Secrets To Restaurant Success With Jonas Reinholdsson of O’Learys

Geert Merckaert
Interview

“When you start, you need to believe in your idea. Give it your 100% and surround yourself with good people.”

Jonas Reinholdsson, founder of O’Learys, scaled his restaurant from 1 to 130+ locations worldwide. Carl Jacobs, Apicbase’s CEO, sat down with Jonas to talk about how he built an enduring brand that lasted over three decades.

Listen and-/or watch to Episode 9 with Jonas now! 🎧

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Here’s what Jonas said about scaling a restaurant:

💡 Don’t be afraid to try something new.

If you know you have a great concept, pursue it even if you’re the first of your kind in the market. O’Leary’s was the first Irish-American sports bar concept in Sweden.

🏪 Look like a chain from Day 1.

Establish your brand by putting your logo on napkins, sugar packets, matchboxes, etc. Look professional from the beginning.

🕸️ Keep a good network of people.

It’s easier to open a new concept if you have the contacts to help you. Build a network of great staff – from managers to servers.

📒 Record processes from the beginning.

Anticipate growth by documenting your processes and creating manuals as you build the business.

🛑 Don’t be operational all the time.

Hire great managers so you can step back from the day-to-day operations and focus on growing the business

✨ Grow faster through franchising.

Trademark your name, find good partners, and start scaling your business.

👨‍💼 Hire experts and get a financial partner.

To scale rapidly, you need a great CEO and a strong investor that will give you stability as you grow.

🤝 Decide how much control you want to keep.

As you grow your business, decide if you want 10% control of 200 restaurants or 100% control of 25.

🍽️ Focus on what the customer wants.

There are no shortcuts to meeting guest expectations. Always delight your customers.

💻 Remain relevant and keep up with the times.

Learn to adapt to trends and take advantage of technology to build a brand that lasts the test of time.

Geert Merckaert

Geert Merckaert is the Content and Research Director at Apicbase and the producer of The Food Service Growth Show. He specialises in operational excellence, sustainability, and digital transformation in the restaurant and catering industry. Geert has a diverse background in content marketing, writing, and research, with previous roles in corporate finance at Bank van Breda, food marketing at VLAM, and the trade association Bakkers Vlaanderen. He holds degrees in Communications and Journalism from Plantijnhogeschool, as well as Art History from the Kunsthistorisch Instituut. During his studies, Geert spent nine years working weekends as a restaurant chef. He is dedicated to helping foodservice companies achieve sustainable growth through engaging and insightful content.