Why is failure as an entrepreneur part of the restaurant business?
Failure as an entrepreneur is part of the restaurant business, because you only learn from experiments that can also go wrong. According to Robin Vromans of BUNKR, the way you deal with failure determines whether you're cut out for entrepreneurship. If you expect every new attempt to succeed, you're not really testing anything new.
How do you turn failed experiments into a learning tool?
An experiment only pays off if you decide upfront what you'll measure and when you'll stop. At BUNKR, the focus wasn't on failure but on the goal: looking at the hospitality industry in a new way. Restaurants can use the same approach for new concepts, menus or guest communication. Guest reviews are the fastest source of data here: within a few days of a change, the feedback shows you whether it's working.
What do you learn when everything works?
Very little. Vromans argues that every successful new attempt teaches you nothing, because you never find out where the limits of your idea are.
Why did BUNKR start without fear of failure?
The goal was to open eyes in the industry and test a new take on hospitality. Failure wasn't a scenario to avoid but a natural consequence of experimenting.
How do you measure whether an experiment is failing?
Collect guest feedback right after the visit, via email, text message or WhatsApp. That way negative signals reach you privately before they show up as a public review on Google or TripAdvisor.
If everything goes well every time you try something new, what are you learning from it?
Frequently asked questions
What determines whether someone is cut out for entrepreneurship?
According to Robin Vromans of BUNKR, it's the way someone deals with failure. What makes the difference isn't avoiding failure but how you respond to it. An entrepreneur who analyses failed experiments and adjusts course builds up knowledge that an entrepreneur who never experiments will never gain. Being open to failure is therefore a prerequisite for trying anything new in hospitality.
How can a restaurant experiment safely?
A common approach is to run small, clearly defined tests: a new dish for a limited period, a revised service flow at one location, or a different moment to reach out to guests. By defining what success looks like for each test in advance and collecting guest feedback right after the visit, you keep the risk low and quickly see whether an experiment should continue or be dropped.
How do you stop a failed experiment from damaging your online reputation?
It's wise to gather feedback privately before guests write a public review. A short question by email, text message or WhatsApp shortly after the visit gives unhappy guests their own channel. That way a restaurant can fix the problem and respond, while satisfied guests are directed to Google or TripAdvisor to leave a public review.
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Video transcript
But if I, if I go back to BUNKR and look into that, it was, we never thought about failing. It's only about opening eyes in the industry, or, um, well, look into a new way to the hospitality industry. And if things fail, that's only possible to, um, to do if you're open to, to experiment with things, you know, because if you are want to try something new and everything goes well every time you try something new, well, what are you learning from it then?
So yeah, you have to be open to, to fail. And the, the way you interact with, with failure, or the way you, um, you deal with it, that makes, uh, if you are, yeah, suitable for entrepreneurship or not, I think so.