Dear Recruiting Professional,

2012 is off to a great start!  In my first “address” of the year, my first order of duty is to get the word out that the National Association is changing.  Some of you are aware of the changes that have already begun.  But, please allow me to explain.

We have new leadership.  With that new leadership comes fresh ideas.  What I am talking about is simply EDUCATION, REPRESENTATION AND ASSISTANCE.  We are here to educate you.  We are here to represent you and we are here to assist you.  It’s that simple.

You will begin to see programs that you can be a part of – that will definitely help your businesses and your individual recruiters and employees.  One great example is the improved delivery of our certification program.  Credentialing participants will now have the opportunity to view a “Learning Session” recorded from a Certification Immersion Class (CIC).  As most of you know, this is a certification prep class.  We have informally dubbed this program the “E-CIC,” as it is a self-paced course allowing you to view the class at your own speed.  Participants in this original CIC class in the past have experienced a pass/fail rate of 10 points higher than if they study on their own.  Members will have the ability to view this class at no cost.

This is only the beginning of what the NAPS is doing to help get you educated.  Our Annual Conference is our “flagship” of education.  Our conference is always packed with the best speakers in the country, making this event something you can count on, year after year.  This year is no exception with over 175 already registered.  Do not hesitate to visit www.recruitinglife.com for learn more about this fantastic event.

From all this education comes Professional Success.  These following facts contribute to our Professional Success:

• Recruiters with the Certified Professional Consultants “CPC” and/or Certified Temporary Services “CTS” designations outperform and earn more money than non-certificants.
• Recruiters that continue Professional Education by attending the NAPS Annual Conference outperform and earn more money than non-participants.
• Recruiters that participate in their Professional Associations (NAPS) outperform & earn more money than non-participants.
• Recruiters that educate their Candidates and Clients through giving back through Professional Service outperform and earn more money than those non-participants.

It’s all about making yourself better and better at what you do – through continuing education.  Not only do you feel better about it, but your customers (your clients and your candidates) can see that growth and experience in you as well.

Thank you in advance for taking time to make a difference!  I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio at the NAPS- September 2012 Conference.

Sincerely,

Robert Krzak, Chairman of the Board, NAPS

The restaurant industry’s monthly same-store sales growth rate rose at an all-time-high in December, fueled by sharp gains in guest traffic and cooperative weather, according to the latest NRN-MillerPulse survey.

Industrywide same-store sales rose 5.4 percent in December, compared with a 2.9-percent increase the month prior, which is the largest increase in the survey’s history. The month capped off a relatively strong 2011 that saw same-store sales up 2.6 percent overall, leaving operators and analysts pleasantly surprised.

“December was a win across the board,” said Larry Miller, restaurant securities analyst at RBC Capital Markets in Atlanta and creator of the monthly MillerPulse surveys and research. “This could be the first sign of the rising tide that we’ve been waiting to see.”

MillerPulse, an operator survey exclusive to Nation’s Restaurant News, polled around 70 restaurant operators in January regarding December sales, profit trends, performance and outlooks. Respondents cover all regions of the country and represent the quick-service, casual-dining, fine-dining and fast-casual segments. Those surveyed in January represented restaurants that booked about 4 percent of industry sales.

Both the quick-service and full-service segments posted record-setting increases in same-store sales, the survey found. Sales at quick-service restaurants, which include both fast-food and fast-casual brands, rose 6.7 percent in December, compared with a 4-percent increase November. Sales for full-service restaurants, which include both fine-dining and casual-dining brands, increased 4.2 percent in December, compared with a 2-percent increase in the prior month.

The substantial sales increases were largely driven by guest traffic gains, which rose nearly 3 percent in December, compared to being relatively flat in November. Quick-service traffic jumped 4.2 percent in December, compared to just over a 1-percent increase in November, while full-service traffic rose 1.7 percent after seeing a 1.1-percent decline in November.

Real Mex Restaurants, parent of the El Torito, Acapulco and Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant chains, is scheduled to go up for auction later this month as part of an ongoing Chapter 11 reorganization.

According to court filings last week, bids are due before Jan. 20, and an auction would be held on Jan. 26 with the court expected to make a ruling on the results by Jan. 30.

