to be there.
(22:20):
And then what's going to be, this is where I think it's going to be mind blowing.
Like anybody who calls Comcast.
Your cable goes out.
You literally want to just shoot the phone throw the box out the door.
They're gonna know You're more touchy-feely.
So they're gonna ask you a lot of questions about your personal.
Oh, how was Christmas?
Oh my god.
Oh, you've got two boys I've got two boys.
(22:41):
It's gonna you know, whatever where I'm like just he's analytical just give him theinformation He's got ADD.
He wants to get off the phone and you might like an Australian male accent.
That's your thing.
There's good they're gonna know cuz
It's amazing Facebook and Instagram knows when you talk about hot tub covers all of suddenyou get every ad for hot tub covers So they're gonna know you like an Australian voice So
(23:04):
the first person you call when your cable goes out is gonna be this guy that sounds likecrocodile Dundee and you're gonna be like, my god I can't the cable hasn't gone out in two
weeks.
Maybe about unplug it and call them.
I can talk to that nice
That nice Australian man.
my god.
where it's going to be.
It's going to be totally curated.
(23:26):
We're going to live in this false sense of whatever.
So I think that that's where it's headed.
even with medicine, it's going to be great.
Anybody I talked to in medical school, I talked to somebody in medical school the othernight and my son's one of his best friends from college is a doctor.
Oh no, you know.
Hey guys, never gonna replace a doctor.
(23:46):
I'm like, okay, you're very delusional.
I know you went to Vanderbilt and you're smart, but you're not that smart because they'llfigure it They might not have it perfected today, if you think about, well think about
you.
You've been with us since 2011.
Where has technology taken us in 14, almost 15 years, right?
(24:10):
Where's it gonna be?
Let's talk about.
I do want to talk about this.
I had a conversation with a lawyer.
She's been at home with her kids and going to go back to work and she's worried that she'snot marketable.
And her friend who's stayed in the workforce, like, no, a lot of these kids in theirtwenties, they don't have the same work ethic.
(24:32):
You're not going to have a problem.
One of the things that impressed me about you was your dad's old school, very like...
He wouldn't buy you the software right like you paid for it out of your pocket and I wasjust like Hmm first of all, could it wasn't that expensive like It wasn't that expensive
(24:55):
so I'm like like really and so what?
Well, first of all, where'd your dad get so cheap probably be in the car business?
Hope he doesn't hear this and he'll he'll cancel CaterZen but
What precipitated you saying, I need this tool and I'm going to pay for it out of mypocket.
Cause you don't see people do that, you know, and you know, technically it's your familybusiness, but it's your dad's company and you know, I don't know your structure, but maybe
(25:21):
one day it'll all be yours and your siblings or whatever, but you were, you were anemployee that was in the family.
So it's not like, Hey, I get 50 % of the profit.
So I don't mind paying for this and proving to my partner that this is a, I,
So why did you decide to do that?
I mean, that's a pretty bold move for somebody to make.
(25:43):
So what triggered the looking for something to solve our problems was we had opened, Ithink, our sixth location.
So we had gone from four to six.
And I was working crazy hours.
At that point, I mean, it was all hands on deck.
driving back and forth, the location was about an hour from my house.
And I had pulled over on the side of the road to take a catering call, wrote it all downon a piece of paper, because that's what we did, and went home.
(26:11):
And back and forth, back and forth.
the things and I had my first day off and like what felt like forever and I get a phonecall I'm sitting on my couch and phone rings and phone rings and phone rings and I'm like
it's my one day off and I finally answer and she said hi this is so-and-so with so-and-soand we're wondering where our food is and
(26:33):
You know the immediate panic and it was like 150 people's worth of food, right?
So it wasn't a small thing And at that point there's no recovering There's just we'resorry.
We we totally dropped the ball And I at that moment I decided I never wanted to feel thatfeeling again
(26:54):
Right.
And it was on me because I took the phone call and I wrote down on the piece of paper andI didn't I didn't follow through So I decided I was never gonna do that again so that's
how we found you Google search probably back in 2010 and I did a little you know videoshoot to see about the software and It was immediate that that was gonna solve a good
(27:20):
chunk of my problems and just the organization
at that point I was like, okay, I'm gonna go to my boss with this, which is Brett.
He's our CEO and I said, this is gonna solve our problems and he was like, okay, well letme talk to Don, which is my dad.
So they talked about it and he was like, I just don't...
I don't see the benefit at this point.
I don't think that's gonna solve your problems.
(27:44):
And I was like, well it will and I'm gonna prove it to you.
Was kind of...
I guess I'm a little hard-headed.
So I decided that I was going to do it.
even if it was going to make me money in the long run, because in sales, you know, if Ican be more efficient and I can book more events because I'm efficient, then my sales are
(28:05):
going to grow, which helps my commission.
And my only goal at that point was that my commission would be enough to cover the chargefrom from CaterZen Correct, yes.
Yeah, the growth that I was going to see would cover it.
And it did.
So the big question is, and I might have asked you this in the past, did you ever go backand back bill your father for the...
(28:32):
No.
I would, I'd send him a bill.
I would send him a bill, but you know, you know, I've got a, I've got a friend and he,he's in the CRM space and sales training and he always talks.
I hate to use the word losers.
(28:52):
That sounds bad, but the people who aren't, who don't do well.
Right.
And I've found you're better off trying and we, we sort of focused on this.
And so when we started CaterZen we were probably ahead of our time in a lot of waysbecause most of the people running restaurants was probably your father's generation.
(29:14):
They weren't, you know, they didn't have, they didn't use computers.
They were old school.
And so it took like almost the next generation coming in to say, okay, well, we needtechnology.
And.
Then we got to a point where a lot of people like, oh, we'd like your software, but youknow, we don't have any catering sales.
(29:34):
I'm like, okay.
So we started helping people build catering sales and doing menus and marketing.
And what we found is 95 % of the people didn't do anything.
And so we lost them because like, it takes something to build catering.
You can't just put a sign on the wall, say we cater and then all of a sudden, you know,you've got a rush of people wanting to order from you.
(29:56):
And.
Maybe five years ago, we decided we want to help winners become bigger winners.
And to your point is you probably were hard headed, but you also had a success mindset.
So you invest in your success because you know, Hey, if this one little thing can increasemy sales 5%, well, that puts X number of dollars in the bank for me and commission.
