2018 Best Leader of the Year Finalist: Sue Randall
We are pleased to introduce you to one of our top finalists, Sue Randall. Congratulations, Sue!
BAND’s Best Leader of the Year Award is an esteemed honor for leaders with an extraordinary ability to band people together around a shared vision.
We are pleased to introduce you to one of our top finalists, Sue Randall. Congratulations, Sue!
Sue Randall and her husband Nick are the owners of the Village Fish Market and La Fiorentina restaurants in Punta Gorda, Florida. Before they moved to the United States from England, Sue and Nick already had experience running a number of successful businesses, including a shoe repair business, a daycare, a bounce-house business, and children and family stores.
Their experience as entrepreneurs helped them understand the importance of providing their customers with sincere quality service and kindness, as well as the importance of excellent communication.
As managers, Sue and Nick are friendly, firm, and fair. If they make promises to their employees, it’s important for them to be consistent and fulfill every one of those promises. When hiring for their new restaurant, they looked for people who had strong potential and could bring different skills to the table.
For instance, in addition to his skills in the kitchen, their chef is very kind and humble, which can be hard to find for someone in such an important role. Their front-of-house manager is phenomenal with people and has contributed greatly to the welcoming atmosphere of the restaurant.
When they first purchased the restaurant and inherited some staff members, Sue and Nick discovered that some of the old staff members were not being paid fairly, so they made a point of fixing this immediately and investing in their employees. In the beginning, La Fiorentina wasn’t very profitable, but Sue asked her employees to believe in their mission.
At the Village Fish Market, which Sue and Nick have now owned for fifteen years, those who stuck it out have been rewarded for their loyalty, and some have moved up in the organization to become managers. During the early years, Sue and Nick sold some of their personal possessions to make sure they could support their employees.
Most restaurant owners have to deal with teenagers who have challenging attitudes and make tons of mistakes, but Sue and Nick choose to not quit on them and give them a proper chance to improve. When they’re given a chance, these teenagers can learn to become more committed and even come up with new solutions that help out the entire restaurant.
When it comes to the customers, Sue believes that dining out is not just about eating food. It should be an all-encompassing experience. She encourages her employees to think about their customers' experience even before they walk in the door.
“Every time you walk through those doors, we are on stage, and we are in a performance. Our goal for every meal is for them to have a phenomenal experience.” — Sue Randall
She asks her staff to think of all of the different elements that make up a customer’s experience: Will they call the restaurant first or find them online? If the customers call, will they ask for directions? Where will they park? What does the outside look like? Will they feel welcome?
“When you’re out there in front of our customers, give them the best smile, give them the warmest greeting, be interested in them. And give them the best you got. Learn more about them than they learn about you.”
Not long after the started their new restaurant, Sue was forced to take almost a year off from coming in because of a severe back injury and some immigration issues. Her husband helped her set up a home office, and (with some significant help from BAND) she was able to stay connected with her staff and keep the restaurant running smoothly, even though she wasn’t there.
During this time, Sue was elected chairwoman of the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce, and despite her injury, she took on these new responsibilities in her community. Sue helped plan and execute many events to help bring local businesses together and attended many events and ribbon-cuttings despite her intense pain, with constant help from her husband Nick. Sue and Nick also support a variety of charitable causes, including work with young adolescents.
When she is in the office, Sue has an open-door policy for her employees. She is willing to stretch out her own hours and assist her employees even when they’re struggling with their personal lives. Even during the off-season, Sue and Nick decided to operate at a loss to make sure that employees are able to work enough hours to make ends meet.
We are very pleased to honor Sue Randall as one of our top nine 2018 Best Leaders of the Year Finalists. Her incredible consideration for her employees is an inspiration to everyone here at BAND, and we hope that her story has inspired you!
Please be sure to check out all of the other amazing stories from our Finalists, and vote for who you think deserves to be named BAND’s 2018 Best Leader of the Year!
