Country club life

[isaac]

crap... i am going to trail at a country club all next week.. ya all have me scared!

[kuan]

Nah no difference Isaac, just the structure of a country club makes it tough because everyone has some kind of input.

Two years seems par for the course for a country club chef. If the members like you then you're set for life. Many club chefs brag about how many managers they've been through!

Kuan

[W.DeBord]

Not all clubs members are obnoxious and self-centered (the truely weathier the members the more "normal" and kind they are). What's behind most problems is the politics of the membership. One month isn't enough time to have a clue as to who's who and what's what in a club.
In every club there's stuggles over "control" and the best clubs have very strong managers who know how to control the membership by dealing with the few that are really in control politicly. And policitcly doesn't mean current "board".
The board is not always liked or respected by the membership. Look at past board members if you want to find who really has the influence, it's always (from what I've seen) some past president that everyone listens to and who actually still runs things.

I tried to suggest to you previously to go slow. Rarely are things as they appear to be, life in clubs is political not logical. Chefs that last in clubs move painfully slow....so often it isn't change that these people want. It's quality and service with the same old menus that they really desire. Small changes like adding another oyster ap. that pleases them. They can go to any restaurant for changes, at THEIR club they want the same familar items (they just wish it was cooked a little different one way or another).

To please the ones who cry for change give them buffets dinners and get creative there, not on your printed menus. The young ones who want the change love gourmet bbq's, wine tastings and children involving events.

You have to break down the membership into groups (old and young, usually) and please these groups in different ways.

[isaac]

i just got back from working at the country club... it was awesome.. granting it was only for a week. i loved every minute of it.

it was a lot of high volume food but you had a lot of room for creativity. all the members were nice and the majority of the empoylees were nice too.

[Pete]

I am glad to hear that your experience at a Country Club is going much better than mine. Best of luck!

[CWK]

jeez Pete
You sound like my C/C experence.
I quit .
It's not worth the time to argue your point.
bill

[Pete]

Things have continued to improve around here, but I don't think this is going to be a long term thing, like I was hoping it would be. I just don't have the "servant" mentality. There are just too many people around here that feel that I am nothing but their personal servant, and that just doesn't fly with me. At least the job has gotten tolerable, and I even find myself enjoying it often. So staying on for 1-2 years won't be the torture it has been.

[kuan]

At least you can look forward to the snow, and shutdown before spring. Talk about slooooooooooow!

Kuan

[Pete]

Unfortunately, the club does not shut down for the winter as it is a social club also. They used to close Sunday, Monday & Tuesday January-April, but now the board is reconsidering that also, as a way of generating more revenue. According to some of the staff that was done a few years ago and it was determined that the club would lose more money by opening. But as you know - new board, new outlook, so we just play along. It doesn't matter to me. I get paid either way, but they have to realize that they will need to up my budget by adding those days.

[kuan]

Man, no shutdown? Ah well, it'll be slow anyway You know what increasing revenue means. It means, on the same amount of labor dollars we should be able to make more money, which means... well, you know, it means you work without hiring more help

Kuan

[skitty]

Good, Luck Pete--I've been through 3 Country Clubs. I hope your Board is really trying to help you out. My experience is that it's usually temporary. The Members will always want special meals and have nothing better to do than to torment the kitchen. Have you tried doing some silly Family Night themed buffets once a week? Low food cost, and it's almost like feeding cattle.......
I really hope it works out--I fianally gave up my country club habit, for good, I hope!

[W.DeBord]

A couple theme ideas, that my current club does.

Every week they have a pasta night $8.95 pp. it's a buffet (cook to order station too) but the dessert gets plated from the kitchen (nothing fancy).

On weekends to help out the kitchen they set up a small buffet in the bar for lunch. Pizzas, chicken wings and such.....it takes the heat off the kitchen that's preping for parties.

Friday night is buffet, (takes the heat off the kitchen again) anything goes, good place to use up left overs from events....

Sat. night CHOP house night. Everyone gets the same starch and veg. they get a choice of meat and a dessert cart is set out in the room for waitstaff serve from it.

All good ideas I think.