Atmosphere, by Bob Farrell

When I first built Farrell's, the original idea (I think this will be interesting) was to have a wholesome, clean, fun place for the family, for the teenagers, the little child, for the old man, for the Aunt Susie, for any age to come into Farrell's and have a good time.  Whether you were a teenager on a date, or you are a family with a little kid with a birthday, or grandma  for her birthday, or a bunch of girls from the office.  It did not make any difference.  We felt that everybody of any age should have a good time when coming to Farrell's.

Now how do you accomplish this.  Well I guess you hit something that is very wholesome.  Something that would never offend anyone.  You do the things that are happy, unoffensive.  You do things according to the mood of the time.  We used to have a saying, you turn up the music on Friday and Saturday night and you turn it down during the day.  Well, what they really meant is you can make a lot of noise on a Friday night when the high school gang is in, running zoos, singing birthdays as loud as you want.  But, at noon Friday, that wouldn't go over too well with a businessman.  Saturday afternoon all the kids are in there with birthdays and you can do a lot of things you couldn't ordinarily. Saturday night the gang is coming in from the movies. (The game is the same thing.) You set the mood, you feel the tone, you set the pace.  You, as manager, that is your job.  If the kids are getting too noisy on the birthdays, running around with the zoos, just quiet them down. Tell them not to overdo it. It isn't fun when we are too noisy.  In other words, a bell ringing too often and at the wrong time is noise.  Rung at the right time is fun. (The siren rung not too long or too loud is fun, but when you ring it too long or too loud it's noise.)

So, there is a difference between what we are trying to do and what the customer sees us and hears us do.  You know, they often say you have an image. You know what an image is? That is what the customer thinks of you.  It is not what you are.  Your image is what someone thinks you are, so you have to be very attuned boys and girls, managers. What is a customer thinking? What does he want at this time? Can he stand this much noise? No, quiet it down. The place is full of teenagers. It is Friday night and the ballgames are over. They came here for the noise. Give it to them.  Ring the bell a little more than you usually do on a Friday night, but slow it down when it doesn't call for it.

Our atmosphere is controlled and put forth by every department. Your cashiers are part of the atmosphere. They say hello, good-bye and thank you. And they say hello to the little kid who had a birthday because they can read it on the check and make sure everything was alright. They ask in their own sincere way, "How was everything?" "Was everything okay?" "Did you enjoy your hamburger?" "Did you enjoy your birthday?" "Please come back again." "Thank you again." The atmosphere is done by everybody, bus boys, waiters/waitresses naturally.  When customers leave Farrell's every one of them should be thanked three, four times.  They should not be able to get out that door without at least three people thanking them for coming.

Managers, I can not stand to see parties go by you while you're hosting and you don't stop for a moment and say "Thank you folks, come back again." You know without them, we are nothing. They deserve a thank-you.  When you work in that line on a busy Friday or Saturday afternoon whenever it is busy, talk to the customers.  Maybe the place is jammed and they can't get a seat. Stop for a minute and talk to them. Ask them how the movie was. Ask them where they have been tonight and was the ball game okay. When the cheerleaders come in on a Friday night, say "Hi, girls, how are you? What game are you from?" "Who won?" We used to build a business when the ballgames on Friday night let out. They used to come to Farrell's and jam us up.  You know why? It was the place to go. You know, it wasn't just because the food or ice cream was good. You know why they went there? To see everyone else that was there. That is why you go to Farrell's on a Friday or Saturday night - to see the rest of the guys and girls. What makes them come there? It's the place. They know what they're doing in a Farrell's They announce the ball scores. When the cheerleaders come in, they give them a big hand. It is fun down there at Farrell's.

That is the atmosphere that we create. It is fun. You know we lost the teenagers in a lot of the stores because it isn't fun. You know the secret? Let me tell you something. They think teenagers are destructive. Don't kid yourself. They are not destructive to someone they like. In two years that we ran the original store we never had one writing on the wall in the restroom or anything torn down. You know why? I will tell you what I think it is. We treat them like adults. We seated them, we greeted them, and we let them know we cared. If I could get to know their names, I knew it. If I saw them and they were a familiar face, I would let them know it.

