“Let’s put it all on the table.” This, a phrase commonly used to represent being totally honest and transparent is to some – a last resort, while to others a method of operation that inspires people to action. Quite often, this honesty stems from strong beliefs, being backed into a corner with little hope of alternatives, as well as total confidence in one’s approach, skills and/or knowledge. We put it all on the table when it is felt that the time is right, or situations demand it.

So, here we are – at a point when I believe it is important to do just that. Talking about the business of food, ways to attract customers, aligning with new trends, building successful concepts, creating interesting food, beefing up check averages, creating effective hiring and training initiatives, and shifting to more exciting marketing initiatives is appropriate for a blog about the restaurant business and its people, but is that all there is to what we do?

At our core (restaurant folks) we are in the business of taking care of people through food. What is most gratifying is witnessing clean plates coming back from the dining room, satisfied smiles on the faces of guests, and the pride that a cook feels when sliding a finished plate down the pass. Feeding people is such a noble act. Feeding people is one of the most basic and important things that anyone can do. Cooking for others is an act of kindness, a personal expression of our desire to care for them and make them happy – even if for just a moment in time. It is something that speaks volumes about your personal history, traditions, cultural background, and giving nature. Cooks and chefs are givers, restaurateurs are hosts with the same mission to please that family members and neighbors have when inviting others to their home. This is what floats our boat, maybe even more than the paycheck we receive for the work we do.

Look around you, seek to understand the world beyond your restaurant dining room and know that we (all those engaged in the restaurant business) are advocates for the power of food. A full stomach is the key to unlock learning in schools, the key to bringing people together no matter their differences, the key to giving hope to those who feel hopeless, and a gift that shows others how much you care.

“When someone cooks for you, they are saying something. They are telling you about themselves: where they come from, who they are, what makes them happy.”

-Anthony Bourdain

This is what we do – cook’s put it all on the table. This is who we are, how we feel, what we have experienced, what we believe in, and the generations of DNA that went into who we are. We cook so that you can reach satiety and see what is good in the world. We cook to give others hope for a better day and to show others that their time on earth can have moments when everything seems okay.

Is this overly altruistic? Maybe, but I firmly believe that in our hearts, cook’s do what they do because they sense the importance of filling bellies, giving people hope, and turning even dark situations for some into moments of promise. This leads to the intent of this article.

Beyond the restaurant “business”, cooks and chefs, restaurateurs and bakers, and servers and baristas are very generous people. This is why when disaster strikes, these same folks are often the first to step up and help in the best way they can – by feeding others. This is evident through organizations like Jose Andre’s World Central Kitchen – always first on the scene of disaster to provide a meal to those impacted. It’s not just Andre’s, the active “face” of the organization and its efforts, but the thousands of cooks (professional and amateur) who put aside their lives in the moment and rush to help through food. This is why restaurants are often the first to step up and help in their communities. This is why many restaurant folks volunteer on their days off to help in a soup kitchen or senior center. This is why well-known chefs donate their time at fundraising events to cook for and help those in need.

We are important to the heart, soul, and promise of humankind. Note that after disasters – natural, political, war, economic collapse, pandemics – restaurants are typically the first businesses to rise from the ashes. Restaurants are needed to build hope and provide a way for people to come together, break bread, and find a way to step forward again.

This is not just an American thing (although we are, as a nation, very generous) it is a human being thing. Some may view dining out as a luxury that can easily be put aside, but time and experience has demonstrated otherwise. Whether for a price or as a gift from the heart like World Central Kitchen, cooking is essential and core to our existence as a society.

We are trying to adjust to a new political structure in the U.S., one that is celebrated by some and the cause of dismay and extreme angst by others. What we can’t do is allow our political reality to smother our giving nature and especially our desire to fill bellies and give people hope through food. The self-defined greatest country on earth cannot, should not, allow others to go hungry. Our senior citizens on low fixed income should be able to depend on Meals on Wheels to keep them nourished and provide a way to check in on them. Our children that come from families barely able to make ends meet, should not suffer from an inability to concentrate in school because they are hungry. School lunch programs are essential in a country richer than all others combined. Food support for those unable to get ahead because of low paying jobs that by the way we consider essential. SNAP is only charity if we discount these Americans as being less important than others who have the means to feed their families. And don’t forget, we are members of the world population, not just those who live within our country borders. To allow others to go through the day with empty stomachs is a sin when we have so much. Thank goodness for the individual generosity of American’s who give to relief organizations that depend on their support.

As we collectively wrestle with our country’s identity and try to find alignment with our core beliefs again, let’s not forget how important it is to feed others and how their hope for a better future begins with a full stomach.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

(Over 900 articles about the business and people of food)

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