Sure, we’ve all heard it before – “cook what the customer wants to buy”. This makes perfect business sense. We can believe that we are strictly provisioners focused on driving sales and creating experiences that simply align with the latest marketplace influences. There is merit to this, especially in the eyes of the entrepreneur who is trying to pay their bills. So, is this the beginning and end of the story?

With more than a million free-standing restaurants in the U.S. there is no end to the number of super-sized portions, bacon and extra cheese topped entrees, 800 calorie desserts, and jumbo drink sizes with added sugar and caffeine. We have been led to believe that hot is never hot enough, there is no such thing as too many ingredients, and value is directly related to how large is large. I get it from both the customer perspective and the operator’s way of thinking. We have been told by marketers that quality and portion sizes are related and if a restaurant wants to survive, they must win the battle for real estate on the plate. In the meantime, the restaurant experience continues to lean towards commodity assessment where measurement of success is based on price and portions.

So, when this occurs there are trickle down effects that can denigrate the profession and define perceptions of a business that is less focused on skill, passion, and vision and more on accommodation. When we fall into the trap of commodity restaurant experiences then skill and passion can be replaced by automation and convenience. When the chef’s role is that of responder rather than creator then we might just lose more than we gain. Ask the question – “why did I choose to become a chef or a professional cook?” This is really important!

Don’t get me wrong. I understand the business side and how important it is to listen to customers. If you want to stay in business, this is a Cardinal rule. But to some, this is not the only reason to invest the abnormal number of hours required to “do things correctly”. Why make the effort to stand out and do things correctly? There are time-tested methods in cooking, common sense connections to providing great flavor and proper nutrition, and reasons to take the approach of educating customers about food as well as responding to their desires. This is the world where difference makers live. These are the chefs who will raise food to a different level of importance that excite all the human senses and treat the bodies of consumers with nutritional respect. These are the chefs who lead kitchens in the direction of importance that protect traditions while respecting the vision of a new culinary future. This is the environment where career cooks and chefs live, grow, and show their passion for the craft.

Can the commodity experience and the visionary restaurant co-exist? Can we “do things right” and still meet the financial expectations of a sound business? Is there common ground where a symbiotic relationship can exist?

Restaurants serve a multitude of purposes that include but are not exclusive to a tasty plate of food. Restaurants are gathering places where people can come together and celebrate life, raise a glass to friendship, break bread in solidarity, and relish the talents of professional cooks. This is why we fall into the category of a “hospitality” business, not just a food production business.

That plate of food can be a representation of a chef’s history, ethnic traditions, community relationships, connections with local provisioners, and the diversity of people engaged in preparation and service. Preparing it “correctly” means that the operation pays respect to all stakeholders and an important reason why restaurants exist.

Using established cooking methods or creating new time-tested ones, fabricating meats, poultry, and fish, smelling the robust aroma of simmering stocks, kneading dough and baking artisan breads, and respecting local cheesemakers and artisanal farmers, is not a waste of valuable time or excessive labor when much of this might be purchased as a convenience ingredient – this is the craft that inspires and rewards in ways that cannot simply be measured and rewarded with a paycheck.

Knowing that your restaurants’ guests are treated to lovingly prepared dishes that reflect all this tradition and craftsmanship while realizing that your proper preparation is good for their heart, soul, body, and mind, is the altruistic reason why some cooks and chefs are willing to dedicate a significant portion of their lives to technique and innovation.

As more individuals seek out restaurants for the provision of meals, it behooves all of us who tie on an apron to think about why we are doing this and the impact that we hope to make. We can meet and exceed the needs of our guests and do it correctly at the same time.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

PROTECT THE CRAFT

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