The Risks I Took to Land a New York Times Cover Story
Bold decisions lead to restaurant prosperity for Luby’s.
Luby’s owners, Calvin Gin and Laura Rose Barth with Ops Dir, Trent Taylor during a visit to San Antonio Luby’s restaurants in 2021.
Luby's famous Square Fish, Mac n Cheese, Jalapeño Cornbread and Broccoli Casserole.
2021 cemented a terrifying bet. Could I intuitively guide a 75 year old brand into a new era? The transaction taking Luby’s Inc. from a struggling public company into the hands of Chicago entrepreneur, Calvin Gin, and myself was the first step.
Temporary offices for Luby’s during the transition from a public company to a privately owned business. Calvin Gin negotiates for 36 Luby’s restaurants. (In the near future it would grow to 40.)
The first challenge we anticipated was public outrage that Chicago investors would be taking over another iconic Texas brand. We witnessed in 2019 BDT Capital Partners arrived in Houston to take over the family owned chain, Whataburger. The New York Times reported, “Whataburger Got Sold to Chicago. Texas Is Flipping Out.”
Early stages of a smooth transition for the Luby’s brand and a very successful first holiday under new ownership. (Left to right) Christina Garza (Customer Care), Laura Rose Barth (Owner and CBO), Sara Hood (Business Applications Manager, IT)
Luby’s new owners began an annual tradition in 2021. The Turkey Tour would take them to nearly every region of Texas to cheer on their employees during the busiest time of year, Thanksgiving! (Left to right) Larisa, in Corpus Christi with owners, Laura Rose Barth and Calvin Gin and Area Director, Edwin Medina
The smooth transition of ownership of Texans’ beloved Luby’s was the first task. My style isn’t to be direct or flamboyant in business branding. My personal favorite maneuver is to call attention to a topic without calling attention to it. I’ve been developing intuitive “tools” while testing branding techniques in the UK on a series of privately owned ventures. I left England with a new appreciation for the simple freedoms we have to do business in the US. Looking back on the experience, I further appreciate the great amount of freedom and support I was given, (thank you Pete and Steve)… To develop any successful new branding methods I knew I would need both freedom and support.
RGV artist, Kristi Garcia of Kikico co-designs with Laura Rose Barth a custom holiday gift for Luby’s Delighted team members and special fan’s of the brand.
Temporary offices during Luby’s purchase and transition period. Laura Rose Barth (owner and CBO) tears apart old marketing platforms to learn what’s next for the brand. There’s never enough whiteboard space.
The first week transitioning the Luby’s brand found me in the expansive marketing offices in Houston. As I began to explore existing contracts, I realized I didn’t want the title of marketing director, and I didn’t want a marketing department either. In fact, I took no title for the first 24 months. Reinventing this department was essential. Lofty vendor promises in exchange for vanilla services equaled a 4+ million dollar budget (just prior to 2020).
Luby’s Instagram follower shares nostalgic and heartfelt story of the connection his family had to the brand.
San Antonio Luby’s Instagram follower delivers heartbreaking news about his family and their connection to the brand.
With my spiritualist in my ear encouraging me to follow my intuition, I tossed out one marketing contract after the next. By the end of the first week the departing staff asked - SO what WILL you do? I didn’t know, but I wasn’t renewing any of these contracts. I reduced the budget to zero and dug in to determine the future of the Luby’s brand.
A hands ON approach and test phase was necessary to figure out the next right steps for the Luby’s brand. Laura Rose Barth deep in her learning and discovery process for what would replace an antiquated marketing department.
I didn’t have a plan, but I knew I had to unplug everything to figure it out. Following my intuition I talked to fans of the brand. A deep nostalgia for Luby’s had roots in most Texas households. I needed to spend time with people who held these memories. I began by listening, and quickly learned it had little to do with the famous square fish or mac and cheese.
A wedding shower hosted for Lizzy Ana Lincoln at Luby’s in Austin.
In order to better understand our guests, I hosted birthday parties, wedding showers and lunches - all at Luby’s. I ran Luby’s Instagram account solo the first 24 months. I unblocked accounts of unhappy guests and I had real conversations with people. I began to follow back Luby’s fans, and people were elated to feel seen and heard.
Laura Rose Barth hosting a birthday party for long time Luby’s brand fan in Fort Worth.
“The best birthday party ever!” said, Laura Rose Barth. Hosted by Calvin Gin and Luby’s Support team in Houston 2022.
