Tag Archives: innovation

WHAT CHEFS CAN LEARN FROM BUSINESS DISRUPTORS

10 Saturday Feb 2018

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Some of us look back with fondness at those individuals who inspired us and became our role models. Often, those same people were held at that level of esteem because their beliefs and work were somehow parallel to our own. Looking up to these role models made us feel comfortable and connected at a level that almost felt spiritual. In the world of food we all know their names – Keller, Trotter, Bastianich, Ripert, Bocuse, Escoffier, Pointe, Puck, Shire, Robuchon, and so on. Truly, all of these chefs broke new ground at some point in their careers and touched thousands of chefs as they developed their own version of their mentor’s style. As strong as these chefs were or are, they made their mark as proponents of food as we have grown to know it and operators of restaurant business models that fell into step with what we have collectively deemed as “proper”. I have always been, and continue to be a strong advocate for respecting and promoting the structured ways of preparing and presenting food just as these mentors did or continue to do. However, is this what will move the restaurant industry forward? I don’t know, nor do most who try to analyze where the restaurant business is headed and where it will land in 20 years or so.

In nearly every other industry – the past twenty years have been, to put it mildly – disruptive. In other words, an industry (pick one, anyone) of 1998 is likely unrecognizable today. Some may view this as tragic while others have visions of great opportunity. Leading the charge of these changes is a handful of business disruptors who have the uncanny ability to set aside the way things are and look at what they might be. This “might be” is more often than not beyond the average customer’s ability to see or even initially embrace – but they will.

The point is everyone needs to pay attention to disruptors, even if they are part of an industry that seems far removed from your own. These disruptors see things that we do not, sense change in the air and learn to not just conform to it, but push change to the limit. In the process they reinvented products, services, and experiences, and created a need before the needy even had an inkling of desire. So, here are a handful of disruptors that we can all learn from – even chefs. If you want to be inspired then take the time to view each of the links.

[]         DEAN KAMEN:

Kamen is a brilliant inventor who has championed the need to invest and rely on technology solutions for the challenges that we face. He has developed hundreds of patents and designed products for the healthcare industry, but is likely most known for his invention of the Segway personal transportation device. Although it never caught on large scale, the thinking is revolutionary. His contribution as a disruptor is to always look for solutions to challenges and never give up.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYbFVPRha8g&t=76s

[]         ELON MUSK:

Some even wonder if Elon Musk came to us from another planet since he challenges pretty much everything and is successful, through trial and error, in bringing his ideas to fruition. Anyone who has marveled at a Tesla electric auto or thrilled at seeing his recent Space-X rocket venture understands that this guy believes in “If it ain’t broke – break it!” His greatest disruptor activities involve sustainable energy solutions, “Think Big” and constantly seek ways to “Change the World and Humanity.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=79AwSDzz8H0&t=312s

[]         JEFF BEZOS:

Just last month Jeff Bezos was declared the richest person in the world. It took ten years before amazon made a profit, but now his order and distribution system is challenging the retail industry and the buying experience for nearly every person coast to coast and around the globe. If that wasn’t enough, Bezos is now a entertainment streaming giant, a competitor for Elon Musk’s space travel business (maybe you want to book a trip to the moon in a few years on an amazon craft), an up-in-comer in the grocery business since they purchased Whole Foods, and a likely entrant into the healthcare business (If the government can’t solve healthcare then give Bezos a call). Bezo’s calling as a disruptor is to simply ask: “How can we make something better and more user-friendly?”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JROFIBGh1lI&t=95s

[]         DOMINQUE CRENN:

The chef owner of Atelier Crenn and Petit Crenn has totally destroyed any barrier that may have existed for women chefs and restaurateurs. She was rated the Best Women Chef in 2016, but more importantly she demonstrates that her distinction is as “chef” – not woman chef. We need to break down those separations – a great chef is a great chef. She blends here French background with Japanese styling while maintaining tight control over the business. She is a disruptor who breaks down barriers simply because she is good at her craft.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_7R_6CKuSQ&t=76s

[]         STEVE JOBS:

If you are reading this article on your cell phone then you owe a debt of gratitude to Steve Jobs for bringing the smart phone to life before anyone realized that everybody on the planet needed one. Placing the power of a full-service computer in the palm of our hands was a challenge, but Jobs was never one for bowing down to a challenge. It was his insistence that made it happen even though engineers and programmers were not sure how to confront the problems that they faced. His role as a disruptor continues even after his death. Jobs challenged numerous business models: telephone, computer, music, video, gaming, personal health, design, chip manufacturing, the glass industry, and the personal assistant with a mantra that we can all learn from: “Don’t sacrifice quality for anything and when it is perfect then don’t be afraid to charge for it and whatever you do – keep it simple and user-friendly.” If you need a manual to figure out how to use something then you have failed. He changed our world.

“The People Who are Crazy Enough to Think They Can Change the World Are the Ones Who Do.”

