GRG employs a director of training and development to lead the customer service effort for its three brands – MacKenzie River Pizza Co., Ciao Mambo and Craggy Range Bar & Grill.

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Glacier Restaurant Group (GRG) plans to grow two of its concepts – MacKenzie River Pizza Co. and Ciao Mambo – in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions, COO Brad Ridgeway says.

GRG was formed in the Rocky Mountain resort town of Whitefish, Mont., in 2007 as a result of a merger between those two brands and Craggy Range Bar & Grill. It was established with the intent to grow MacKenzie River and Ciao Mambo.

“We stayed the course with them,” Ridgeway says. “Nothing was broke, so there was nothing to fix. We merged the brands to incorporate the infrastructures already in place across all platforms and to continue down the same road.”

Founded in 1993 in Bozeman, Mont., MacKenzie River is a casual, family friendly restaurant that is unique to Montana, Ridgeway notes. It specializes in pizza, but its menu also includes pasta, sandwiches and salads – all in large portions, he adds.

“The vibe is exemplary of what it is like to live the Montana culture,” he explains. “It demonstrates this through the food, atmosphere and staff. It is not a typical pizza place. We put gourmet twists on recipes, with menu items such as Caribbean Chicken and Buffalo Wing Pizza.”

MacKenzie River has 12 locations in Montana and one in Idaho that opened in January 2009. The restaurants’ rustic décor consists of Montana-made log chairs and tables, log accents throughout, antique drift boats hanging from the ceiling and other thematic elements, he describes. “It is a warm, inviting cabin environment,” he adds.

Ciao Mambo exclusively serves immigrant-style Italian cuisine. The kitchen is open to guests where its signature pizza is tossed in plain view, flames dart to the ceiling around sauté pans, and the scent of garlic fills the air as guests tap their feet to the sounds of Frank and Dean, Ciao Mambo co-founder Brad Townsend describes.

It opened its first restaurant in 2001 and has two sites in Montana, and one in Idaho and Oregon. “It’s an energetic, lively atmosphere, and distinctive recipes are appealing to everyone in the family,” Townsend says. “That is why we say ‘if the attitudes and friendly service don’t seduce you, the pasta will.’”

GRG is on the lookout for growth opportunities for these two brands. “We’ll continue to seek opportunities for corporate-[owned locations], but what we’ve done is position ourselves to grow through franchising in terms of getting everything streamlined from legal [documents] to our operating models,” Ridgeway states.

The company has also taken on a large marketing effort to build awareness of its two main brands. “I feel our brands are well known in Montana, but not so much outside the state,” he explains.

That effort includes advertisements in trade magazines and promotions that highlight the restaurants’ strengths. ”We are passionate about using the freshest ingredients possible,” he stresses. “That is one thing that sets us apart. We don’t use microwaves. Everything is prepared fresh.

“On top of that, our complete focus and passion is toward customer service,” he proclaims. “We invest time, energy, money and training to exceed customer expectations above and beyond at all cost. That is what keeps them coming back.”

GRG employs a director of training and development that leads the customer service effort. “We invest in our employees and provide quality training programs,” he adds. “That trickles down to our customers. When we do hiring, we focus on personality more so than experience. What really stands out are people-pleasers.”

Economic Impact
The economic conditions are a dark cloud over GRG’s growth plans, Ridgeway acknowledges. “There is no question, we feel the impact,” he says. “People cut back on eating out.”
At MacKenzie River, the greatest loss of revenue is during the workday lunch rush. On average, a meal costs $13 per person. “We have seen a drop off,” Ridgeway conveys. “I think it’s common that when people cut back, they brownbag lunch more. The cutback of lunch [revenue] has impacted the restaurant.”

Ciao Mambo serves only dinner, and an average meal is typically $20 to $23 per person. “The [meal] cost per person has gone down a small bit,” he says. For example, customers buy a glass of wine, instead of the bottle. “Customers hold back on a appetizer or dessert which they may have splurged for before. They drink water instead of beer.”

The unstable prices of food commodities and the higher cost of shipping have also impacted the restaurants. However, the company has absorbed that cost and has not considered straying from its practice of providing fresh products, he adds.

“We have not [implemented] a menu price increase,” he adds. “We are not passing [the cost] along. We feel it’s important not to punish our customers.”

As a result, however, GRG is not as aggressive on seeking out growth opportunities as it wants to be. “We pulled back the reins as most people have as far as growth goes,” he says. “We’re riding the storm and going to hold steady for the remainder of the year, and get aggressive in 2010.”

“A lot of decisions are based on recovery of the markets and economy,” Ridgeway explains. “When the time is right, we can hit the ground running.  Our goal is to grow, but it is essential that the timing and locations are ideal. The partners we choose must also fit our culture as well.”

Striving for Success
Despite the economic challenges, “The restaurant industry is fun and we want to find people who have the same passion for it and want to grow with us,” Ridgeway explains. “That is the culture of our company. We want people to be passionate about life and work. Our motto is to always ‘enjoy what you do and do it well.’”

GRG also wants its all locations to be successful. “We will invest maximum support and effort in those franchises,” he proclaims. “Their success is important to us. We will have a structure in place to support them, so they can be successful for a long time.”
For example, it provides them the tools for success, such as:

• Operations manuals, recipes guides and menu engineering;
• Experienced and knowledgeable support teams and field representatives;
• Vendor relationship and buying power;
• Operations process and procedures;
• Training materials and staff development guides; and
• Strong brand recognition.