Schlotzsky's owners emphasize diner satisfaction

Schlotzsky's Deli may not have worked well in Springfield in the 1980s, but it's alive and well today. Maurice Howell and his son-in-law, Ken Lamb, co-owners of the four locations in town, brought the franchise back to the Ozarks in 1995 with their first store at 4132 S. Campbell.

Howell said he's not sure why the deli didn't stick around the first time.

"We were told that a guy from Texas opened the stores here in Springfield and then sold them to one of his managers," he said. "I think the last of the three stores closed in 1984. But people still remembered the name and the product. We met one couple that told us they did their courting, while students at SMS, at the Schlotzsky's on National. So we were baffled as to why they closed."

Lamb learned about the Schlotzsky's franchise while operating four Subway stores in Midland, Texas. He approached the Schlotzsky's franchise headquarters in Austin, Texas, letting them know he was interested in owning and operating one of their stores.

When the people at the franchise headquarters asked Lamb where he wanted to open a restaurant, he told them the Ozarks. Howell, who's originally from Oklahoma, had vacationed in Branson with his family and had grown to love the area.

After Lamb and his wife looked Springfield over, in late 1994 and early 1995, it was decided that Lamb and Howell would become co-owners of a Springfield franchise.

The franchise is exclusive. "This means that no one else can come in to Springfield and buy a Schlotzsky's," Howell said.

Since the South Campbell location opened in 1995, the look of Schlotzsky's has changed. "The decor has changed from this location to the newest one at 3825 S. Glenstone, which opened last September," Howell said. "The South Campbell store is darker, the furniture is made of steel and the floors are tile. At the South Glenstone location, there's more light, the furniture is made of oak and the floors look like they're made of hardwood. We want to change the look of the Campbell store, to make it more modern. We just don't have the time to do it right now."

Howell said that when they want to open a new restaurant, they look for a manager before looking for a location or anything else. "This way we get good people who are committed to making the business work," he said. "They're someone with whom we can partner. A manager is so critical to the success of the business. We desperately need people with leadership skills to learn the business and assume responsibility so that we can promote them."

Howell takes a hands-on approach to customer service, and he can be seen in the Campbell and South Glenstone locations asking customers if they're satisfied with the food and service. He also invites them to fill out comment cards.

"I want to know what they think," he said. "Our customers deserve a clean place, a high quality product, courteous treatment and to know that they're appreciated."

Howell said he and Lamb have two principles they're really concerned about. "We want to be the cleanest restaurant in town," he said. "The city inspects us but so does the Schlotzsky's franchise. The franchise inspects 430 items at each store. They start with the garbage bins and work their way in to the restaurant. The second principle is understanding who we work for: the people that walk in through the door. We want to please them. Customer service is so important. There are hundreds of restaurants in Springfield where people can go to eat."

While Howell works at the Campbell and South Glenstone locations, Lamb is often at the Campbell location as well as the one at 3120 E. Sunshine. The fourth store is located at 1316 N. Glenstone.

"Ken is the hands-on manager," Howell said. "He spends a great deal of his time on the paperwork that has to be completed in order to operate the stores." The bread is made fresh every day by a baker who comes in at 5 a.m. Any food that is not sold is either thrown out, or if there's a quantity of something, it's given to the needy. "If food is made and then unsold, it's never offered the next day," Howell said.

Schlotzsky's also provides catering of business lunches and wedding receptions. "Recently we catered lunch for the jury of the Richard DeLong murder trial," Howell said. "We often get orders from drug representatives taking food into doctors offices. The drug reps like it that we offer sandwiches that have less than 10 fat grams." Schlotzsky's also delivers for any order of $20 or more.

Howell and Lamb say they probably won't open any more restaurants in Springfield.

"We're area developers for Scotty's Frozen Custard," Howell said. "We're not going to open a Scotty's in Springfield because we don't want to compete with Andy's. Andy's has a good product. We're looking at opening Scotty's in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and St. Roberts, Missouri."

Howell said he doesn't know how many hours he puts into the business. "I enjoy the work, so I don't really notice the hours," he said. "I do try to take two days off a week. But I live on 40 acres south of Republic, so there's plenty of work to do at home as well."