Cypress, Calif.-based Real Mex filed for bankruptcy in October, saying the move would speed a turnaround. At the time, company officials said they were considering a sale of assets, as well as negotiating with existing bondholders and stakeholders about a possible purchase.

Sun Capital Partners is the majority owner of Real Mex, and sources say the private equity firm may still be interested in the chain. Real Mex also has generated interest from outside parties, although no stalking horse bid has emerged to date, according to two people familiar with potential deals.

Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sun Capital also is the majority owner of Friendly’s Ice Cream Corp., which filed bankruptcy in October and went up for auction in late December — only to be repurchased by Sun Capital in a credit bid deal expected to close this month.

The nation’s largest operator of full-service Mexican restaurants, Real Mex in June of last year operated 178 units under the El Torito, Acapulco and Chevys brands, as well as one-off Las Brisas Restaurant in Laguna Beach, Calif.; and small regional concepts Who-Song & Larry’s, Casa Gallardo and El Paso Cantina.

The Chevys chain includes 30 franchised locations.

The company also operates a food production subsidiary called Real Mex Foods.

Roughly 30 restaurants have been closed within the past six months, according to Real Mex spokesman Rick Van Warner.

Currently, Real Mex operates 144 restaurants, including 60 El Toritos; 50 Chevys; 20 Acapulcos; six El Torito Grills; four Casa Gallardos and the four one-offs: Las Brisas, Who-Song & Larry’s, Siniqual and El Paso Cantina. In addition, Chevys franchisees operate another 24 locations for that brand, the only Real Mex concept with franchise locations.

Most of Real Mex’s restaurants are in California, which was particularly hard hit by economic headwinds over the past few years.

The company said in court filings that revenue totaled $315.5 million through late August, a decline of 3.2 percent compared with the same time frame the previous year, in part because of restaurant closures and declining customer traffic.

Real Mex has been reworking its leadership over the past several months.

David Goronkin, formerly president and chief executive of Bennigan’s Franchising Co., joined the company as chair, president and chief executive in June. Since then, Edie Ames was named Real Mex’s chief operating officer overseeing the El Torito and Acapulco brands, and Brian Wright was named president of the Chevys brand.

Van Warner said ongoing operational and cultural changes across all brands are taking hold.

“We’re pleased with the progress the brands are continuing to make,” he said. “We’re looking forward to exiting Chapter 11 after the next few weeks and having a stronger platform for growth.”

Gecko Hospitality, a national recruiting firm dedicated to the restaurant and hospitality industry, is pleased to share the results of its 2011 survey. Over 2500 salaried restaurant and hospitality managers who were placed by Gecko Hospitality, were surveyed and asked a series of questions before beginning employment with their new company. The results not only let corporate hiring managers know why managers are choosing to leave but what factors are influencing their decision. It’s fair to note, management candidates from all sectors within the restaurant industry were included in this survey, consisting of Fine Dining, Casual Theme, Corporate Dining, Fast Casual, and QSR.

While a big push by U.S. congressional leaders in September 2011 led to a firestorm of national press into the potential discrimination by employers against the unemployed, our survey concluded that 18% of the candidates were indeed unemployed at the time they received their job offer. The significance of this number is yet to be determined as this controversial debate is in its infantile stage.

Surprisingly, the salaries offered to fifty-eight percent (58%) of the candidates surveyed who accepted a position with a new company stayed the same while only six percent (6%) of the candidates took a decrease in pay.  Thirty-six percent (36%) of the managers Gecko Hospitality placed received increases in compensation.

The graph below illustrates the various dollar amounts in salary a candidate received with their new employer.

So what if you make a hiring mistake? Here’s how to beat analysis paralysis.
By April Joyner | Nov 1, 2011

Any job seeker knows from experience how much first impressions matter. In fact, they probably matter too much. A single interview, after all, rarely uncovers enough information to determine whether someone would be a good employee. To compensate for this shortcoming, many entrepreneurs follow the adage to hire slowly, fire fast. But hiring too slowly can be just as counterproductive as making a snap judgment, especially when entrepreneurs tack additional steps onto the interview process without clear objectives in mind.

