ACI Culture Keepers - Al Copeland Investments

ACI Culture Keepers
GOAL
Uphold a culture of excellence exemplifying
ACI’s Mission Statement and Core Values in
everything we do, with every guest we serve,
and with every Krewe member we hire.
A Krewe is an organization that
puts on a parade, typically for
Mardi Gras.
We use the term Krewe to refer
to our team that puts on a show
for our guests every time they
dine with us.
ACI’s History
Al Copeland Investments (ACI) owns and operates a wide variety
of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, a food processing
company, and comedy clubs. The late Al Copeland, the renowned
restaurateur who founded Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken,
established Copeland’s of New Orleans in 1983.
Al was a New Orleans icon, the stuff of legends. Al never did
anything on a small scale. Everything had to be the best, and he
had to be the best at everything. He was known worldwide for
his activities in the sport of offshore powerboat racing. Driving
his boats to unprecedented fame in racing history, he brought fun and show
business to the sport. He won the internationally prestigious Harmsworth
Trophy, the coveted World Championship, and the National US #1 high point
championship six out of six times running.
Al’s success and contributions were recognized numerous times in the
restaurant industry as well. To name a few:
1988
1989
1993
1993
1995
-
MUFSO Golden Chain award
International Franchise Association Entrepreneur of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award for Popeye’s
LRA’s first Service to Humanity Award
Louisiana’s Restaurant Association Hall of Fame
After Popeye’s, Al went on to create Copeland’s of New Orleans, Copeland’s
Cheesecake Bistro, Copeland’s Social City, Intrigue Fireside Martini and
Oxygen Lounge, Diversified Foods and Seasonings, Landmark Best Western
Hotel, Grand Boutique Hotel, and the Landmark French Quarter Hotel. He
Al made a promise to win,
before any race began.
“To the win!” he would say,
and he embodied this slogan in all he did.
Our restaurants provide a unique dining experience to our guests. Al
Copeland’s heritage gave him the critical palette used in developing all the
unique dishes found in our restaurant concepts. Each restaurant serves
unique, full-flavored dishes to delight each and every guest. Our restaurants
are more than just restaurants… they are the Copeland family’s promise to
provide everyone with the finest dining experience each and every visit.
This tradition carries on today under the leadership of
Al Copeland, Jr., our Chairman and CEO.
Our restaurants operate under the names Copeland’s of New
Orleans and Cheesecake Bistro.by Copeland’s.
Throughout our training materials and in our conversations,
we refer to our restaurants collectively as “Copeland’s.”
Thus, whenever you see “Copeland’s,” know it refers to the brand of which you
are a proud part.
Our Culture
Our culture is the basis to our success and encompasses all we do on a
daily basis to live up to the Copeland family mission. We achieve our
culture by living, breathing and exemplifying:

Copeland’s Mission Statement
Copeland’s Core Values

Read on for the specifics of each of these items and you’ll see what sets
our restaurants apart from the competition.
Serious Personal Commitment
ACI’s Core Values
 Our Krewe members are committed to
There are 7 Core Values as the driving
force behind every decision we make.
Here are some examples of how each
core value presents itself in the day-today operations in our restaurants:
working together as a team to provide to
our guests with “from scratch,” New
Orleans inspired cuisine, served with
southern hospitality.
 We are willing to put our personal feelings
and emotions aside to deliver superior
guest service; no personal agendas!
Pride in our People
Generosity
We freely share our
skills and knowledge
with our Krewe.
 We are on the guests’
side in every situation;
hospitality is the
essence of generosity.
 We give more than we
receive.

 By attracting and retaining
outstanding Krewe, we have
confidence in empowering
them to make decisions that
will help grow our company.
 By offering clear, concise
communication between
management and Krewe, we
foster an environment that
produces trust, enthusiasm,
and pride in our work.
Integrity
We are not afraid to ask
for help from our Krewe,
nor are we too proud to
offer it to others.
 We are not willing to
compromise our high
standards as it relates to
food, beverage, and
service.

Passion for Food
 We expect our Krewe to love our
food and accept nothing less than
the best full- flavored New Orleans
cuisine.
 Our Krewe prepares dishes to
specification each and every time,
no matter what time of day.
Winning Orientation





The entire Krewe arrives prepared
to win the shift.
We overcome obstacles, manage
challenges, and celebrate the win.
If we fall short, we take
accountability, make corrections,
and prepare for the next win.
Winning is preparation and state of
mind. If you are not prepared, you
will not win.
Consistent winners make
adjustments in losing situations to
continue toward the win.
Continuous Learning
As a part of the Krewe at
Copeland’s we come
prepared to every shift
with the intent to learn
something new, whether
it is from a Dish Washer
or from the GM.
 We accept challenges.
 We work as a Team, and
we do it with the intent to
develop ourselves and the
business.

How Success is Measured
We put a lot of effort into setting standards, goals, and budgets for each
restaurant, so it is important to spend an equal amount of time
measuring how well we are living up to these expectations.
We gauge success in the restaurants using the following tools:
Sales
Labor
Cost
Food
Cost
Sanitation
Audits
Turnover
T.C.I.
L.B.W.
D.O.E.
Guest
Feedback
Mystery
Shopper
Reports
Guest
Count
We gauge Krewe success with
Performance Evaluations measuring
the following:
Mission Statement
Core Values
Goals
Competencies
All of these tools combined give us a
snapshot of your performance so we know
where to provide support, development,
and continuous learning.
“How” you do your job is just as important
as doing the job! After all, we have pride in
our people and are committed to your
success, “To the Win!”
Krewe Development Path
The Krewe Development Path is our program designed to encourage all Krewe to move up, make more money,
learn new stations, teach, and train those around them. Below you will see that path available to you, from the moment
you graduate training until the day you are hired as a manager.
If your interested in making more money learn a new stations, become a trainer, and move into being a leader of
the Krewe. You matter, we care, and the choice is yours.
Path Visuals
Below you will see the path for our FOH and HOH to move up,
keep learning, and make more money. You will also see these displayed in
your restaurant as an inspiration everyday we work.
Recognition Guide
To the left, you will see our recognition
guide for all Krewe members. Every time you
learn and validate on a new station, a Fluer di Lis
will be embroidered on your hat or apron.
Additionally, your title will be embroidered
every time you validate. Take a minute to review
the details on the poster.
Copeland’s Pride Card
Does working this path interest you?
Well if it does, the tools you need are
available anytime you are ready to learn.
Today you will receive the card shown (Right)
with websites containing the training material
you need to start working your path!
Making Cents of our Results
Do you know how much of every sales dollar remains for profit once all expenses are paid?
The answer is not much! Profits in the restaurant industry are pretty slim as you can see
below. This makes it even more critical that we all work together to deliver on our mission
of boldly creating and consistently executing our restaurant practices to produce
maximum profitability for our shareholders.
Take a look below to see exactly how much of each dollar goes to the major cost centers.
Labor
Cost =
$0.33
Paper
Cost =
$0.01
Indirect
Operating
Expenses =
$0.255
Profits =
$0.05
Food &
Beverage Cost =
$0.27
Smallwares
Cost =
$0.02
Direct
Operating
Expenses =
$0.065