(30:19):
So it's worth it.
And I'm always looking for that in my life.
You know, whether it's you hire somebody to cut your, you know,
When I first got married, I cut the lawn because I didn't have money to pay somebody.
And then you get to a point where it's like, okay, I've got the money to pay someone tocut my yard.
My time is more valuable than cutting the yard.
(30:40):
I would rather use that for something else.
And so I find that the businesses that continually invest to grow are the ones thatcontinue to do the best because they're looking for that little edge.
It's probably like an Olympic athlete.
You know, they're getting gold over a hundredth of a second.
It's nothing.
(31:01):
And probably what happens behind the scenes to make that happen is mind boggling.
That is very true.
Okay, so if you were going to start, let's say you went to someone else's restaurant andhelp them start a catering business, what do think the top three things you would focus on
(31:23):
right off the bat?
I think that because it's something that's made us successful is food quality matters.
You have to have a product worth selling and you have to be able to consistently get itpackaged and out the door in a way that it holds up so the customer can enjoy it once you
(31:45):
get it there.
And then I think the second thing would be making sure that your team inside yourrestaurant is able to accommodate the workload.
That's something that we've seen with growth in certain territories.
We have insane catering sales, but the team wasn't really prepared for that.
So we go out and market and say, hey, come try us.
(32:09):
We're going to grow our catering.
And then the store can't actually produce.
And that's a challenge that we have faced.
just probably since COVID, just making sure that our teams are up to standard and ready totake on the workload.
They have to be on board.
They have to see it and feel it.
(32:29):
We actually did, we call these, you probably call them cookie drops, but we call thembusiness spotlights where we go and find a location,
facility more or less that has enough people that we can do like a 10-person cateringdrop-off.
We go and tell them about our company, tell them about the products that we we arebringing them, you know, show them what we have to offer and let them taste what the
(32:56):
quality is because that matters.
And I was marketing one of our new stores and took this lunch to these people and I openedthe lid to the brisket.
I was mortified and in that you have to you know, your game face on but I could see it Icould smell you know, just all the things weren't right in that moment and So when I
(33:22):
finish I go back to the store and I'm like who cut the meat who prepared the food whathappened?
Y'all knew that this was so important that we're out there to sell your product and youjust sloshed it in the pan
You know, well first of all, you've been sandbagging me because I asked you if you did anymarketing and now you're telling me you're going to do this.
(33:43):
This is called sandbagging.
Now I'm going have to put a big warning label on the front.
The good stuff is at minute 35.
Just fast forward.
Everything else is just not letting anybody know what she does.
No, I definitely think sampling is the best thing that you could do to sell your product.
(34:03):
you know what I find interesting if you've been in the business long enough, you don'teven need to taste it, touch it, temp it.
Like literally when I had my restaurant, I could just look at a plate of food and know intwo seconds whether it was spot on or not.
And I can go to a restaurant, they can, they can bring me something and I'll say like,that's dry.
(34:24):
Well, how do you know?
said, I just know.
mean, I just, I can see it.
You just, it's, it's innate.
It's sort of like.
You know, even cooking something, you know, you don't even you just instinctively know bythe look you don't have to tempt it.
You don't have to taste it.
You don't have to do anything.
It's just if you've done it long enough, you can tell.
(34:44):
But that is mortifying.
You're trying to sell it and it is probably fatty and and you were just cringing like, oh,I can't believe that I'm going to do this and.
Yep, it looked like a reheat and you're like you never reheat on catering period.
Why would you do that?
And they let it MIT cut it.
So it wasn't even the GM of the store or somebody who's trained fully.
(35:08):
It was like somebody in training.
But you know, the lesson is, is you should have checked it before you the store.
practiced.
That's right.
Lesson learned.
Well, and that's funny you say that because I was running late and I just showed up at theevent to go sell.
know, like I'm just here to be the face today.
They brought the food so that I could just, you know, close.
(35:30):
yeah, was all bad.
nothing worse than being embarrassed.
I mean, we've all been in that situation.
And the good thing about, if you know what to do with mistakes, there's people who there'sa, heard somebody say once there are people that have 10 years of experience or one year
of experience 10 times.
If it happens once and you learn from it, then it's like, okay, you know, it's not reallywhat I want to learn, but okay, I can live with it.
(35:58):
But if you didn't learn from it, there's a big sin.
In the stores, if I call one of your stores and I want to order catering, will they takean order over the phone or how does that work?
So we now have a phone system with, know, like press this for this, press that for that.
So anytime anybody calls a location, the first option they get to is if you need to serve10 people or more, press this button.
(36:26):
So it immediately filters to the catering department if they know it's a large order.
And large 10 people or more is not necessarily large, but...
right.
Our store volume at each location is pretty high and they don't really have people in thestore trained to take those type of phone calls.
So it's just easier for it to come to the catering department and we can walk through ourcustomers on portion sizes and what that looks like and give them the time that the store
(36:53):
will not be able to give them.
And what happens when the two and a half people are on the phone?
Then it goes to voicemail which is unfortunate.
But we, like I said, we are very good about calling people back and I do think we arenearing the time frame to add more people or figure out a different plan.
You're a big thinker.
(37:14):
I'm not.
I'm a control freak.
So I just keep doing my thing.
You know, I don't like anything that's dependent on me.
and otherwise you've got a job and not a business.
And, you know, obviously you've done a good job training the other people.
It's, you know, and we were very fortunate that we had people in the stores trained totake simple drop-off catering orders, but you know, that high touch point, if that's what
(37:47):
you're known for, then.
You know, I guess at some point you're going to have to hire somebody or you know, theonly thing that comes up for me, I hate voicemail, like hate it, like I'll hang up on it.
I don't think anyone's going to call me back.
So I don't know if there is a call center.
Like an answering service that you could talk to a live person like when I call mycomputer repair people I know I'm not getting them but I'm getting a live person and so
(38:13):
maybe they're trained to say I'm sorry all the catering specialists on the line Can I getyour name and number and they'll call you right back and least you feel you've made a
human connection?
That so that might be a good second step is till you're ready to bring somebody on islet's forward all those lines over to a call center
or an answering service if you will.
(38:34):
So at least they're talking to a live human and they don't feel like, because so manytimes you put in a voicemail, are they on vacation?
Am I gonna really hear back from someone?
