We recently were invited to a sneak peak meal at a new Portillo’s restaurant in Avondale, Az. This was a test to train their staff prior to their grand opening. WOW what a great experience.. The staff worked well together as a team and were visible all over the restaurant. I talked to a manager that stated they train staff for 6-8 weeks with a corporate training crew. I was super impressed at how great this experience was for us. Portillo’s has other locations in the Phoenix area that offer the same experience. The restaurants are always clean and well maintained. This is why customers return and refer.

A few weeks ago we went to an Italian restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ. We had a reservation so were seated in a timely manner. Our server was friendly and professional however service was slow. The quality of food at the table was good and drinks were refilled in a timely manner. She stopped by our table a few times to check on us however I could see she had too many tables in her section. We waited over 15 minutes to get our check and then waited again for it to be returned. At this specific location they give you a second meal to take home. We ate the meals the next evening however they tasted like the shelf life had expired. We ate in this restaurant a couple years ago however had not returned due to the medicore service. We returned on this occasion only because we had a coupon. This restaurant is definitely more upscale than Portillo’s however I would much prefer spending less money and having great experience.

I am sure that when you are spending your hard earned money, you would prefer a Portillo’s experience over an Italian restaurant that costs more and doesn’t give you that WOW experience. Upscale atmosphere doesn’t make up for the experience.

If you need a fresh perspective on what customers see when they are in your restaurant let The Hart Experience help you. We educate business owners and management on the importance of quality training through mystery shops and assessments. Contact Debbie Hart at 602.717.3271, Debbie@thehartexperience.com https://www.thehartexperience.com