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OUR DAILY BREATH: AS OUR KITCHENS SLEEP
There is no one to turn on the lights, fire up the ovens, start the groan of hood exhausts, and no one to fill the dish machine tank and three bay sink. Vendor deliveries have ceased, floors remain clean and… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: IS THE AMERICAN DREAM IN JEOPARDY?
To me, there is nothing more soul crushing than to see a restaurant closed and for sale. Behind the sign on the front window is a story of a person’s dream, an all out life change to become an entrepreneur,… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: TAKING THE KITCHEN OUT OF THE COOK IS PROBLEMATIC
We have all heard the phrase: “You can take the cook out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the cook.” While there is certainly some merit to this statement, the current isolation is pushing the… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: FOOD, SHELTER, CLOTHING, HEALTH, FAMILY, COMMUNICATION, and TRUST
This is where we are today. If we push aside much of the chatter and get down to the necessities in life that are food, shelter, clothing, health, family, communication and trust that rise to the top of the priority… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: CHEFS & OPERATORS – KEEPING YOUR TEAM TOGETHER
This is another time when we can rely on what we know about human nature and what keeps people whole: physically, mentally, and emotionally. I once again turn to the wisdom of Abraham Maslow as a guide through this difficult… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: A TIME TO BRING BACK TRADITIONS & EMBRACE OPPORTUNITIES
We have lots of time on our hands. Once we learn to take a breath and put the brakes on typically intense lifestyles, always on the go, always more to do than there is time, constantly putting aside interface time… Continue reading
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RESTAURANT SURVIVAL MOVING FORWARD
We have never seen anything like this. Everyone in the restaurant industry is petrified beyond today – they immediately think about how impossible it might be to dig themselves out of the hole being created. I have communicated with many… Continue reading
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A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. President – I will state up front that I am not one of your supporters and never have been, but as history has demonstrated time and again – during a time of significant crisis our country looks to and… Continue reading
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THINK GLOBALLY – ACT LOCALLY
We find ourselves in very troubling times. A time when we are asked to socially isolate, to work remotely, to trust the words of those who have been untrustworthy in the past, and to simply wait and see. We are… Continue reading
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CHEFS – THIS VIRUS IS A WAKE-UP CALL
As I find myself glued to the news that attacks everyone’s central nervous system, I am beginning to envision the chaos that the corona virus pandemic is about to inflict on the restaurant business. This is not the aftermath of… Continue reading
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COOKS: A CALL TO ARMS – DON’T SETTLE!
There exists a real dichotomy of enthusiasm towards working in the restaurant business. I realize that this may have always been present at some level, but in today’s kitchens there appears to be a polarization of those who love the… Continue reading
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Celebrate Women Chefs
Today and everyday – women are making a difference in the restaurant world. A woman’s place is in the kitchen, but they are not women chefs – they are chefs. The work is not gender based – when you have… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS – THINK ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND WHAT YOU SEE
Some of you may be too young to know the band – The Moody Blues, but their lyrics always inspired me, especially during challenges that life occasionally brings. One such lyric asked us to view the story in peoples eyes… Continue reading
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ARE RESTAURANTS FACING EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?
Is it just another one of those cycles with a few new challenges or is it something else? It seems to me, once you start to connect the dots, you will note that the times they are a changing, and… Continue reading
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WHY RUNNING A CLUB KITCHEN MIGHT BE THE TOUGHEST AND MOST SATISFYING CHEF POSITION OUT THERE
The tasks of the chef are fairly universal: planning menus, putting your signature on each dish, hiring and training staff, ordering product and building vendor relationships, controlling costs and adhering to budgets, maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment, etc.… Continue reading
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CHEF’S: CONDITION YOUR TEAM AND CHANNEL THEIR ENERGY
CHEF-to-CHEF, So..you made it! As a property chef you have reached one of the pinnacles of your career – having paid your dues and likely worked very hard in a variety of properties until demonstrating the right mix of skill,… Continue reading
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CHEFS: BUILD A TEAM – KEEP A TEAM
There is no issue more pressing, and no task more important than building a kitchen team and establishing a culture of retention. Yes, I do mean a culture of retention. A chef may be talented, have a great resume, be… Continue reading
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CHEFS – IS IT WORTH IT?
We have all had those moments (some of us more frequently than others) when we question what we are doing, the level of commitment required, and the price to pay. As chefs we all are aware of the time, physical… Continue reading
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COOKS – THE COMFORT OF HEAT, SWEAT, AND HARD-WORK
Staring at the POS printer, waiting for those orders to start their tap dance building to a crescendo in an hour or so, clicking a pair of tongs by your side, shifting weight from one foot to the other, and… Continue reading
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WHEN A COOK IS TRULY IN THE ZONE
In the zone is a phrase commonly used to describe a musician, athlete, or even a cook who experiences an “everything going right” situation, and when the person, or persons, involved are totally focused on the task at hand– but,… Continue reading
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IT’S ONLY MY POINT OF VIEW
I always try to see things through other people’s eyes and not just my own. There are always multiple sides to every issue, and numerous factors that sway a person’s perspective one-way or the other. When it comes to work… Continue reading
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A CHEF WHO GETS THE MESSAGE RIGHT
Two of the most significant issues facing businesses today are RETAINING good employees who are so difficult to find and MAXIMIZING the productivity and efficiency of those same employees. Ample research has been done pointing to the most significant culprit… Continue reading
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STOP THE 100% TARIFF ON EUROPEAN GOODS
White tower decisions without a grasp on the systemic impact of those decisions is a common flaw of leaders who are out of touch with reality. It happens in business, it happens in education, and it happens most often in… Continue reading
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HERDING CATS – THE MAKEUP OF A KITCHEN LINE
Chemistry is by far, the most important ingredient in building a successful kitchen team. When a chef is able to bring a group of seemingly opposing forces together into a functional, well-orchestrated team then great things happen. This, however, is… Continue reading
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WHAT RESTAURANT OWNERS GET WRONG
I have the privilege of working with many different restaurants and food businesses. Some are very successful, while others are hanging by a thread. Some are owned by individuals who have the knowledge and the wisdom of seasoned business people,… Continue reading
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A COOK’S NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
Yep – another year, another moment in time to reflect on where you are and where you might be going. To many people a resolution is a futile attempt at changing poor behavior, lost opportunity, broken promises, and failed attempts… Continue reading
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TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON
There are aspects of the restaurant business that have always made me feel whole. The opportunity to hone ones craft, to create something tangible with your hands, to have the privilege of working with Nature’s ingredients and pay respect to… Continue reading
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WORKING IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN IS BASIC TRAINING FOR LIFE
I vividly remember flying out of Buffalo, New York in 1971 for Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson. It was, ironically, my first time on a plane and considering that this was at the peak of the Vietnam War, I… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S LIFE – IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
In the Blink of an Eye “Looking forward has no limits Looking back reels you in Thinking about what could be Gives pause to what might have been Vision is energy for an active mind while Reflection is food for… Continue reading
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