Gary Jaffe, CEO of The Booksource, a St. Louis-based distributor of schoolbooks with 135 employees, made that mistake last fall when he began looking for a new sales director. The search ended up taking five months—two months longer than the contract period for the recruiter he enlisted. Each candidate was required to go through two personality assessments and about four hours’ worth of interviews, meeting with each of the company’s three managers. After sitting in on each interview, Jaffe privately questioned the candidates he found promising. His impressions of candidates would often start out positive but deteriorate as the interviews dragged on. “In the first two hours, I would have absolutely hired this person,” says Jaffe. “By lunch, he was questionable.”

There are many reasons entrepreneurs prolong the hiring process. For starters, adding employees at a small company is tricky. “Once you insert a new person into the mix, you change the team’s dynamics completely,” says Lanny Goodman, CEO of Management Technologies, an Albuquerque-based firm that trains entrepreneurs in management techniques. Previous hiring mistakes can also cause entrepreneurs to drag their feet: Because they second-guess their opinions, entrepreneurs add extra rounds of interviews and assessments.

That was the case for Jaffe. After firing two of the company’s executives, he had begun to doubt his ability to make good hiring decisions. “It’s so frustrating when you get it wrong,” says Jaffe. “It takes so much effort to fit this person, and you say, ‘Why is this not working?’ ” He was determined to get it right this time.

One of the most promising applicants for the sales director position was referred by a trusted source. Jaffe’s father, Sandy, who founded The Booksource and had been its CEO, had met the candidate in a business mentoring group. But despite the family recommendation, personality tests, and rounds of interviews, Jaffe was still unsure. So he invited the candidate out to dinner. After an evening of polite small talk and Southwestern cuisine, Jaffe finally made an offer.

But even after all that, Jaffe is again trying to fill the position. Less than three weeks after the sales director joined the company, Jaffe fired him.

No matter how many times you interview candidates, there’s no way to accurately predict how well they will perform. Entrepreneurs who drag out the hiring process put off the ultimate test of a candidate: time on the job. Plus, as the months pass and pressure mounts to fill critical positions, entrepreneurs sometimes find themselves making the same hasty decisions they sought to avoid in the first place.
Treatment:

Set clear objectives for each stage of the interview process. Make sure follow-up interviews aren’t rehashing the same discussions from previous meetings.

Limit the number of people evaluating candidates. It’s wise to seek a second opinion, but involving more than two or three other managers can make it difficult to get a clear assessment.

Trust your instincts. As the hiring process drags on, you are more likely to ignore red flags.

Okay, so for the past three years you finally got the courage to take that leap of faith and put your resume out there and go after the job of your dreams. Restaurants are starting to expand once more and you figure ‘now is the time’ (and in my professional opinion your opportunities couldn’t be more plentiful). You do your homework and target the three restaurant companies as your next ‘home away from home’ and after the two to three week courtship, you accept the best offer, throw in your two week notice and take a weeks vacation to get energized for the next chapter of your life. Sound too familiar?

While you’re sipping on your Pina Colada on the warm beaches off of some exotic Caribbean island, now’s the time to start thinking and ask yourself “how do I get to the next level of my career”. Let’s face it; unless you have a crystal ball, that actually works, there is no textbook answer that any professional can offer because every restaurant operation has their own set of rules, culture and beliefs. However, there is one constant variable that is universal no matter what segment of the restaurant or hospitality industry you’re in and that’s people, people, and people. A successful manager knows how to identify, relate and lead multiple groups of people from various backgrounds and genders to a common goal of customer satisfaction. Restaurant professionals need to remember that perception IS reality in the eyes of consumers and your employees play a large role in your success as a manager.

If you’re looking to fast track your restaurant career you may want to consider integrating these 5 tips:

1. Share Your Career Path With Your Company. There’s a saying in business that, “If you don’t promote yourself, nobody else will.” Don’t be reserve and keep your goals to yourself when it comes to your desire to move up the company ladder. Share your goals with your immediate supervisor and ask them if they’re attainable. Get your immediate supervisor to “buy in” to your goals and set reasonable time limits to have them completed. By having this “buy in” with your company, you’re demonstrating that not only can you accomplish the goals set by the company, but those that you have set for yourself.

