Brian Windschitl, COO of Hofbräuhaus Buffalo, has brought his talent and passion for the hospitality industry to the Hofbräuhaus of America franchise. Windschitl has been overseeing the Buffalo, New York, location for the last two years, successfully navigating the challenges of COVID-19. By Cindy Charette
Brian Windschitl, COO of Hofbräuhaus Buffalo, has brought his talent and passion for the hospitality industry to the Hofbräuhaus of America franchise. Windschitl has been overseeing the Buffalo, New York, location for the last two years, successfully navigating the challenges of COVID-19. Although a Hofbräuhaus of America franchise could be operated as an absentee model, Windschitl takes a very hands-on approach as COO, starting his day early until winding down later at night.
5 a.m. Windschitl starts checking emails before his morning workout and then sets plans for the day.
8:30 a.m. Windschitl arrives at the restaurant to attend scheduled meetings and make plans for the week. Depending on the day, meetings will take place with various teams, including management, marketing, advertising, and accounting. Windschitl checks on business numbers and makes important decisions on action items. He also is updated on the planning stages of upcoming events, such as marketing, advertising, and operations. Additionally, board of director meetings and all-manager meetings take place once a week.
Since the Hofbräuhaus Buffalo restaurant and outdoor beer garden are in a renovated and remodeled older building, construction is ongoing. Currently, the restaurant is housed in 26,000 square feet of a 50,000 square-foot building, and there are discussions on how to utilize the rest of the building. Because upgrades are always under review, Windschitl spends a lot of his time supervising building and operational improvements and meeting with different vendors. Seasons can change Windschitl’s direction as well. For instance, the winter- time weather can change his focus to the roof, whereas the summer- time may require more attention to opening the outdoor beer garden.
2 p.m. Windschitl works on operations and holds meetings with the operations
director and the culinary director. The menus are reviewed, and Windschitl looks at the big picture of staffing and training with over 130 employees.
4 p.m. The restaurant opens at this time during the week, while on Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays, the doors open at noon. This is when Windschitl spends time in
the dining room, speaking with customers about their experiences. The unique dining experience the world-famous Hofbräuhaus concept offers can also be experienced by the Hofbräuhaus Buffalo guests. This includes beer brewed according to the German Purity law and served in 34-ounce steins, indulging the guests with authentic Bavarian/German dishes and the lively atmosphere created by the traditional live band. Windschitl ensures that the customers are enjoying everything the restaurant and beer garden have to offer.
8 p.m. Windschitl wraps up his day before heading home to check emails.
10 p.m. Windschitl heads to bed and looks forward to starting a new day.
According to Windschitl, the Hofbräuhaus of America franchise is a supportive brand that understands the importance of celebrating Bavarian/German heritage. He added that it has been wonderful to work with the franchisor’s president, Stefan Gastager, and the entire Hofbräuhaus of America team. “They are a great group of people who really under- stand that Bavarian culture is what we portray, and that’s what makes it exciting bringing back the Bavarian/German culture to Buffalo and keeping that alive and going well,” he said.
Hofbräuhaus Buffalo is owned by 38 investors and their spouses – totaling 60 investors – and includes four members of a board of directors: Edward Arnold, Keith Carlins, Albert Nemmer, and Jeffrey Davis.
Cindy Charette