No, you do have caller ID and you can call them back, but you always run the risk is,okay, I got a voicemail, I'm just gonna call the next person on my list because I'm busy
and I just need to get this taken care of.
And that does happen, you're right, it does.
(38:56):
But we also find that when we do call people back, because we're very good at it, they'realways like, thank you for returning my call.
Like, do people not call people back?
They're like, yeah.
I want to know these people own businesses that you could call and ask for a proposal youeither never get or you get it and they never follow up with you.
Like, what are you doing with all your money?
(39:17):
Like, I want to know what you're doing with this extra money because I don't have thatluxury.
I want to know who these people are.
Like, seriously, what business are they in?
I need to get into it.
Actually, no, I'm in the right business for me.
I'm happy.
What do you see as, you know, Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges,you know, for you and for Soulman's?
(39:42):
I think that growth is the biggest challenge.
Because I'm not a big thinker, I very much handle things as they come.
And we call it reactive, not proactive.
and that is not necessarily the best place to be for growth.
(40:05):
You've got to think ahead and see the problem before it's a problem.
And I think that's a struggle.
And that's partially because I love what I do.
And I love that I get to handle these calls and people.
And so I'm not often thinking forward because I just want to keep living in the now.
(40:27):
But it's also very good to know your lane and where you're good.
I don't know if you've ever read Traction by Gina Wickman.
He has a thing called right people in the right seats on the bus.
And I think I've done a good job of putting people where they belong or moving them along.
(40:48):
And I know where I'm good and where I'm bad.
Tactical work.
I'm not good.
You know, sitting and having small talk and making customers feel warm and fuzzy.
That's, I have great people on my team to do that.
That's not me.
Strategic, sitting there and thinking about, okay, what's the next, like I've thoughtabout AI voice five years ago.
(41:09):
It's been on my brain thinking about it.
So one day it will be a reality.
so I'd rather work on the big picture, but if you had to get me to do the tacticalday-to-day stuff, I mean, I was a good waiter.
I enjoyed it, but.
what I want to be dealing with customers day in, day out.
No, that's not my bandwidth.
(41:32):
So as we sort of wrap up, do SoulMans have any big initiatives, any cool projects goingon, anything outside what you consider the norm or outside the box for y'all that you're
working on?
So we did celebrate our 50th year in business this year, which was so cool.
(41:54):
1974 to 2024.
So it's been a cool year of celebration.
And now it's just kind of our word for last year was legacy or for this year, 2024 waslegacy.
Like, okay, we've created this legacy.
How do we continue the legacy?
And so our next year focus is gonna be trust.
(42:16):
And so going from a legacy to now continuing that trust and building the trust factor andknowing that the brand didn't just make it to 50 and die here, we've got to keep going.
So do you have siblings?
I've heard you talk about Brett.
(42:38):
I assume he's running the company.
Do you have siblings?
Will you and your siblings take over the business after your parents?
Yeah, so my sister is our office manager and she's in the next room and then my niece isalso helping in the catering department and then my nephew.
(43:01):
So we had a half brother who is deceased, so both of his kids have been involved, you knowin and out and then all of our kids are really too young at this point, but I mean that's.
I think yes, I mean we intend to do the best we can for as long as we can and keep theball rolling.
(43:21):
Brett has a great forward thinking mind and wants to keep growing.
So I think that that's the plan.
We'll just keep going.
it's exciting to see something multi-generational.
You know, I was involved in Corky's and the guy who started at Don Peltz, he's sincepassed, his son took it over and son-in-law and they did a great job and they just had an
(43:44):
opportunity to sell out and they sold and got bought out by a family that had a lot ofmoney.
COVID happened.
They didn't do too well.
But then the original, the managers, they ran it under the family.
have since bought it and taken it back to where it is.
it's, even though the family's not involved, it's good to see that people that sort ofgrew up in that culture have taken it back over.
(44:11):
So they still, you know, it's still true to its roots, right?
Somebody didn't come in and said, we could save a lot of money if, you know, we took thisout of the recipe or we did this differently.
So that's pretty cool.
That's great.
Well, I appreciate you taking the time post-Christmas to share some thoughts with me andappreciate you being a client for all these years and wish y'all all the best in the new
(44:41):
year.
Thanks, Amber.
Thank you.
Hello again, I'm Michael Attias, your host of Restaurant Catering Smarts and today's guestis Amber Polk, Catering Director at Soulman's BBQ.
With over 10 years of experience in the catering industry, Amber has played a pivotal rolein expanding Soulman's catering services, delivering exceptional barbecue experiences to
both large events and intimate gatherings.
(00:49):
Her passion for creating memorable meals and building strong customer relationships hasmade her a respected leader in the catering community.
Amber's
deep expertise and dedication to service excellence makes her a sought after voice in theworld of event catering, and we're thrilled to have her on the show today.
But before we get into asking Amber a bunch of questions, let's take a minute to recognizeour sponsor.
This episode is brought to you by CaterZen Catering Software, the industry leader inhelping restaurants turn their catering chaos into calm.
(01:16):
Discover why top independent and enterprise restaurants trust CaterZen to save them timeand increase catering sales.
Go to www.caterzen.com and sign up for a walkthrough of the software or a free 30 daytrial.
Now let's dive into this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts.
Amber, let's start off with an icebreaker question.
(01:37):
Give me a number between one and 300.
Do I tell you?
12.
12.
Okay.
Number 12.
12.
If you had the option to live in any period in history, what era would you select and why?
(01:57):
Cool.
I go to the 20s, which is weird because the Great Depression, but I think the 20s and theflapper era just seems like so much fun.
Would you have just hung out with the party crew and just partied all night?
Pearls and fun dresses.
And then you'd have to get up at six o'clock in the morning, unload the pivot, get thecatering out the door, and do it all over again.
(02:20):
As we record this, it is the day after Christmas.
Did you have a good Christmas with your family?
We did, we did.
My kids are now six and eight, both boys, so it was a fun, busy morning.
So do y'all do elf on the shelf?
I've got to say that you see the very creative ways that people are doing the elf on theshelf.
(02:42):
It's worth getting an elf to do that.
No, it's just more work.
I guess being Jewish, I don't have that work.
just eat Chinese food and go to the movie theaters.
Okay, let's just dive in.
Welcome.
I'm glad you could be here.
You've been a longtime client of CaterZen's Tell me where you got started with Soulman's.
(03:03):
It's a family business.
We'll divulge.
