To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart. And eventually, everything falls into place. This goes true for Gary Kelbert, who has been successfully running operations at IHOP, Surrey for more than two decades.
For Gary, it all started back in 1987. “I was working for Canadian Airlines when an opportunity came up to manage an IHOP restaurant with the possibility of one day owning our own restaurant. My wife and I gave it a lot of thought and decided to go for it. Back then, I started with managing the Langley IHOP for 7 years and then the Surrey location came available for ownership and we jumped at the opportunity in 1995.”
Ever since then, Gary has never looked back and has put his heart and soul in running this iconic place. He gives the credit of his success to his hard work and a great team. He said, “When opening a new restaurant, you put in a lot of long hours. 60 -100 hours a week became the norm initially. You need to rely on others and eventually hire managers to help. Most of the staff members have been here for 15 to over 28 years. They know how I like to run things; I can rely on them when I need to take time off.”
He not only appreciates the hard work and effort that his staff puts in at work; but he also lends a hand at work whenever needed. “At times it can be busy. You’re trying to get the people in as fast as possible, running to clear, wipe, and set tables, but then, there are a few moments when we are waiting for tables to become available, and I can go around filling customer coffee cups and chatting with them,” he said.
This level of engagement with the customers has helped garner many loyal patrons to
his store. This particular IHOP franchise is not only famous for its lip-smacking food but also for the smiling faces that greet people once they arrive to satisfy their hunger. Gary takes care of the slightest details to ensure that the customers have a great experience.
“It is our goodwill and hard work that not only adults as well as children are excited when they walk into IHOP. Often, the adults are looking forward to pancakes with syrup but children especially love our special happy face pancakes. Just this last weekend a father called me over and said his five-year-old son had something to say to me. He thanked me for the crayons and the children’s placemat for coloring. He was so sweet and it touched me deeply.”
Gary feels interacting with the customers is a rewarding experience because many of them have become part of their IHOP family. You have to make a connection with the customer for them to come back to you. He is not only a favorite amongst his staff; he is quite a crowd-pleaser too. His little unintentional acts of kindness make him a great businessman. Sometimes, he has to go out of the way to help his customers but he never shies away. “I remember a time when I carried a young child around the restaurant so the parents could eat in peace. In another instance, there was a father and son who operated a business nearby and came in often. They would ask me to sit and chat with them and we would solve all the world problems together. It was always a nice break in the day.”
Gary also believes in leading by example and says, “I am always asking the servers if they need a hand with carrying food or serving beverages to their tables. During busy times I’m helping the hostesses with seating, clearing dirty tables, and setting them. I work alongside them and they know I’m here for them.
“Every day I am reminded of why I enjoy leading this amazing group of staff. Many of our customers and all my dedicated and wonderful staff have created an amazing IHOP family that I feel blessed to be leading and serving”, he said. The servers at his place ensure to inspect the food before it goes out to the customer. “It must be presentable and correct before leaving the service area. We stress teamwork and take pride in our exceptional service”, he added.
When asked about how IHOP keeps the menu fresh and appealing to both regular customers and newcomers, Gary said, “The R&D team is always trying different ideas and implementing them into different test restaurants across the USA and Canada. Different regions of both countries have different likes and dislikes. California’s menu will be slightly different compared to New York’s menu or Vancouver’s menu. All regions start with a core menu and then each region adds some of their own items for their areas.”
Gary is not just a good businessman; he is also an active member of the community. He has been supporting various sports and art events in the past. “Football, hockey and marathons are just a few things I have been involved in. The Delta Stomp was an event that promoted artists and their paintings. For many years we, along with other IHOPs, have participated in fundraising for the BC Children’s Hospital too.”
He feels the advent of technology has been a great game changer in the business. “Many years ago, when computers came into restaurants, it really improved the speed of customer service. Several upgrades over the years have helped advance operations not just in the service domain but also in ordering products. Skip and Uber are now the way of the future. For those who are unable to leave their place or business for lunch or the elderly who are homebound, this is a great tool for them. This can have an impact on the kitchen during busy times but we work through it and continue. We always want our customers to be satisfied, even if they are having our food from the comfort of their couch.”