Have we drifted away from our purpose? Are restaurants cognizant of their role in society and the impact they have, or could have on the community where they sit? Does this awareness, if it exists, permeate the entire operation and has it become ingrained in every member of your staff?

Restaurants are critical elements of our culture. They have been, are, and hopefully will continue to be the center of our communities and indicators of who the people are that live there. As such, restaurants that matter, take their role seriously and understand what is required to make a difference. They are advocates for their purpose as contributors to body, mind, and soul and important storytellers of the human experience. Wow, that seems like an exaggeration – or does it?

Let’s look at what restaurants have done through history and what they might offer today and beyond.

BODY:        It can’t be denied, aside from the physiological need for nutrition that drives cell growth, strong muscles, healthy blood, and organs, and the energy needed to thrive – food stimulates all the human senses giving true meaning to the word: pleasure. Well prepared food stimulates the senses of touch, smell, taste, sound, and yes…sight. The colors, textures, shapes, flavors, and intoxicating aroma of cooking is one of the primary reasons why people become excited about the dinner table, whether at home or in restaurants. When people first think of restaurants’, it is the physical impact on their body that brings the anticipation of joy.

Since the early days of vagabond travelers, fur traders, explorers, and daring settlers – the tavern serving a hot, flavorful meal, has given hope and reward for the body in need.

MIND:         As coffee houses sprung up on the European continent in the early 1500’s and later among the American colonies, it has been the restaurant or tavern that provided a place for intellectual discussion and debate. A place where those with an opinion or a shred of knowledge could share it with all who were willing to listen and counter with a different thought. It was likely that this is where Columbus may have given early thought to sailing around the world, where generals planned battles, and small settlements took on the design of a larger village, town, and eventually city. It would have been restaurants where plays were written, businesses conceived, successes were celebrated, and new ideas came to fruition. The tavern owner, restaurateur, and chef, over centuries, would view the restaurant as a hub for creative thinking and the education of generations.

SOUL:         Maybe, most importantly, the restaurant has always served and will continue to serve as the center of community. It is the restaurant that is the heart and soul of the neighborhood, a place where people grew to know each other and find friendship in agreement and disagreement. The restaurant has become the local identity that vividly demonstrates what makes a community tick, what they believe in, and who they want to become. A place to gather and eat is the anchor for a neighborhood – without it, the residents seem less connected.

Over time, the restaurant has been referred to as the THIRD PLACE, the bridge between work and home, a place to unwind, to celebrate, and sometimes to commiserate. This is where worker unions went from an idea to fruition, where the conditions of the working class were brought to light and improved. The restaurant is a common ground where all are equal over a plate of good food. They are gathering places that offer the greatest joy in getting together, raising a glass, laughing with reckless abandon, and setting aside, even if for just the moment, the differences that warp our sense of right and wrong.

Restaurants and taverns reflect our history and that of our ancestors. It was the common denominator of the restaurant that portrayed to communities across the country, what it meant to be Italian, German, Irish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Mexican, Indian, black or white, Native American or immigrant, male or female, straight or gay. It is a combination of the food and the hospitality, the setting and the space, the smiles and the strong opinions that make the restaurant so much more than a place to satisfy our physical need to eat.

Think about that if you happen to be part of the restaurant work culture or if you are a guest walking through that local tavern door. This is your place of importance. Support it and be happy to remain a part of it.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – RAISE A GLASS AND GIVE THANKS

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

Check out my author page at: www.paulsorgulebooks.com