2. Help As Many People As You Can. People develop relationships with those around them when you offer help. The more people you help in attaining their goals, you’ll find that your goals get a lot easier to accomplish. Why? Not only are you investing in the future to those you assist but karma seems to make its way full circle.

3. Be Consistent. As restaurant managers, we make hundreds of decisions each week that, whether good or bad, decide various outcomes. No one person keeps a mental tally of your impartiality, fairness and consistency than your employees and the professionals you surround yourself. Restaurant operations, as well as its employees, are based around routines because each routine is meant to be consistent. From how an employee is counseled on excessive tardiness to loading the dishwasher, each company sets its standards for each routine that must be followed and employees need to be able to depend on its management staff to be consistent.

4. Hire and Retain Quality Employees. Bottom line, quality employees inspire and motivate others by their example and enthusiasm. Good employees will inspire others directly and indirectly toward higher achievement and those around them feel more confident because of that higher level of competency. As hiring quality employee’s accounts for fifty percent of the equation, keeping those superstars happy account for the other fifty. What managers fail to realize is the smallest gestures mean a lot and don’t cost much to keep employees happy. Notoriety for a job well done in the presence of and surrounded by fellow employees is gratification that employees crave. Employees want attention and recognition and are hungry for any and all types of acknowledgement of their value.

5. Educate and Train Constantly. Continuing to improve your employees to become more educated within additional areas of your restaurant operations so you can be more effective with them is an area that many managers do not take enough advantage. Training not only maximizes overall efficiency of restaurant operations but also encourages a culture of constant progression and learning in a dynamic industry. A quality-training program not only assures that all employees have the tools they need to succeed but reduces the turnover rate, which subsequently increases the ROI for each employee. Your commitment to the art of People Development assures you of a rewarding career within the restaurant and hospitality industry.

As mentioned earlier, there is no one silver bullet that can propel a manager from one level to the next but if you look closely, the restaurant industry revolves around two words; passion and people. If you’ve been in the restaurant business for as very long as I have, the word passion gets thrown around so loosely like rice at a wedding. If you take into account the amount of hours a company demands of its restaurant managers for the salaries being offered, accompanied by the strain this industry places on ones personal life, others would call it extreme lunacy while we in the restaurant industry call it passion. How quickly you rise through the ranks is not determined in the level of passion that you possess but the passion that is bestowed upon, filtered and carried on through your employees.

It’s difficult to be optimistic about the bleak job market when , unemployment is stuck at around 9.1 percent but a survey just released by employment services firm ManpowerGroup offers hope for job seekers in many places around the country.

The survey reveals that the metropolitan area with the most optimistic forecast of all for hiring this fall is San Antonio, Texas, and there’s also the good news that employers in 45 states expect the bleak employment picture to perk up. In fact, hiring managers in dozens of metropolitan areas anticipate considerable increases in hiring, while others present a darker forecast.

ManpowerGroup surveyed more than 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas to find out who’s hiring, who’s firing and who plans to maintain their current staff levels in the fourth quarter of 2011, October through December. Of the surveyed employers, 16 percent anticipate an increase in staffing levels in their hiring plans, while 11 percent expect a decrease in payrolls. The difference between those numbers provides what ManpowerGroup calls a net employment outlook of 5 percent–or 7 percent when seasonally adjusted, which is still up from 6 percent for the same period last year, but down slightly from last quarter. Seventy percent of employers expect no change in their staffing, and the final 3 percent of employers are uncertain.

Forbes.com slideshow: The best and worst cities for jobs right now While the outlook is positive overall, the one-point drop from the third quarter is the first decrease in nine quarters. “The numbers are not going in the right direction this quarter, and they are not as robust as we would have liked them to be,” says Melanie Holmes, a vice president at ManpowerGroup. “Employers are hesitant about hiring in this economic climate. They are remaining guarded, and that is reflected in these results.”

Still, “We do see some bright spots in hiring, especially in San Antonio, which has the most promising hiring outlook for the fourth quarter,” says Jonas Prising, president of the Americas at ManpowerGroup. “Employers in other markets in Texas, including El Paso and Austin, are also anticipating strong hiring increases.”