When you work, have fun with them. I used to sit couples - boys and girls together. A couple of girls some in alone and naturally that happens. You have 18 deuces lined up and everybody opens up for the booths. You don't want to sit 2's in 4's. You can get away with it sometimes. I used to put 2 girls together and say, I need 2 guys. We have a booth but I can't waste it on 2 girls. I need 2 guys to sit with 2 girls. they wouldn't know what to do. Many a night I sat 2 guys with 2 girls. Maybe 4 guys will get together or 4 girls. The idea is to have some fun with them. Walk up and down the line and take numbers, talk to them, let them know you enjoy having them. We get surprise birthdays. They come up and whisper in your ear that they want a surprise birthday for Susie. Don't do what I did. I have done this so many times it makes me sick. Tell the customer to tell the waiter because you will forget to tell the waiter and no one will get sung to. I have had people walk out the door and say "Thanks for nothing, Mr. Farrell." The light goes on and I realize that they told me about a secret birthday and I didn't tell the waiter and it didn't get done. I always tell the customer to tell the waiter. Don't leave it up to you because you are too busy.

A lot of guys have done a lot of different things. I think Sue has come up with one of the greatest things - an announcement book on different announcements. These should be passed around. You might want to have copies made for the waiter/waitresses so they can use it. Another thing, have you had auctions? The place is sort of full, is a little slow, not much noise and every one is looking around for the action. Have an auction.  Have a Happy Unbirthday and go over and give a favorite customer a happy unbirthday.

I think if I can get anything across to you, the atmosphere must be there. But, there are different levels of it and you as a manager must control the level of the frivolity that goes on - the fun - the noise. This is up to you. You must have that feel, that good taste that makes Farrell's click. I say that we are like a Jekyll and Hyde. You know at noon, we must be a fast, efficient, consistent restaurant - that food has to go fast. The people only have 30 or 45 minutes, or an hour at the most, and they want fast service. They want it hot and they want it good and they want it now. On a Friday night or a Saturday night, they are coming in for a whole new reason. They are coming in just for the ice cream; just to see their best buddies; or to find out what the ball game scores are or what is going on in town; maybe to pick up a girl. Ther are a lot of things, and things change. You, as a manager, have to feel the pulse. What is going on? How to take care of it. At dinner time, the parties come in and they are going to a movie or the circus or the ballgame with the kids beforehand.  They are out for a little fun. They are not as serious and not quite as speedy as they are at lunch time, but they still want fast, proficient service and you let them know it. Talk to them, Ask them where they are going tonight. This is what Farrell's is about. It is the place like Duff's Tavern where he would say on his show. It is where the elite meet, but the idea is that everybody was friendly when you are going into his place and when you go into Farrell's, that is the way it should be.  The waiter/waitresses and bus boys all say "hello". The manager is friendly and stops to talk as he walks the coffee. As you go out, I like to see the fountain lift up their heads and say thank you and good-bye.

Recognize the people. Another value of cross training...all the kids have been waiters and done different jobs and have gotten to know customers more and it is easier to talk to them. I can't overtalk the sensitivity that you must have. In a Farrell's on any day you are going to have all different age groups, all different moods and your waiters/waitresses and you have to know how to handle them. There are some others that will tell you that they do not want you to sing to my child, she is very bashful, Ok, play it cool. Make a fuss about the kid on the way out. Give him the sundae. There are different strokes for different folks, as the saying goes. The sensitivity comes along with caring. Caring that the customer is happy. For instance...a bunch of little babies are in high chairs, little one-year olds. they don't like a lot of noise. I have gone up to mothers and ask them to cover up their ears because we are going to sing happy birthday, and they will do that. If you see a baby is crying, do the best to help the mother calm things down. That is what Farrell's is all about. We care for the customer.

I would like to say just one more thing. It is a repeat. Your volume will increase or decrease according to the service level you and your people will be able to perform. You will be judged by your customers and your managers and your bosses on how well your hourly employees perform their duties because you are the one who has complete control over that by carefully hiring and continued training.

Thanks you for turning Farrell's around and making it a real success story once again. I don't know a better business in the world than to spend our time making other people happy. Continue to do that and they will be happy and you will be happy and I know that I will be happy. Thanks again guys and girls. As I have said too many times on too many films, you are the greatest bunch of guys and girls in the whole world an that is not a cliche, I really mean it. Again, thanks.

.