Sharing Success: Thoughts from Tom Cortopassi

Independents continue to be a leading force in the restaurant industry. In thinking why that is so, the word “Determination” comes to mind. Determination is the stubborn refusal to give in to adverse conditions, regardless of the apparent odds. As my Italian grandparents might have said, “Nulla si Fa, Senza Volontà!” (Without commitment, nothing gets done!)

Recently, I was reminded of “Determination” in a football playoff game I watched. What made the game particularly exciting is that up until the final quarter, the visiting team was behind and seemed destined to lose. The momentum of the game clearly favored the home team, and the crowd in the stadium let them know it.

But then, play by play, you could see the visiting team begin to rally, push themselves harder, and refuse to give up. They began to succeed, both offensively and defensively, by flawlessly executing the most basic elements of football: blocking and tackling. They had the grit and determination to focus their gameplan on the fundamentals for success instead of opting for “Hail Mary” plays. Together as a team, they surged ahead in the final moments to win the game.

I see a similar Determination in many of the Independent restaurateurs that we know. So why does Determination matter so much to Independent success in the restaurant industry?

Determination vs. Diversification

Business competition is never easy, and the past 12 months have been no exception with restaurateurs facing multiple headwinds. Consumer traffic softened across the restaurant industry as a whole. Additionally, the cost of labor, insurance, and rent inched higher.

So, despite these headwinds, how did many Independents continue to hold their own against much larger corporate competitors? It comes down to Independents and chains following two different philosophies: Determination vs. Diversification.

Independents embrace Determination. They are deeply committed to the success of their business over the long haul. They work every day to deepen their community roots. They cultivate long, loyal customer relationships by maximizing ingredient quality and providing their regulars warm, welcoming service. And when faced with economic headwinds, their instinct is to respond with Determination by doubling down on what satisfies loyal repeat customers.

In 2025, like the Determined team in my football example, many Independents simply refused to give ground. They rallied their teams to execute the gameplan by focusing on the “blocking and tackling” of the business—personally welcoming and connecting with every customer while maximizing food quality through their commitment to ingredient quality, prep consistency, and operational efficiency.

In short, when facing tough times, they got tougher. No one said business would be easy.

Chain Diversification is the opposite of Determination.

The business philosophy of Diversification embraced by most chains is the opposite of Determination. The idea behind Diversification is “spreading risk” across many dissimilar types of investment. (Putting your “eggs” in many baskets.)

So rather than feeling the emotional Determination to make every single location succeed, chains treat individual locations, restaurant concepts, and even non-restaurant ventures as a diversified portfolio of financial investments. Rather than embracing individual customers at each individual location, chains tend to judge each investment by its short-term performance.

When faced with economic headwinds, instead of doubling down on quality or service, chains often do the opposite. They seek “quick fixes” (like discounting, cutting corners to cut costs, reducing staffs and service, etc.) to boost short term returns.

When quick fixes fail, their decision-makers are hardwired to shift corporate resources away from “underperforming” locations or concepts toward “higher potential opportunities.” In short, chains often respond to headwinds by eventually decreasing, not increasing, the depth of their commitment.

So, when facing headwinds, the good news is that many chains actually end up making it easier, not harder, for Determined Independents to maximize their quality and service advantages!

Conclusion:

I don’t pretend to have any idea what the rest of 2026 has in store. However, the one thing I know for sure is that in good times and tough times, Independents will do what they have always done – compete with the type of Grit and Determination it takes to succeed!!!

Nulla si Fa, Senza Volontà!

Until Next Time,

Tom Cortopassi, President and Co-Owner