The San Antonio metro area enjoys a 17 percent net employment outlook, the percentage of employers that expect to add employees (25 percent) minus the percentage that expect to reduce their workforce (8 percent). Another 64 percent said they anticipate no change, and 3 percent didn’t know.
Forbes.com: 20 businesses you can start now “San Antonio has continued to see new jobs created, and new jobs brought to the region,” says Richard Perez, president and chief executive of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. “I would say that San Antonio is well positioned to come out ahead in the future as well because our cost of living remains low, making it a good environment for companies to increase their investment in jobs here, plus we have a very talented labor pool because we graduate more than 30,000 from our colleges and universities each year.”
The industry with the largest economic impact and largest number of employees in San Antonio is health care and biosciences, with more than 142,000 employees, Perez says. “This surprises a lot of people who think we are only a tourism town. One of every five workers is in the health care sector, and it has an estimated $24 billion economic impact here. We also have large manufacturing and financial services sectors. And yes, we have a significant tourism industry in San Antonio, with approximately 106,000 employees.”

The largest employers in the San Antonio area include the Department of Defense, whose workplaces include Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base. Combined they employ over 70,000 individuals. The largest corporate employer is San Antonio-based financial services firm United Services Automobile Association, with 14,800 employees. H-E-B Grocery Company follows close behind with 14,600 workers. AT&T, Toyota, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Valero Energy, Harland Clarke and Citibank are some of the area’s other major corporate employers.
Forbes.com: Best business quotes from the silver screen“San Antonio’s list of large employers is long and diverse,” Perez says. “We do not rely heavily on one area and that is by design. San Antonio has many industries that together keep us a resilient economy. We are fortunate to have many strong industries, and many strong companies with large employee bases.”

Employers in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Baltimore-Towson metro areas also anticipate a significant upswing in hiring for the next quarter.
Nearly a quarter of Cape Coral-Fort Myers employers reported positive forecasts, while 6 percent drew a bleaker picture. Sixty-nine percent said they won’t be changing their employment levels, and the remaining 3 percent are unsure of their hiring plans. With a net employment outlook of 16 percent, the southwest Florida metro area is the second best place for finding a job this fall.
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Baltimore-Towson employers are expressing similar sentiments. Twenty percent of that metro area’s hiring managers anticipate a bright fourth quarter. Meanwhile, 7 percent expect to decrease their payrolls, 71 percent anticipate no change and 2 percent are uncertain. This yields a net employment outlook of 13 percent and positions the Maryland metropolis as the third best place for finding a job this fall. Greensboro-High Point, N.C., St. Louis and Tulsa enjoy the same rank.

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Unfortunately not all cities are as confident about hiring. The net employment outlook in Spokane and Las Vegas is a far weaker -4 percent–and those metropolitan areas aren’t even the worst. The Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla., metro area yields a net employment outlook of -5 percent for the quarter.

The worst area of all for finding a job this fall is Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.
Only 12 percent of surveyed Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area employers plan to hire between October and December, while 19 percent expect to reduce their staff levels. Sixty-nine percent expect to maintain their current workforce. This yields a net employment outlook of -7 percent for the Connecticut metropolis.

“Although this quarter we are seeing relatively stable hiring compared with last quarter and even the year before, we are way below the double-digit employment outlook numbers we saw prior to the end of 2008,” Prising says. “With daily fluctuations in the market and mixed news reports about housing and consumer sentiment, employers are just plain uncertain about the future. Until they see a sustainable demand for their products and services, employers will not commit to hiring in big numbers.”

“Unemployment discrimination” and the jobless
By: Elaine Quijano (CBS News)

Of the 14 million Americans currently unemployed, 6 million have been jobless for more than 6 months.

CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano reports that many job seekers say being unemployed is being held against them.

Delores Barnes always goes job hunting armed with her dossier of documents, including her birth certificate.

Two years ago, she was laid off from her supervisor job with New York’s Children’s Services. Ever since, Barnes has been looking for work to support her and her nine-year-old daughter, Savianna “I can’t give up. I’m on a mission. I have a daughter, and she’s like, I have to be strong for her. I have to show her that you just don’t give up,” Barnes says.

Yet no amount of persistence can overcome the simple fact that some employers don’t want to hire the unemployed. In job posting after job posting, companies require that applicants “must be currently employed.”

“They have that perception that they are the dead weight, therefore they want the strong people who are currently employed,” says Robert Krzak, president of Gecko Hospitality.

