A 60-seat restaurant in Toowoomba. Friday, 5:40pm. The head chef opens the cool room and the light doesn't come on. Compressor's been dead for hours. Every protein for the weekend is sitting at 14 degrees.
What they had ready
A single laminated page stuck inside the office cupboard. Three phone numbers, in order. A backup supplier who'd agreed months earlier to hold emergency stock. And a script for what to tell customers who'd booked.
What happened next
- 5:45 — Chef calls the refrigeration contractor. 90-minute ETA.
- 5:50 — Owner calls the backup supplier. Emergency delivery confirmed for 7:30am Saturday.
- 6:00 — Front of house rings the 40 booked covers for Saturday and shortens the menu. No cancellations.
- 6:20 — Sunday's prep is redirected to a neighbouring venue's cool room. A case of wine changes hands.
The lesson
They didn't have a business continuity plan. They had one page. It was enough because the important decisions — who to call, who could help, what to tell customers — had already been made on a calm Tuesday afternoon three months earlier.
"The plan wasn't the point. The five minutes of thinking that made the plan — that was the point."