We instituted a repost rule for Luby's Instagram account - “no playing favorites and reshare everything people said about us, positive or negative.” Luby’s leadership team grew accustomed to my freehand style and often settled customer issues before they arrived in the DM’s. I also encouraged employees to start their own social media accounts as Luby’s brand ambassadors for each respective restaurant.
National Article - I placed these words on my personal vision board last January 2023. For me, visualizing an end goal is essential. My vision board holds actual images I’m working to achieve. I spend time in front of it daily. I began to map out the path to get there as piece by piece it became more clear to me. During company-wide meetings I reminded everyone how impactful I belived a national article would be.
Restaurant marquees were my other hot topic. I believe these message boards played an invaluable role in re-engaging Texans with Luby’s, but I’ll have to tell this story later.
Thanksgiving 2022 at Luby’s Kingwood, TX.
Holiday 2022 At Luby’s Baytown, TX.
Texas is Life shares Luby’s sassy marquee in the heat of Summer 2023.
“I’m so worried I’m going to lose my job!” a manager cried. She was enthusiastic about what I had evolved into calling - field marketing. The purpose of field marketing was to allow the employee’s personalities to shine! I encouraged tapping into their intuition to identify opportunities to connect with the guests and their communities. Field marketing left space to insert regional flavor as we hosted pop-up cafes and events. Field marketing identified the most social and tech savvy employees. They answered phones, helped place orders and brought kind words and smiles. We began to entrust them with more design opportunities too as we introduced The Celebration Table in fall of 2023. I was building an enthusiastic field marketing team outside the confines of a corporate office!
Luby’s sponsors San Antonio Mac and Cheese Fest 2022. Honorary host Chris Luby-Gonzalez and his husband Ramon Luby-Gonzalez.
Custom Luby’s branded shoes designed and painted by former employee, Bailey.
A TikTok influencer was planning to film later that week, and his visit would land on the manager's day off. His video had gone viral but was not what all of our guests would consider to be appropriate. We assured her - “It’s Luby’s - Everyone is welcome.”
I continue to be awed by the mingling of sweatpants and sequins in the cafeteria line and bikes and Benz in the parking lot. This truly is a socioeconomic experiment, and it is beautiful!
Manager, Troyvoris Henley captures visit by John Quinones to Luby’s.
We all want a place to feel welcome, a sense of home and warm food we can afford.
The comfort of food is a connection with people we love and who love us back. For many younger people memories of comfort are held by a grandparent. Most often that grandparent (in Texas) would take them to Luby’s.
Instagram fan of the Luby’s brand, Sarah Caroline Blings shares a nostalgic photo of herself, “Going to Luby’s” from 1998.
Nostalgia is a strong connection. Instagram fan of the Luby’s brand shares memories of Grandma.
Long before Luby’s was on our radar I was working on a new idea called Digital Handshake. Through the pandemic I spent endless hours developing the idea of how to bring value to a person’s introduction when the luxury of “in-person” wasn’t an option. It was a way to “introduce yourself with who you are, not just what you do”.
Home page of Calvin Gin’s Digital Handshake. Launched during day one of the Luby’s acquisition Summer 2021.
I released CalvinGin.com the same moment a press release went live announcing the acquisition. I watched news articles pop up prompting people to Google, Calvin Gin.
Calvin Gin’s Digital Handshake launched in 2021. Professional Bio that introduces Calvin’s background and invites readers to learn more.
This was the very first Digital Handshake launch, and we had decided that Texans would need to connect with “Cal” and his values through a Digital Handshake. I designed the first prototype. They could find out who he was and what he cared about in less than 30 seconds.
We are thrilled to read, “At Luby’s, Every Day Is Thanksgiving” on the front page of The New York Times Food Section on November 22nd, 2023. Laura Rose Barth holding a copy.
The amount of people wanting to connect with Calvin was overwhelming. 6 months later Luby’s was profitable again. 36 months later the New York Times found Calvin’s Digital Handshake and requested to interview our employees and write an article. The article was published on the front page of the New York Times food section the day before Thanksgiving.
As printed on the front page of The New York Times Food Section November 22nd, 2023, “On the Luby’s Cafeteria Line, Every Day Is Thanksgiving.”
Coffee, Luby’s pecan and pumpkin pie and The NY Times food section. Truly time to give thanks. Record breaking holiday sales in November 2023.
As stated by The New York Times and Laura Rose Barth, (Luby’s) turnaround was aided by Americans’ increasing nostalgia and the inflation that sent diners searching for a cheaper meal.
Thanksgiving 2023 would be our most profitable holiday to date. It was all made possible by the employees and guests who never stopped supporting Luby’s in good times and bad and have given us a lifetime of stories to share.
