We were lucky to catch up with Rachelle Fox recently and have shared our conversation below.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The notion of a global pandemic loomed for weeks before it actually consumed us in Austin. Nevertheless, there was no way to be truly ready for it. On Day One of the City’s mandated shutdown, we laid off 100% of our small staff, calling them all to come pickup groceries from the walk-in and enjoy some beers together for one last time for the foreseeable future.
On Day Two we burrowed into our emotional and literal hangover before preparing to return to work the next day.
On Day Three we packed all of the toddler’s toys into the car and headed to the Cavalier, not knowing what to expect. As devoted neighbors and customers arrived in masks to support our business they were surprised to see that it was just us: my husband, our two-and-a-half-year-old, and me.
Only three days into service we realized that we would need to edit our offerings and service style.
I looked back at our goals and our mission upon opening our business, and asked myself, “how do these apply under today’s new circumstances?” We provide a place for folks to come together – and now they could not be together.
We decided to lean into our mission and values, providing comfort through food and drink, providing a strong sense of community, and providing a little lighthearted fun along the way.
Over the next two years we would pivot our business model every three days, then every three weeks, then every three months, as the community’s needs evolved.
We transitioned from dine in bar/restaurant to take-out only, from a bustling bar to grocery provider, to creating at-home cocktail kits and backyard picnic kits (replete with custom music playlists). We partnered with local organizations to provide meals and groceries for neighbors in need.
During this time, I moved from front-of-house operations to managing the kitchen. It was a huge and new challenge, one that our business needed me to meet.
Overtime our staff returned to full capacity, and our business fully reopened to welcome back friendly faces and grateful community members.
I still don’t know if we are resilient or just stubborn. We forged ahead daily to stay true to our core values, and stayed present in the moment to be able to identify when and how to pivot, pivot, pivot.

Any advice for managing a team?

We are nothing without our team and our staff. Empathy is key when managing a team and maintaining high morale.
If we are to all spend 40+ hour per week away from our home and family, we sure better love our job and the people with whom work.
Providing flexibility and compassion are key, and is verbally acknowledging team members’ accomplishments.
Setting clear expectations and goals is a must, as well as offering constructive feedback and guidance.
Investing in the people that make our business great is imperative – coaching and counseling staff helps to improve their skill sets so that they can grow with our company, or move on to achieve other life goals.
As leaders, we must also be open to feedback, too. Checking in with staff to ensure our systems are working for them, and asking if they have any ideas to help our business improve is a helpful way to create positive and productive dialogue.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theCavaliarATX.com
• Instagram: @theCavalierATX

Image Credits
Vanessa Barba, Alison Narro, Taylor Elliott, the Cavalier