• Last updated 2/16/10 by rduprey

Consistency is essential if you want your restaurant or hotel to be successful in the long run. Customers expect to receive the same high quality service every time they enter your establishment. Employees need to know how to do their job effectively in order to ensure the consistent success of your business.  Employees who receive inadequate training or are unaware of their job responsibilities will cost you customers and revenue.  The more you leave to your employees' judgment, the less likely it is that they will do things the way you would like them done.  Your... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by mvogel

 The other night my wife and I were having dinner at an Italian restaurant that I have been patronizing for years.  I know the chef/owner, his wife, and most of the wait staff.  This particularly evening, neither the chef nor his wife was present.  Interestingly, our garlic bread was served so burnt it was black, and the angel hair pasta was overcooked and mushy.  Moreover, the Bolognese sauce contained large acorn sized chunks of garlic, clearly indicative of some very lazy prep work.  But it’s the bread that really exposes the extent of slacking off when the head chef... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by rduprey

In the previous article, 'This is Show Business', I compared the restaurant business to Show Business.  In restaurant show business, quality 'Casting' or recruitment, is an important factor in the success of the show. Think of a typical theatre performance- the audience files in, the curtain goes up, the actors make their entrances and speak their lines. If each and every cast member, not to mention the writer, director, stagehands, customers, makeup artists, and lighting technicians, have prepared themselves and the theatre well, the audience enjoys the show and tells... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by rduprey

In today's increasingly competitive hospitality industry, owners and managers are constantly seeking the answer to an important question- How do you recruit, retain, and motivate employees that are responsible for creating a "magical" experience which exceeds your guest's expectations? Some answers may be found by looking to successful companies that are consistently achieving these goals. William Shakespeare wrote, ‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players’.  One company that exemplifies that quote is the Walt Disney World Co. Disney is... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by lhoy

Question: Short Fuse in the Kitchen There’s so much stress in the kitchen. Often, co-workers and subordinates are disrespectful to me. How can I handle it without blowing up at them?  Answer:Dear L, thanks for your question. When you are dealing with disrespect - you have a right to be angry. The challenge is to be “good and angry” and to work through the anger in a healthy way.It's very difficult working with people who treat you this way and won't take responsibility for their actions and behavior. Time-out: since anger rears it’s ugly head within 1-3 seconds you... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by sklein

Not that there aren't restrictions to foreign objects in food dishes, but considering the new twists and turns American standards have been assuming since "911", it's easy to understand how vulnerable we can be with our food supplies, drinking water and, not to mention, the kitchens of our favorite restaurants. There are many procedures and regulatory conditions our cafeterias, kitchens, delis, food stands and fast food operations are required to go thru in order to ensure proper health management and basic food preparation. One health inspection company, HACCP, an... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bmarvin

Some Advice to Servers You have chosen to make your living, at least for awhile, in the hospitality industry - one of the few places people go these days expecting to have a good time. What a great place to be! A unique feature of the service business is the practice of tipping. For most professional service folks, tips are effectively their entire source of income. Now you can love tipping or you can hate it, but you can't argue that tips are instant feedback on how your guests feel about your work. The quality of the interaction with your guests not only... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bmarvin

This is a continuation of our series on how to be more effective as a manager in a "people business." The first article in this series suggested that whether running your operation seems like being lost in the weeds or spending a day at the beach is strictly a function of your perspective. The beach is available to you but you can't see it from the weed patch. In the second installment, we looked at different models of management (the cop vs. the coach) and explored the idea that in the age of service it is our human skills that will determine the degree of our success.... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bmarvin

The first article in this series suggested that whether running your operation seems like being lost in the weeds or spending a day at the beach is strictly a function of your perspective. The beach is available to you but you can't see it from the weed patch. In the second installment, we looked at different models of management (the cop vs. the coach) and explored the idea that in the age of service it is our human skills that will determine the degree of our success. The principles we are talking about are simple and common-sense but the key to changing your... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bmarvin

We conferred endlessly and futilely and arrived at the place from whence we began. Then we did what we knew we had to do in the first place, and we failed as we knew we would. - attributed to Sir Winston Churchill Whether the opening quote is accurate or not, the thought behind it deserves consideration. Are we becoming incredibly adept at ineffective procedures? Have you ever thought that there had to be a better way to run a restaurant? Does the idea that you have to work 60-80 hours a week to succeed in foodservice strike you as a suspicious notion? Most operators... read more