Editor's Note: Today's post is authored by Keane Amdahl. Amdahl is a food writer in the Twin Cities; his writing has been featured in City Pages, Thrillist, Eater, Lavender Magazine, and TC Food Finds. He also writes about the restaurant industry on his blog, FoodStoned.  CSI Accounting & Payroll provides monthly accounting services and payroll processing for small businesses in the Twin Cities, including many restaurants.

If there’s one true thing to know about any business, it’s that there’s no silver bullet or magic equation that will automatically make it successful; this is especially true of the hospitality industry. When your singular goal is to please as many people as you possibly can through your food, service, and ambiance, you can quickly find yourself pulled in a multitude of different directions. In fact, the hospitality industry is probably the only industry that proactively tries to shuck the old adage, “You can’t be all things to all people.”