You are the Bottleneck
If You’re Always on the Floor, You’re Not Building a Business
When I first opened Dad and the Frog Café, I thought being present on the floor was what made me a good operator. And for a while, it did. I was on the machine pulling shots, scrubbing dishes, handling customer issues, resolving team tensions, managing admin, and trying to grow the business, all at the same time.
Sound familiar?
For the first two years, I was working in the business, not on it. Every hour I spent serving tables or fixing problems was an hour I wasn’t building a system, a strategy, or a team that could function without me. And the worst part? I didn’t even realise I was the bottleneck.
Taking the Leap (And Paying for It)
Rostering myself off felt like jumping off a cliff. I was still paying my wage, but now also covering the hours I used to work, and that added expense was hard to justify. It felt indulgent. Selfish, even.
But the truth? I didn’t believe the work I could do outside the café was worth more than the work I was doing inside it. That was a mindset issue. A limiting belief. And it was holding me and my team back.
Building a Business Means Backing Yourself First
Once I gave myself permission to step back, I saw everything differently. I started putting myself first, not out of ego, but out of strategy. I exercised again. Ate properly. Scheduled my weeks. Got clear on how I’d use my time to drive growth and build systems. I stopped reacting and started leading.
And a funny thing happened.
My team stepped up.
My manager started owning his team, because I got out of the way.
My head chef led with kindness instead of stress, because he finally had space to train and build his kitchen.
The tasks I thought I had to do? My team took them on and they did it better than I did.
The café ran smoother. My customers were happier. And I started becoming the business owner I always meant to be.
You Will Always Be the Bottleneck, Until You Choose Not To Be
That’s the hard truth. If you don’t believe your leadership, strategy, and vision are valuable, no one else will. Your team will follow your energy. Your growth will match your belief in yourself.
Systemising your café isn’t just about checklists or training manuals, it starts with mindset. It starts with understanding that your job is to build something that doesn’t rely on you.
If you're always on the floor, you're not building a business, you're building a job. And chances are, it's a job you're underpaying yourself for.
Curious how I systemised my café team and operations?
Next post: "The Real Cost of Doing Everything Yourself in a Café" - coming later this week.
www.dadandthefrog.com.au
96 Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010