Without a doubt you won’t find a more engaged, tenacious, “Twitterific”, business owner than Scott Wise.  Scott, a fellow Ball State Alum, is the founder and owner of the Scotty’s Brewhouse franchise (the top selling pickle chips with horseradish dip are a real show stopper).

You may have seen Scott’s recent interview with the IBJ.  The article provides a good perspective on how Scott views the role of social media in the restaurant business and how it is helping him take his brand to a unique level.

This past week, I was lucky enough to grab 30 minutes of Scott’s time to pick his brain.  We covered a few subjects including how to be a successful entrepreneur, a social media king, and his thoughts on being and sustaining a high-performance culture as a business owner in a difficult industry.

Paul: How is your management and leadership development different from your competitors?

Scott: We start by developing people first and foremost.  We recognize it is a financial investment.  I saw Cheesecake Factory’s and their program to provide a BMW lease to all their GMs.  Their program sparked ideas for us such as providing health club memberships.  In 1996 with only one location in Muncie, we provided medical benefits and a 401k.

I also like to recognize employees when they hit an anniversary with us by delivering a hand-written note and a little cash, as a thank you for their service.  In year two, the incentive doubles, and year three it triples, and so on.  On the fifth anniversary, the employee receives a watch.

Paul: Your staff receives many compliments for their excellent customer service (I see at least 5-10 per day on Twitter.) What do you attribute this reality?

Scott: You see me Re-Tweet these compliments often to draw attention to them but not because I want to advertise.  One simple reason is we follow the adage to ‘praise publicly and reprimand in private’.  Doing this on Twitter allows the managers who follow me on Twitter (all do) to learn real time the good performance of our team and also provide public recognition.

Paul: Are you concerned about your ability to build a sustainable culture in such a difficult industry?

Scott: We believe we can do it.  We feel like we are proving it during the growth we have seen in the past few years.  Maintaining the culture has become more difficult the bigger we become.  My blood, sweat and tears were all over the first restaurant and as we grow, there is a danger of the blood getting thinned out….we do make an effort to fight it as we grow.

The beauty of social media (Twitter and Facebook) is that I am able to get back in my stores electronically.  It allows me to give a “Table Touch” (a restaurant term for the purposeful visit of a manager to a table to ensure guest satisfaction) at every store and do so “in front of” 3,300+ guests who are followers on Twitter.  One time we were able to correct a problem in real time when I picked up a Tweet about a service issue.  By correcting the problem while the guest was still with us we 1) amazed the guest with our connectivity to customers and 2) created a raving fan for our brand!

Paul: How do you stay informed of HCR issues? With your focus in social media, do you use any of those methods to stay ‘in the know’?

Scott: With Twitter it is amazing what you can find.  The sources of information are unlimited.  I follow my peers in my industry and learn new ideas and see what they are seeing.

Paul: Are you worried about the increasing cost of health care for your business? What changes have you made because of it?

Scott: We have offered benefits from our very first days so any new mandates do not worry us.  I serve on a the Board of Directors for the Restaurant Association of Indiana and it helps us stay informed and lobby in Washington and at the State House for issues affecting our company.

Paul: What is a new concept or idea on the horizon for your brands?

Scott: The new Scotty’s Lakehouse has been a huge success.  The concept of locally sourced foods and a partnership with Cafe Patachou for the brunch menu has been well received.  We are looking to replicate it and are in conversation with folks in the Columbus OH area.  Keep an eye out for more news on that one!

Thanks again to Scott Wise for his time and perspective.  Here is to good drinks, eats, and Tweets!