Authenticity beats Trendy!

First a personal note…

Please accept my apologies for not blogging more regularly.  Every waking hour  (that is not dedicated to consulting, speaking, or family) is being and will be spent writing my newest book about Starbucks.  I hope the smoke will clear to blog more regularly in early 2013.

On to a quick blog

“Authenticity” beats “trendy” when it comes to customer experience creation!

You are looking at several photos I took during a recent trip to Los Angeles.  They depict a restaurant that has graced downtown since the mid-1920’s  – the Original Pantry Cafe.  The Pantry, which is currently owned by former mayor of Los Angeles – Richard Riordan, is unpretentious and unglamorous.  However, the line you see outside the door is a consistent testament to it’s “craveability.”  The Pantry delivers large portion sized meals, reasonable prices, and impeccable speed all  in a timeless setting.  Many flashy restaurants have come in gone in Los Angeles since the 1920’s and even since I completed my doctoral program at USC in the late 1980’s.  However, The Pantry keeps that line forming outside its door – despite  24 hour service demands.  It does so through excellence in branded, authentic, customer experience delivery.