When did your dad start it and when did you get into it?
How did you get into it?
Sure.
So my dad started the company in 1974, kind of by happenstance a little bit.
He was actually in the carpet business, just kind of one of those things where he had afriend that kept coming by and convinced him to start a restaurant.
(03:24):
So lots of hard years in there.
And in 2007, he hired our CEO.
family friend, his name's Brett.
And at that point it was kind of, okay, we need a team of people.
I was working at a bank.
I had kind of left the company just to see what else we could explore out there.
And Brett was like, well, I'm hiring the family.
(03:46):
So she needs to come back on board, do some marketing.
Let's just see.
was in UT Dallas in the business program there, kind of focused in marketing, but thatwasn't really, I guess it wasn't my passion.
Sales and people just see.
I I guess that is marketing, but it wasn't the perfect fit for me.
So it was a couple hard years, but sales and catering just really fit.
(04:10):
And we had four stores when Brett started with us.
We've got 20 locations now.
So lots of growth over the last 16 years.
It's that, they all chain stores or are franchises?
No, they're all company owned.
It is?
Yes, it is.
(04:31):
So how many, when you came on board, did you come on board to head up catering sales?
No, I was actually supposed to be the marketing director.
And how'd you transition into catering sales?
It was just kind of organic.
It was like we didn't have either of those positions at the time.
We had pieces of paper in the store, you know, like those little
(04:51):
Yeah.
of paper and it was very unorganized and very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants on production.
So there was formulas to tell people what to produce but there really wasn't anybodytelling them what to produce in the kitchen.
And so I was taking these papers and I'm like, I need to call these people, we need tofollow up, we need to do some, just making sure that we're doing things correctly.
(05:15):
And it's really cool to see where we've been and where we are now.
Right.
So obviously growing that many stores, what have you, like what was your playbook to growcatering sales?
So I am very much a handle the problem as it comes human But what has what has helped usis that we are very well sought out after and our referral book is very big.
(05:42):
So it usually happens that somebody uses us and then they tell somebody hey I usedSoulman's, you should call them too.
We have a lot of like departmental so like a FedEx facility and everybody in that FedExfacility uses us for their events
We've actually recently got on with a couple Amazon plants.
(06:03):
So it's all very organic.
It just has been like we do a good job and we're awesome and then it just grows.
So you haven't done anything external, any...
Ha
So this is a short interview.
I'm just awesome, just spewing rainbows and butterflies.
I obviously I had to work hard because I must be very unlikable.
(06:28):
I had to every marketing trick out of the hat to make a sale.
No, but you're really good at that.
I'm just not very creative and I just do people well and I think that just handling ourbusiness internally has really caused growth externally.
Yeah
(06:48):
Yeah.
You know, Texas is known for its barbecue, right?
I mean, there's a lot of places known.
I grew up in Memphis.
It's a big barbecue town, Kansas City.
But Texas, it's like the whole state.
It's not just like one city.
It's the entire state.
To have 20 something stores, I mean, you can't be mediocre, right?
(07:08):
What do you think makes you stick out that you've been able to grow and have a goodreputation in Texas?
So I think consistency is probably our biggest selling point.
We have 20 locations and across the board, each location does things the same way.
We cook things the same way.
All of our recipes are still pretty original recipes and we make everything in-house.
(07:33):
So we still make our own potato salad dressing.
all made from scratch?
Made from scratch.
And I think that even though that's hard, right, because there is the inconsistencyfactor, I think it just stands out of who we are that we haven't given that up.
You know, that's a really good point.
(07:53):
think today, you know, when I was growing up, like if you got taken to Shoney's forspaghetti dinner, that was a fancy night out.
Now, you know, your kids are probably having truffles on their mac and cheese and, youknow, sushi gets taken to school in kindergarten.
mean, kids, just in general, we're all more foodies thanks to Food TV and how people pushthe boundaries.
(08:16):
And I think there is this missing authenticity in the kitchen.
You know, when I started working at Corky's, God, it was a long time ago and they actuallyused to make beans.
When I say beans from scratch, they were canned beans, but they, doctored them up withlike fresh chopped onions and bell peppers and mustard that came out of a real container
(08:38):
and barbecue sauce.
And then at some point, you know, that somebody looked at the volume and said, look, wejust can't keep up with this.
And so they had somebody formulate a dehydrated mix and it's not bad, but anytime I'vemade the beans, like by the original recipe, it's like nine day difference.
(09:00):
It's nine day difference.
So I think people will pay more and they will drive further for something that's more.
authentic and hasn't changed.
But you do have the burden in, know, and so how do y'all do that in 20 stores?
Like it's one thing to say this is the original store and Mr.
(09:22):
Bob has been here since day one and you know, Ms.
Betty, but how do you do that when you have 20 stores and you know, how do you do that?
It's a lot of training.
We launched a training platform.
We titled it One Way.
So it's one way.
You got to do it all the one way that we tell you to.
(09:44):
And it is extremely oriented from beginning to end as far as the training process, but italso has all the recipes and they are to pull it up as they're preparing the food.
It's not, hey, well, I know that like the back of my hand.
I don't need to look at it anymore.
It's you look at it because it has to be done correctly.
It's on a tablet.
(10:06):
Thank God it's on a tablet.
It used to be, we used to call it the Bible and it was this huge, you know, metal standwith all these flip pages and yeah, thank God for the digital era.
I don't know what people did before...
Modes.
Like, you know, my kids have no idea what the yellow pages are.
(10:26):
I mean, they've probably seen it in a movie or something.
And I don't think my kids could navigate to the mailbox without GPS.
And, you know, when I was growing up, it was like...
You'd have to call somebody for directions to their house and it'd be like, you go downPoplar Avenue and then, the Exxon station, you take a left and you go down there and don't
go on that street.
You'll think it's that street, but you go where it's the brick mailbox and you take aright.
(10:50):
And if you got lost, you had nothing.
You have to go to the fire department and ask them where it was.
convenience store and say, hey, can you tell me how to get there?
Exactly.
So I think kids miss out on a lot by being stuck in their tablets and whatever, butthere's obviously there's good things that come out of it as well.
(11:10):
Yeah, definitely.
So if you're building on word of mouth, right, I would imagine the phone is critical.
How many people do you have working the phones for you?
Two and a half.
for all 20 stores?
Are you doing more full service or drop off, like pick up, you know?
