A meal should be an experience rather than a routine, says Bruce McAdams, B.Comm. ’89, who always keeps quality, service and the best interests of his staff on the front burner as he leads Oliver Bonacini Restaurants in his role as vice-president, operations.
The company’s holdings include Toronto’s Jump, Canoe, Biff’s Bistro, Auberge du Pommier and Oliver & Bonacini café • grill, which has a second location in Collingwood.
The company is also U of G’s 2007 Co-op Employer of the Year.
McAdams started in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at 14 and later came to Guelph because of his love of the hospitality industry and the University’s strong reputation in the field.
“I’ve always loved the social interaction that goes along with working in restaurants,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like it.”
McAdams, who worked for Red Lobster Canada after graduation, joined the Oliver Bonacini family in March 1997. He became general manager of Jump four months later and was named director of operations and a partner in the Oliver Bonacini Synergy Group in 2000.
His success is due, in part, to his personal hands-on approach. During the lunch rush, for example, he can still be found in one of the restaurants seating guests, bussing tables, polishing silver and making sure that customers are enjoying their meal.
“That hour and a half sets the tone,” says McAdams. “It’s the most valuable time I spend in my workday. Going to the tables and delivering plates is the best way to gauge how we’re doing.”
He also makes building relationships with his staff of about 400 a priority.
“People don’t want to be a number or a position, and in the restaurant business, it’s all about people, relationships and communication. It’s time well-spent.”
McAdams, who sits on the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s policy advisory board and is founder and co-chair of the Ontario Hostelry Institute’s “Top 30 Under 30” recognition program, strongly believes in mentoring and recognizing students who aspire to be industry leaders. To that end, his company offers Guelph students one-year co-op placements to give them time to experience all facets of restaurant operations.
“By the time they complete their placement with us, they’re ready to manage a restaurant,” he says, noting that HTM grads Michelle Caine, MBA ’06; Jody Chrobak, ’06; Darcy MacDonnell, ’00; Nicole Wachniuk, ’02; and Jerrett Young, MBA ’00, are all working as company managers.
As a leader in the restaurant business, McAdams works with each of the management staff on their personalized development plans. “I’m a firm believer that the hospitality industry needs to become more focused on providing growth opportunities for staff and allowing them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.”
Over the past few years, he’s made sure that his managers have a flexible work environment that supports their desire to pursue a career without compromising personal, educational or family responsibilities. He also makes a point of balancing his own time on the job and at home with his wife, Nancy (Baughman), BA ’92, and their four-year-old son, Ben.
In May, as the couple welcomes an addition to the family with the birth of a new baby, Bruce McAdams will be balancing his roles as husband and father with his role as a U of G student. He’s one of the many working professionals beginning Guelph’s two-year MA in leadership program.
“I’ve always been a doer” he says. “I’ve had a lot of initiative, and although I plan to retire in three years at age 45, I want to maintain a leadership role in the hospitality industry and other organizations, and I’d like to gain a formal understanding of leadership. I also want to help others realize their potential as leaders, and to do that, I need to learn as much as possible.”
