Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/964617
January/February 2018 35 University and wound up managing concepts for Hal Smith. "We were both young enough and our wives were quasi-cool enough to let us take the risk, so we stepped out on faith and our work ethic," says Dixon. Success has come quickly, but it has come with all the expected potholes in the road. "We've recently taken on our first rehab project and boy is it tough," says Dixon. "You can't think that everything you touch is going to automatically turn to gold. Customers are fickle and without the people, it doesn't matter if I have the best ambiance or the coolest piece of equipment which, by the way, Jeff Martin got me. It's a chrome flat top grill for Hatch. He talked me into getting it versus a stainless flat top griddle and it stays so clean and cool." BROADWAY 10, PROVISION'S FIRST CONCEPT, RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS THIRD BIRTHDAY. PICTURED FAR RIGHT, ITS BREAKFAST CONCEPT, HATCH, IS LOCATED NEXT DOOR TO BROADWAY 10. eir Greatest Challenge: Finding and Keeping Good People "If you take your guests for granted, eventually you're going to run out of guests," says Provision Concepts CFO Jeff Dixon. "Every market is too small and every town is too small for that, so the challenge is always hiring right and keeping good people. It's the willingness and dependability of our staff that's going to keep our guests happy." e Trend ey're Chasing: Responding to the Need for Faster "You have to be in touch with the mobile Internet platform for any and everything," says Dixon. "If you're not on the social channels and getting out in front of your guests, you're going to lose that business. No one wants to make a reservation anymore. ey want to go on OpenTable and point and click. As a company, we've dropped all our print advertising because people aren't there anymore. eir eyes are on what's on the screen because it's so much more convenient." Why Foodservice: Serving Brings Satisfaction "I started flipping burgers at age 19 and I fell in love with the kitchen," says Dixon. "I'm not a paper-pushing kind of guy. I like to meet and greet and host with my hands. I like people enjoying what I make and doing 10,000 things at one time. If I'm not, I get bored."