(11:31):
I would say our business is probably 50 % pickup and then 50 % delivery full service.
And our delivery is still more prominent than the full service.
So let's talk about training or what's your philosophy on the phones because I'm sureyou've got one.
Mm-hmm.
Control.
(11:52):
Well, you're in control.
control.
So I am one of the one of the three two and a half.
So that has been my baby, you know, since forever.
And I love it.
That is one of my favorite things to do is just help people in their process of bookingevents.
And it's the one little blessing that I can be along the way.
(12:16):
I actually talked to a lady right before Christmas and she said, I'm so sorry, I'm a mess.
And I'm like, it's okay.
And she said,
this is our first Christmas without my dad.
Ooh, that's tough.
she said, and he loved Soulman's And that's all that we want to do is have Soulman'sbecause we want to honor him this first Christmas season without him.
(12:38):
Like, you know, that just, proves to me what we do is so important.
And so helping her through that.
So me and my assistant, her name's Christine, she's been with us since 2016, 15.
Ooh, she's right.
She's just passed her 10 year
in April of this year, so 2014.
(12:59):
And it took me a while to let her.
take on the phone calls and now we're pretty 50-50.
I take as many as she takes.
But she also has the focus in our wedding department.
So she books all of our weddings and our upgraded events.
And then my niece, her name is Samantha, she started with us back last August.
(13:20):
So she takes the overflow calls.
So we have a call tree, so it rings me first, then to Christine and then to Sam.
So it's just, you know.
We miss some, but we are very diligent in calling people back and getting them.
We do have an online ordering platform through CaterZen now, which has helpedtremendously.
(13:42):
It took me a lot of years to click that button and let people do it on their own.
But we do, during certain times, like right now, we have it turned off for delivery, sothey can only book pickup events on the online platform.
And that just gives us the ability, all of my drivers are in-house through the cateringdepartment as well.
I hire and train those people that are out doing our events.
(14:08):
We use the CaterZen app and the driver module is wonderful.
They love that.
It's helped us streamline.
They know where they're going, how they're getting there, all the checklists and makingsure they have the products.
It's great.
So out of curiosity, do they take pictures of every setup?
We have not done that, but I think we should.
(14:30):
One time I did get a picture though of one of my girls, she set up a buffet on a gurney.
That was new and different.
Yeah, she was like, this is the only place that they'll let me set up.
Like, well, I guess we're setting up.
Well, you know, the only reason we put that on there is because, well, two things, qualityassurance, because if you have a new driver, you can, you know, and everybody does it,
(14:53):
know, Amazon delivers a package, they have a picture to show that it got delivered to yourfront porch and Uber eats and, know, which is really good, but so there's quality
assurance, but then there's also CYA, right?
The customer, it's amazing.
Is little monies in the restaurant business we come under the most scrutiny Like youdidn't deliver the orange juice blah blah blah and then they never think somebody in their
(15:19):
own company would walk in and take the orange juice it's always the restaurant like Wehire a bunch of ex cons on parole to walk in with cigarette stubs.
Where do you want your barbecue?
timmy needs some orange juice.
I'm gonna take this orange.
They'll never miss a gallon.
It's like
Yeah, we're not taking orange.
(15:41):
It's like, like, you know, we don't have time to steal the food.
But it's it's a tough, mean, It's a tough, tough business for sure.
I don't know what people, how people operate without catering.
Yeah, I don't either.
And I feel like a lot of people are getting into that market, even if they haven't overthe years.
(16:05):
And I feel like that's something that we've we've always done it, but now we do it reallywell, you know and and that's the cool the cool progression that you've seen.
Since you know 2011 is the year that we launched with CaterZen.
So is that Isn't that crazy?
Jamie?
there weren't a lot of this stuff we're talking about that didn't even exist.
(16:25):
Yeah, absolutely.
And it's cool that, I mean, we've gotten to grow with you and see, you know, all thebenefits of the new things that y'all have implemented and always a benefit.
You know, sometimes change is hard, but it's always a good change.
So.
Yeah, just wait to see the stuff we're working on now.
mean, just, sorry, I've got my list of questions up there.
(16:50):
We've easily doubled the amount of developers we've had in the last year, because we'regetting more in the enterprise space.
And the stuff that comes out of my head can't get designed quick enough.
And I think with AI, that's one of the initiatives I want to get done this year.
just analysis, like where AI is going to take businesses.
(17:12):
Like, I don't think it's going to, we're not going to all sit at home.
you know, your business isn't going to be run by robot.
mean, you know, maybe in 20 years it would be, but, I don't know, maybe they will havekitchen robots and then they will all do it the same way because it's programmed.
They don't even have to pull out the book or anything, but, I think it definitely justhelps you do what you do better and quicker.
(17:37):
Like,
I'm a really good copywriter, but I don't write copyright copy anymore.
Usually I go to AI, I'll have it do it and I'll doctor it up.
and I think what it's going to do for analysis, like on a, on a, on a high level, I, know,I don't know, do you look at, do you do anything proactive?
Like look at who hasn't ordered in a while and call them back.
Do you do anything like that?
(17:59):
I do during slower times of the year, that's something that I try, I love thatreactivation list, because it is super helpful, because you can pull that exact, you know,
what you're looking for and follow up with those customers.
Why are you not ordering?
Did something change in your business or are you no longer the point of contact?
And it's definitely helpful to do that.
(18:20):
during the holiday season when we're at our busiest.
It's like, yeah, just focus on what you're doing and just keep on trucking through.
come January, that's always like, how do we grow?
How do we grow?
How do we grow?
Let's move on and see what we're doing better.
Well, I think where AI is going to come into play, at least this is my vision, is it'svery easy to say, Michael hasn't ordered from Soulmans in 45 days.
(18:47):
We need to him.
But really what makes up why he hasn't ordered, right?
And I call it velocity, right?
Maybe he used to order three times a week and now he's down to two times a week.
And that's just as valuable as somebody who hasn't ordered.
In 45 days, right?
He's ordering a you know, he's dropped his consumption by 33 % or maybe he's to spend $20a person now He's down to $15 a person.
(19:12):
Why is that or maybe he used to order for 30 people now?
He's ordering for 15 and so by
really diving into the numbers, it gives you some insight to, hey, I need to call Michael.
You used to order from us three times a week now too.
Can you tell me why?
Well, we just got tired of barbecue.
Well, did you know we have a barbecue baked potato bar?
