Lessons from the Love Bug Café

My focus words for 2020 explore Leadership, Journalism and Community. This installment is about leadership by example and was brought home to me when I was invited to enjoy a meal at The Love Bug Café.

 This is actually the second iteration of the café. In the first go-round, the waiter shouted a lot, the management could not provide consistent delivery of services, pillows were tossed around and a general disrespect of the customer was pervasive. My wife and I left abruptly after sharing our reasons for discomfort and disappointment and the nine year old owner, in tears, closed down the joint. When she re-opened, she promised a more customer centric offering. Well, actually, she said "we would be happy with how the new restaurant operated" and we were. The seven year old waiter and the hands on owner/manager wore matching aprons. The tablecloth (an old blankie) had a lego flower set on top and was inviting. There was an activity page & crayons for a kid and a well thought out menu for the adults. When I accidentally knocked over a serving tray of Melissa and Doug wooden shapes – my "salad" – the employees couldn't be kinder or gentler in their quick and witty response. My complementary cup of tea was the letter "t" - tied with a string and inserted into my sippy cup. The bill was written out clearly, the math was done correctly and there was a yes/no check off box asking "Did you like your meal?" There was space for a customer signature and the admonition that "we don't take monsters," a direct rebuttal to my offer to leave the 5 year old as payment after he was rejected for hire. The older two had filled out index cards citing the job applicant's deficiencies (noisy, disruptive, throws things and makes a mess). We paid for our meal with plastic money and a real cash tip for them to invest with guidance from the Bank of Grandpa. We have returned frequently and also now receive a weekly newsletter informing us of all the newest offerings including a large size drawing of Love Bug that we can take a selfie with.

 As you might expect, I was pleased with the change in the kids' game but woke by the realization that this game represents an amalgam of what they see in life around them and they respond accordingly.

Lessons from The Love Bug Café:

• Children learn by observation and so do adults. We imitate and model what we see and hear.
• Everyone wants to fit in. Fear of missing out can create change for better or worse
• Leadership (not management) is a real bell weather for the direction an enterprise or country will take
• Leadership is preciously important – it sets the tone for others to follow
• Learning isn't restricted to a formal process
• Repetition and encouragement help one acquire math, social skills, handwriting & clear communications
• Ambiance – a word they don't yet know but clearly understand – sets a mood & a tone for what follows
• Communications – clear, repeated & relevant - make a difference! Newsletters shape opinions. They even post the days & hours the café is open and closed- and they update it with great excitement a lot better than some businesses I've seen on Facebook or Google
• Putting themselves in the customer's shoes – we are now offered café time amusements & small branded gifts

2020 is clearly going to be an exciting and fun year. It certainly has started out that way in our house. And yes – being that business person – I have helped the leadership of The Love Bug Café create an assortment of branded items that are for sale, for real, like smartphone cases, tote bags and t shirts. Builds community. Builds a downpayment on future higher education or vocational training. Want to acquire a Love Bug memento? Just reach out and let me know.