170: Achieve a Competitive Advantage by Giving Back! — Jason Kveton with Culver’s

Sick of high turnover and your competition getting the best of you? Here’s how you can stand out.

Jason Kveton is a franchise owner of three Culver’s restaurants in Arizona. Jason has been in the restaurant business for over ten years and admits he wasn’t a very good leader before he joined Culver’s, a fast food restaurant that is famous for their burgers and frozen custard. On today’s show, Jason discusses how the company culture at Culver’s is different from similar competitors, how he has such a low turnover, and why his customers feel so strongly that they’re a part of a family.

“Consumers really changed. They voted with their hearts, after 9/11.”

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Key Takeaways:

[2:35] Culver’s has a strong sense of community in each of their franchise stores.

[5:10] Who is Jason and what has his entrepreneurial journey been like?

[8:15] If you were a new team member, Jason would wait two weeks before he even learned your name because of the high turnover in his restaurant.

[9:25] When Jason reached out to Culver’s, he thought the food was what made them special. Wrong! It was their company culture.

[13:35] Customers feel so close to the Culver’s message and feelings of home that they often refer to it as ‘their Culver’s’.

[14:40] What does Jason do at his Culver’s restaurants and how does he create a sense of belonging?

[20:45] How did Jason survive the housing crash in 2008 when his own restaurant went under?

[26:10] Jason believes it all comes down to mindset. You need to have an open mind to personally grow and be a better person.

[29:00] If someone from the community goes into Culver’s asking for donations or charity help, Jason and his team always try to provide or find ways to support their cause.

[33:00] When you give back, the business reaps several benefits, like low turnover.

[35:25] Jason has a policy where it takes two people to say no to something.

[39:55] What you feed, grows and what you starve, dies. Feed your brain and remove the bad habits.

[41:25] What kinds of things has Jason and his team done to give back to their community?

[44:40] Jason recently opened his third Culver’s restaurant. How did he successfully lead his first two restaurants?

[50:35] Creating a good company culture like this is almost like a leap of faith because you’re going into brand new territory and you’re not sure what’s going to happen.

[53:40 Work-life balance is such a myth!

[56:30] Jason shares an example of how giving back has improved the lives of his employees.

“Surround yourself with great people. Anybody can make a burger, but when you serve it from the heart, it tastes better.”

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