(19:32):
Do you know that we do this?
You know, we can, we also have some stuff that's off menu.
can do whatever it is that you can, but if you don't catch them on the front end, thenit's too late.
And then they found somebody else that they're using to replace that.
spirit.
I think that that's going to happen.
And then the other is analyzing people.
(19:52):
Like, and again, I'm sure you're the best sales person on the team, but with AI voice,right, you can analyze and one who's using the right script.
Like, you know, we, I had certain phrase ologies I would use.
when, when, when, when people said, well, how much barbecue to bring out?
(20:15):
it's enough for one and a half good size sandwiches.
Person and people go it goes, you know, like, you know Like a size of a quarter pounderbun not a hamburger bun and they'll go one and a half I said, you know, we usually find
mentally two sandwiches women only one so it's plenty and whoever wants to go back There'splenty and they go.
Okay, that makes sense.
So you have to use words that Visualize what they're getting because you know if I sayfive ounces of pork or beef you're just like I don't know what that is.
(20:45):
It's five out.
I mean
I have no idea.
that before cooking, after cooking, whatever.
And then the other AI, I'm headed someplace with this.
The other thing we'll be able to analyze, and there's other companies doing this, is doyou have agitation in the voice or someone yelling or someone cussing?
And so if you're, you know, if you're over multiple people on the phones, I want to know.
(21:13):
I don't have time to listen to thousand calls a day across the platform, but I do want tohear the two calls where somebody was cussing.
Why was somebody cussing?
Right.
Right.
I think that that's where AI is going to help you, but also you might sell more thananyone else.
But if I look at your niece, maybe she sells a higher check average because she's not inas much of a hurry and she can upsell more.
(21:38):
So you've cost us $100,000 because you don't sell as well as your niece.
So you think you're the better sales, you just have more selling out, you're answeringmore phone calls.
But the phone call she's answering, she's converting to a higher check average where, youknow, you have to look at all that.
So that's where AI is going to come in and be disruptive.
(21:59):
And then
I think five years from now, you know, where people are working now is like ordering pizzawith AI voice, something very basic.
They're getting better at that.
Five years from now, you might have somebody just as good as you with your voice, takingAI phone calls, answering catering calls, and you don't even have to be there.
(22:20):
And then what's going to be, this is where I think it's going to be mind blowing.
Like anybody who calls Comcast.
Your cable goes out.
You literally want to just shoot the phone throw the box out the door.
They're gonna know You're more touchy-feely.
So they're gonna ask you a lot of questions about your personal.
Oh, how was Christmas?
Oh my god.
Oh, you've got two boys I've got two boys.
(22:41):
It's gonna you know, whatever where I'm like just he's analytical just give him theinformation He's got ADD.
He wants to get off the phone and you might like an Australian male accent.
That's your thing.
There's good they're gonna know cuz
It's amazing Facebook and Instagram knows when you talk about hot tub covers all of suddenyou get every ad for hot tub covers So they're gonna know you like an Australian voice So
(23:04):
the first person you call when your cable goes out is gonna be this guy that sounds likecrocodile Dundee and you're gonna be like, my god I can't the cable hasn't gone out in two
weeks.
Maybe about unplug it and call them.
I can talk to that nice
That nice Australian man.
my god.
where it's going to be.
It's going to be totally curated.
(23:26):
We're going to live in this false sense of whatever.
So I think that that's where it's headed.
even with medicine, it's going to be great.
Anybody I talked to in medical school, I talked to somebody in medical school the othernight and my son's one of his best friends from college is a doctor.
Oh no, you know.
Hey guys, never gonna replace a doctor.
(23:46):
I'm like, okay, you're very delusional.
I know you went to Vanderbilt and you're smart, but you're not that smart because they'llfigure it They might not have it perfected today, if you think about, well think about
you.
You've been with us since 2011.
Where has technology taken us in 14, almost 15 years, right?
(24:10):
Where's it gonna be?
Let's talk about.
I do want to talk about this.
I had a conversation with a lawyer.
She's been at home with her kids and going to go back to work and she's worried that she'snot marketable.
And her friend who's stayed in the workforce, like, no, a lot of these kids in theirtwenties, they don't have the same work ethic.
(24:32):
You're not going to have a problem.
One of the things that impressed me about you was your dad's old school, very like...
He wouldn't buy you the software right like you paid for it out of your pocket and I wasjust like Hmm first of all, could it wasn't that expensive like It wasn't that expensive
(24:55):
so I'm like like really and so what?
Well, first of all, where'd your dad get so cheap probably be in the car business?
Hope he doesn't hear this and he'll he'll cancel CaterZen but
What precipitated you saying, I need this tool and I'm going to pay for it out of mypocket.
Cause you don't see people do that, you know, and you know, technically it's your familybusiness, but it's your dad's company and you know, I don't know your structure, but maybe
(25:21):
one day it'll all be yours and your siblings or whatever, but you were, you were anemployee that was in the family.
So it's not like, Hey, I get 50 % of the profit.
So I don't mind paying for this and proving to my partner that this is a, I,
So why did you decide to do that?
I mean, that's a pretty bold move for somebody to make.
(25:43):
So what triggered the looking for something to solve our problems was we had opened, Ithink, our sixth location.
So we had gone from four to six.
And I was working crazy hours.
At that point, I mean, it was all hands on deck.
driving back and forth, the location was about an hour from my house.
And I had pulled over on the side of the road to take a catering call, wrote it all downon a piece of paper, because that's what we did, and went home.
(26:11):
And back and forth, back and forth.
the things and I had my first day off and like what felt like forever and I get a phonecall I'm sitting on my couch and phone rings and phone rings and phone rings and I'm like
it's my one day off and I finally answer and she said hi this is so-and-so with so-and-soand we're wondering where our food is and
(26:33):
You know the immediate panic and it was like 150 people's worth of food, right?
So it wasn't a small thing And at that point there's no recovering There's just we'resorry.
We we totally dropped the ball And I at that moment I decided I never wanted to feel thatfeeling again
(26:54):
Right.
And it was on me because I took the phone call and I wrote down on the piece of paper andI didn't I didn't follow through So I decided I was never gonna do that again so that's
how we found you Google search probably back in 2010 and I did a little you know videoshoot to see about the software and It was immediate that that was gonna solve a good
(27:20):
chunk of my problems and just the organization
at that point I was like, okay, I'm gonna go to my boss with this, which is Brett.