Krzak says some companies won’t even consider unemployed job candidates.
“If there is a candidate out there who has been out there in the job market for six months or even a year or more than a year, a lot of companies are very suspect of that, because why aren’t they working?” Krzak says.

“It’s discriminatory and the fact that just because you don’t have a job you can’t compete for a job,” says Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. DeLauro is sponsoring a bill aimed at stopping the practice.

“These are competent people. They have lost their job through no fault of their own,

Why shouldn’t they have an opportunity?” DeLauro says.
Barnes says the practice doesn’t make sense, hiring people who have jobs when so many don’t.

Barnes is now training to be a computer technician, and says she’ll keep pounding the pavement, even though with some companies she can’t even get her foot in the door.

By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide

You’ve done it! You passed the first interview with flying colors and you just got a call to schedule a second interview. What happens next? How can you use a second interview as a means to get a job offer? It’s important to be aware that the company is seriously interested in you, or they wouldn’t have called. You are definitely in contention for the job! Here are suggestions on how to use your second job interview to help secure an offer.

Second Interview Tips

Get the Agenda
Sometimes, a second interview can be a day-long interview. You may meet with management, staff members, executives, and other company employees. Ask the person who scheduled the interview for an itinerary, so, you know upfront what to expect.

For example, at Microsoft the second interview process involves meeting with people from different product groups. Candidates usually meet with four or five people who are geared to provide an idea of what it’s really like to work for Microsoft.

Research, Research, Research
Learn everything you can about the company. Review the About Us section of the company web site. Use Google and Google News (search by company name) to get the latest information and news. Visit Message Boards to research what’s being discussed. If you have a connection, use it to get some insider information on management and staff, as well as the company in general.

Review Interview Questions and Answers
You may be asked the same questions you were asked during the first interview. So, review the questions you will be asked and brush up your responses. Like the first time around, it’s good to take some time to practice interviewing, so, you are comfortable with your answers.

Dress Professionally
Even if the workplace is casual, until you get the job, you will want to dress in your best interview attire, unless you are told otherwise. If the person scheduling the interview mentions dressing down, business casual attire would typically be most appropriate.

Lunch / Dinner Interviews
When you are scheduled for a full-day of interviewing, lunch and/or dinner may be included on the agenda. Dining with a prospective employee allows the company to review your communication and interpersonal skills, as well as your table manners. It’s important to dine carefully. The last thing you want to do is spill your drink (non-alcoholic, of course) or slop food all over the table. Order appropriately and brush up on your dining skills, and your manners.

What You Didn’t Say
Was there something you thought you should have mentioned during your first interview? Or was there a question you had difficulty with? The second interview will provide you with the opportunity to expand upon your responses from the first interview. Review the notes you took during the first interview, to see what you might have missed talking about and what you can clarify or add.

Ask Questions
When you’re invited to interview a second time, the chances are good that you are in contention for the position. It’s appropriate to ask for a copy of the job description to review, as well as to ask about the organization structure and how you will fit in.

Is There a Fit?
Sometimes, whether a particular job is a good fit is hard to define. I’ve been in a position where I had an uneasy feeling that I really didn’t want the job. It wasn’t anything I could pinpoint specifically, but, it was there. If a voice is telling you you’re that you are not sure about this job, listen to it. You don’t have to turn down the job, but, you can ask for additional meetings with staff, especially the people you are going to be working with, to make sure the job is a good fit for you.

If You Get a Job Offer?
In some cases, you may be offered a job on the spot. You don’t have to say yes, or no, immediately. It actually makes sense not to say yes right away, unless you are 110% sure that you want the job. Everything may seem perfect while you’re there, but, once you have a chance to mull over the offer, and the company, it may not seem as wonderful. Ask for some time to think it over and ask when the company needs a decision by.

Say Thank You
You have, I hope, already sent a thank note to the people you interviewed with the first time. Again, take the time to send a thank you letter (email is fine) to everyone you met with and reiterate your interest in the company and in the position.

The entrepreneur backing Umami Burger and Katsuya speaks about risks and opportunities

August 25, 2011 | By Lisa Jennings

Sam Nazarian, founder, chairman and chief executive of SBE.

As it approaches its 10-year anniversary next year, Los Angeles-based SBE is emerging as a deep-pocketed and diverse multi-concept operator of restaurants, hotels and nightclubs across the country.

Founder, chairman and chief executive Sam Nazarian has assembled a mushrooming collection of concepts, from José Andrés’ restaurant The Bazaar in Beverly Hills, Calif., to the first West Coast franchise operation of New York hot dog icon Papaya King.

Currently, SBE is taking its five-unit, upscale-casual Asian restaurant Katsuya national, with up to 20 locations planned for the next five years. And earlier this year, the company became an equal partner in Adam Fleischman’s five-unit Umami Burger.

Nazarian spoke with Nation’s Restaurant News about re-invention and the perils of sitting stagnant in the restaurant business.

What does your partnership with Adam Fleischman [pictured left] and Umami Burger bring to SBE?

It will be a separate entity, a separate company. But we have committed the equity and are very excited about Adam as a brand and Umami as a brand.

The difficulty in our business is that lightning in a bottle is very hard to catch. And what Adam has been able to do with Umami is to create a brand that resonates in a space that’s very crowded, and also to create scalability. With our partnership, we can help guide a guy like Adam to go from five to 50 stores.

What is the goal for Umami Burger’s growth?

Our goal is to get to 60 [restaurants]. That’s a function of time, finding the right locations and the right markets. We have a healthy pipeline already. The response is tremendous.

It’s an emotional brand … It’s not necessarily white tablecloth, or how many Michelin stars you have. It’s the connectivity of the product with the end user.

Culinary awareness is at an all-time high. Shows like Top Chef have made it that much more a part of the culture today. You see people really wanting to know about their food, their wine, the eco-friendly buildings they’re in. They want to know about the designer, the inspiration. I did not see that when I was growing up.

What are your plans for Katsuya?

I think it could exist in any major urban center. We have four versions of it now that we think touch all different kinds of consumers. We could hit 15 to 20 units within the next four or five years, just domestically. We’re looking at international opportunities too, but it’s still too fresh of a brand to go international right now.

Is The Bazaar restaurant in the SLS Hotel and your partnership with José Andrés growing?

Yes. SLS Miami opens in the first quarter next year and José is culinary director of the SLS brand.

One of the things we can be good at as a company is to be a really good platform for these amazing rock stars to flourish, whether it be an Adam, or a José or a Katsuya or Danny Elmaleh.

The restaurant space to me is a paradigm right now. Anybody today who says they know what will happen 10 years from now doesn’t know what they’re saying. This is an ever-changing business. You have to take risks. You can’t cookie-cutter anymore.

I think the institutional companies are at a big disadvantage to the companies willing to take risks. At a time of economic uncertainty, this is the best time to take risks. You’re taking risks when most people aren’t, and that’s what we’ve been able to do.

Tell me about your new concept, Mercato di Vetro.

At Mercato, for the first time that I’ve seen within a 4,000- to 5,000-square-foot restaurant, we’re putting the kitchen in the middle of the restaurant, where everything from the entrecote, to the mozzarella and salamis, to the pasta is being made.

Everybody comes in and you sit around and watch these “performers,” or chefs, and you see what you want to order. If you like it, you take it home. It’s a very simple philosophy.

What are your plans as the first franchisee of Papaya King in Los Angeles?

It’s a brand with unbelievable history and connectivity to a lot of people. A lot of people have tried to replicate it in New York. It has so much brand equity. It’s a specific experience of a juice and a hot dog cooked in a specific way with specific integrity. From Babe Ruth, to Julia Child to Martha Stewart, you name it, everyone’s eaten there.

We’ve talked about doing six or seven a year for the next three or four years.

What’s next for SBE?

It’s not something new, but it’s an evolution. I’m obsessed with communicating with clientele in the way they want to be communicated with. That, to me, is a game changer. The shotgun approach of advertising and blast emails and how to put butts in seats is so archaic.

The people that are doing it right are smaller operators with 20,000 followers on Twitter. The new aspect of SBE is culturally changing the process internally of embracing technology and at the same time maintaining originality. It’s working with social media and our marketing department, asking them to forget everything they’ve learned and to listen to the customer.