He's our CEO and I said, this is gonna solve our problems and he was like, okay, well letme talk to Don, which is my dad.
So they talked about it and he was like, I just don't...
I don't see the benefit at this point.
I don't think that's gonna solve your problems.
(27:44):
And I was like, well it will and I'm gonna prove it to you.
Was kind of...
I guess I'm a little hard-headed.
So I decided that I was going to do it.
even if it was going to make me money in the long run, because in sales, you know, if Ican be more efficient and I can book more events because I'm efficient, then my sales are
(28:05):
going to grow, which helps my commission.
And my only goal at that point was that my commission would be enough to cover the chargefrom from CaterZen Correct, yes.
Yeah, the growth that I was going to see would cover it.
And it did.
So the big question is, and I might have asked you this in the past, did you ever go backand back bill your father for the...
(28:32):
No.
I would, I'd send him a bill.
I would send him a bill, but you know, you know, I've got a, I've got a friend and he,he's in the CRM space and sales training and he always talks.
I hate to use the word losers.
(28:52):
That sounds bad, but the people who aren't, who don't do well.
Right.
And I've found you're better off trying and we, we sort of focused on this.
And so when we started CaterZen we were probably ahead of our time in a lot of waysbecause most of the people running restaurants was probably your father's generation.
(29:14):
They weren't, you know, they didn't have, they didn't use computers.
They were old school.
And so it took like almost the next generation coming in to say, okay, well, we needtechnology.
And.
Then we got to a point where a lot of people like, oh, we'd like your software, but youknow, we don't have any catering sales.
(29:34):
I'm like, okay.
So we started helping people build catering sales and doing menus and marketing.
And what we found is 95 % of the people didn't do anything.
And so we lost them because like, it takes something to build catering.
You can't just put a sign on the wall, say we cater and then all of a sudden, you know,you've got a rush of people wanting to order from you.
(29:56):
And.
Maybe five years ago, we decided we want to help winners become bigger winners.
And to your point is you probably were hard headed, but you also had a success mindset.
So you invest in your success because you know, Hey, if this one little thing can increasemy sales 5%, well, that puts X number of dollars in the bank for me and commission.
(30:19):
So it's worth it.
And I'm always looking for that in my life.
You know, whether it's you hire somebody to cut your, you know,
When I first got married, I cut the lawn because I didn't have money to pay somebody.
And then you get to a point where it's like, okay, I've got the money to pay someone tocut my yard.
My time is more valuable than cutting the yard.
(30:40):
I would rather use that for something else.
And so I find that the businesses that continually invest to grow are the ones thatcontinue to do the best because they're looking for that little edge.
It's probably like an Olympic athlete.
You know, they're getting gold over a hundredth of a second.
It's nothing.
(31:01):
And probably what happens behind the scenes to make that happen is mind boggling.
That is very true.
Okay, so if you were going to start, let's say you went to someone else's restaurant andhelp them start a catering business, what do think the top three things you would focus on
(31:23):
right off the bat?
I think that because it's something that's made us successful is food quality matters.
You have to have a product worth selling and you have to be able to consistently get itpackaged and out the door in a way that it holds up so the customer can enjoy it once you
(31:45):
get it there.
And then I think the second thing would be making sure that your team inside yourrestaurant is able to accommodate the workload.
That's something that we've seen with growth in certain territories.
We have insane catering sales, but the team wasn't really prepared for that.
So we go out and market and say, hey, come try us.
(32:09):
We're going to grow our catering.
And then the store can't actually produce.
And that's a challenge that we have faced.
just probably since COVID, just making sure that our teams are up to standard and ready totake on the workload.
They have to be on board.
They have to see it and feel it.
(32:29):
We actually did, we call these, you probably call them cookie drops, but we call thembusiness spotlights where we go and find a location,
facility more or less that has enough people that we can do like a 10-person cateringdrop-off.
We go and tell them about our company, tell them about the products that we we arebringing them, you know, show them what we have to offer and let them taste what the
(32:56):
quality is because that matters.
And I was marketing one of our new stores and took this lunch to these people and I openedthe lid to the brisket.
I was mortified and in that you have to you know, your game face on but I could see it Icould smell you know, just all the things weren't right in that moment and So when I
(33:22):
finish I go back to the store and I'm like who cut the meat who prepared the food whathappened?
Y'all knew that this was so important that we're out there to sell your product and youjust sloshed it in the pan
You know, well first of all, you've been sandbagging me because I asked you if you did anymarketing and now you're telling me you're going to do this.
(33:43):
This is called sandbagging.
Now I'm going have to put a big warning label on the front.
The good stuff is at minute 35.
Just fast forward.
Everything else is just not letting anybody know what she does.
No, I definitely think sampling is the best thing that you could do to sell your product.
(34:03):
you know what I find interesting if you've been in the business long enough, you don'teven need to taste it, touch it, temp it.
Like literally when I had my restaurant, I could just look at a plate of food and know intwo seconds whether it was spot on or not.
And I can go to a restaurant, they can, they can bring me something and I'll say like,that's dry.
(34:24):
Well, how do you know?
said, I just know.
mean, I just, I can see it.
You just, it's, it's innate.
It's sort of like.
You know, even cooking something, you know, you don't even you just instinctively know bythe look you don't have to tempt it.
You don't have to taste it.
You don't have to do anything.
It's just if you've done it long enough, you can tell.
(34:44):
But that is mortifying.
You're trying to sell it and it is probably fatty and and you were just cringing like, oh,I can't believe that I'm going to do this and.
Yep, it looked like a reheat and you're like you never reheat on catering period.
Why would you do that?
And they let it MIT cut it.
So it wasn't even the GM of the store or somebody who's trained fully.
(35:08):
It was like somebody in training.
But you know, the lesson is, is you should have checked it before you the store.
practiced.
That's right.
Lesson learned.
Well, and that's funny you say that because I was running late and I just showed up at theevent to go sell.
know, like I'm just here to be the face today.
They brought the food so that I could just, you know, close.
(35:30):
yeah, was all bad.
nothing worse than being embarrassed.
I mean, we've all been in that situation.
And the good thing about, if you know what to do with mistakes, there's people who there'sa, heard somebody say once there are people that have 10 years of experience or one year
of experience 10 times.
If it happens once and you learn from it, then it's like, okay, you know, it's not reallywhat I want to learn, but okay, I can live with it.
(35:58):
But if you didn't learn from it, there's a big sin.
In the stores, if I call one of your stores and I want to order catering, will they takean order over the phone or how does that work?
So we now have a phone system with, know, like press this for this, press that for that.
So anytime anybody calls a location, the first option they get to is if you need to serve10 people or more, press this button.
(36:26):
So it immediately filters to the catering department if they know it's a large order.
And large 10 people or more is not necessarily large, but...
right.
Our store volume at each location is pretty high and they don't really have people in thestore trained to take those type of phone calls.
So it's just easier for it to come to the catering department and we can walk through ourcustomers on portion sizes and what that looks like and give them the time that the store
(36:53):
will not be able to give them.
And what happens when the two and a half people are on the phone?
Then it goes to voicemail which is unfortunate.
But we, like I said, we are very good about calling people back and I do think we arenearing the time frame to add more people or figure out a different plan.
You're a big thinker.
(37:14):
I'm not.
I'm a control freak.
So I just keep doing my thing.
You know, I don't like anything that's dependent on me.
and otherwise you've got a job and not a business.
And, you know, obviously you've done a good job training the other people.
It's, you know, and we were very fortunate that we had people in the stores trained totake simple drop-off catering orders, but you know, that high touch point, if that's what
(37:47):
you're known for, then.
You know, I guess at some point you're going to have to hire somebody or you know, theonly thing that comes up for me, I hate voicemail, like hate it, like I'll hang up on it.
I don't think anyone's going to call me back.
So I don't know if there is a call center.
Like an answering service that you could talk to a live person like when I call mycomputer repair people I know I'm not getting them but I'm getting a live person and so
(38:13):
maybe they're trained to say I'm sorry all the catering specialists on the line Can I getyour name and number and they'll call you right back and least you feel you've made a
human connection?
That so that might be a good second step is till you're ready to bring somebody on islet's forward all those lines over to a call center
or an answering service if you will.
(38:34):
So at least they're talking to a live human and they don't feel like, because so manytimes you put in a voicemail, are they on vacation?
Am I gonna really hear back from someone?
No, you do have caller ID and you can call them back, but you always run the risk is,okay, I got a voicemail, I'm just gonna call the next person on my list because I'm busy
and I just need to get this taken care of.
And that does happen, you're right, it does.
(38:56):
But we also find that when we do call people back, because we're very good at it, they'realways like, thank you for returning my call.
Like, do people not call people back?
They're like, yeah.
I want to know these people own businesses that you could call and ask for a proposal youeither never get or you get it and they never follow up with you.
Like, what are you doing with all your money?
(39:17):
Like, I want to know what you're doing with this extra money because I don't have thatluxury.
I want to know who these people are.
Like, seriously, what business are they in?
I need to get into it.
Actually, no, I'm in the right business for me.
I'm happy.
What do you see as, you know, Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges,you know, for you and for Soulman's?
(39:42):
I think that growth is the biggest challenge.
Because I'm not a big thinker, I very much handle things as they come.
And we call it reactive, not proactive.
and that is not necessarily the best place to be for growth.
(40:05):
You've got to think ahead and see the problem before it's a problem.
And I think that's a struggle.
And that's partially because I love what I do.
And I love that I get to handle these calls and people.
And so I'm not often thinking forward because I just want to keep living in the now.
(40:27):
But it's also very good to know your lane and where you're good.
I don't know if you've ever read Traction by Gina Wickman.
He has a thing called right people in the right seats on the bus.
And I think I've done a good job of putting people where they belong or moving them along.
(40:48):
And I know where I'm good and where I'm bad.
Tactical work.
I'm not good.
You know, sitting and having small talk and making customers feel warm and fuzzy.
That's, I have great people on my team to do that.
That's not me.
Strategic, sitting there and thinking about, okay, what's the next, like I've thoughtabout AI voice five years ago.
(41:09):
It's been on my brain thinking about it.
So one day it will be a reality.
so I'd rather work on the big picture, but if you had to get me to do the tacticalday-to-day stuff, I mean, I was a good waiter.
I enjoyed it, but.
what I want to be dealing with customers day in, day out.
No, that's not my bandwidth.
(41:32):
So as we sort of wrap up, do SoulMans have any big initiatives, any cool projects goingon, anything outside what you consider the norm or outside the box for y'all that you're
working on?
So we did celebrate our 50th year in business this year, which was so cool.
(41:54):
1974 to 2024.
So it's been a cool year of celebration.
And now it's just kind of our word for last year was legacy or for this year, 2024 waslegacy.
Like, okay, we've created this legacy.
How do we continue the legacy?
And so our next year focus is gonna be trust.
(42:16):
And so going from a legacy to now continuing that trust and building the trust factor andknowing that the brand didn't just make it to 50 and die here, we've got to keep going.
So do you have siblings?
I've heard you talk about Brett.
(42:38):
I assume he's running the company.
Do you have siblings?
Will you and your siblings take over the business after your parents?
Yeah, so my sister is our office manager and she's in the next room and then my niece isalso helping in the catering department and then my nephew.
(43:01):
So we had a half brother who is deceased, so both of his kids have been involved, you knowin and out and then all of our kids are really too young at this point, but I mean that's.
I think yes, I mean we intend to do the best we can for as long as we can and keep theball rolling.
(43:21):
Brett has a great forward thinking mind and wants to keep growing.
So I think that that's the plan.
We'll just keep going.
it's exciting to see something multi-generational.
You know, I was involved in Corky's and the guy who started at Don Peltz, he's sincepassed, his son took it over and son-in-law and they did a great job and they just had an
(43:44):
opportunity to sell out and they sold and got bought out by a family that had a lot ofmoney.
COVID happened.
They didn't do too well.
But then the original, the managers, they ran it under the family.
have since bought it and taken it back to where it is.
it's, even though the family's not involved, it's good to see that people that sort ofgrew up in that culture have taken it back over.
(44:11):
So they still, you know, it's still true to its roots, right?
Somebody didn't come in and said, we could save a lot of money if, you know, we took thisout of the recipe or we did this differently.
So that's pretty cool.
That's great.
Well, I appreciate you taking the time post-Christmas to share some thoughts with me andappreciate you being a client for all these years and wish y'all all the best in the new
(44:41):
year.
Thanks, Amber.
Thank you.
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