– Steve Jobs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=65_PmYipnpk

[]         GRANT ACHATZ:

Molecular Gastronomy has been around for a decade and it may never become mainstream, but it still thrives. I am not a big fan simply because I don’t really get it, but I admire those who push the envelope. Chef Achatz is a disruptor because he challenges all of us to ask “why” and “why not”. When we look at food as he does we begin to unlock all kinds of interesting possibilities.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvhjbYXDdu4

[]         KARISSA KRUSE:

As the Director of Sonoma County Wine Growers, Karissa has a vision – to make the Sonoma Wine Country 100% sustainable. This not only pertains to how the crops are grown and the wines are made, but also to the community of people who are essential in the process. She is the strongest advocate for taking care of the people of wine – the harvesters, processors, owners and families. She continues to push for affordable housing so that they do not have to depend solely on transient workers, but rather a community of residential wine people. She works as well on creating affordable childcare for farmers and processors. She is a disruptor because she sees every challenge as an opportunity. If you put in the effort and commit yourself to finding solutions – they are there.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUpPq4Bl5bU&t=74s

[]         BRAD DICKERSON:

Blue Apron has had it’s ups and downs, just like any start-up company, but at the core of the business is an incredible concept that is poised to shake up grocery stores and restaurants. The belief is that people want to cook, but aren’t comfortable with the craft. They want to use fresh ingredients, but don’t have the time to shop. Want to eat food that is good for them, but can’t find the time to plan and execute to that end. So…why not a business that takes care of setting that stage for you and delivers everything ready to fit into your busy lifestyle. Brad is the new CEO with a vision to push the company through its challenges and build on a model that is disruptive, but very much on point. We need to pay attention to this because the restaurant that gives home meal replacement little hope of success may be in for a surprise.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=44lJsa9FEGY

[]         KAVITA SHUKLA:

Kavita’s company: FreshPaper is truly breakthrough. Think about it – her vision was to solve the world’s food problem by attacking the issue of spoilage and facing the challenge of minimizing the 25% of the world’s food crop that is wasted. The best way to explain her disruptive idea and product is to watch this clip.

https://www.kavitashukla.com/

[]         DAN BARBER:

Is there really such a problem as waste in a restaurant? What does waste mean if not a chef’s lack of attention to menu planning and product handling? Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns believes that aside from using great, natural, artisanal ingredients, a chef must view every food ingredient as useful and worthy of proper technique. He disrupts the notion that every garbage can in a kitchen should be filled.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mTy8InTEpo

All of these creative geniuses share in a passion for change, a lack of fear of failure, and the persistence needed to bring a fresh idea to fruition even if it destroys the current model in the process. To them, and to us if we are paying attention, everything evolves into something else. Some of us choose to resist, some go along for the ride, and a few break down the walls in preparation.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Be disruptive!

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting and Training

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100 IDEAS A WEEK, IS ONE OF THEM BRILLIANT?

27 Tuesday Aug 2013

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So here is the dilemma – I can’t turn it off! I can’t stop designing the next great restaurant concept in my head. Is this a problem? A good friend of mine, in a totally different field, suffers from the same disease: always thinking about the next great concept. His spouse told me once: “he has 100 ideas a week, and one of them is brilliant”. Are we all living under the delusion that the next great idea is just hiding under the surface and with a little nudge we can build the next Microsoft?

Here is an example of how relentless the process can be:
* I am oftentimes unable to sleep because I am planning a concept that came to me while I was having that last cup of tea before bed.
* I finally bought a pocket digital recorder so that when ideas came to me while driving, I could store them for later planning.
* I plan my part of family vacations around the restaurants I want to visit, not just to enjoy the food but rather to stimulate more ideas.
* I have more cookbooks than I will ever read, but they are there primarily to stoke the fires of creative thought: “how could I tweak this idea and make it unique to me”.
* I read quite a bit, but the majority of my books are written by chefs and restaurateurs about their daily routine. I am constantly using a highlighter throughout these books to point to ideas I might use later on.
* I walk through stores, not to purchase, but to look for ideas on restaurant decor, systems for delivery, service tips, etc.
* I have framed pictures in my office, not of scenery, but of restaurants, kitchens and chefs.
* When dining out, I always frustrate my wife when I am taking pictures with my cell phone.
* I walk 2-3 miles every morning and oftentimes find myself lost in thought about an idea. If only I could remember to bring that digital recorder with me.
* Even in the shower, I find myself drifting off with an idea about a restaurant concept.
* Empty buildings and stores are always fuel for the concept planning fire. “Just think what could be done with this space”!
* When in a restaurant with friends I need to work hard at keeping my focus on them and not spinning around looking at how they execute their system and how I might make it better.
* Although I am coming to the later part of my career and rarely cook in restaurants anymore, I still make my daily prep lists and market orders for meals at home.
* I even take pictures of my own food at home and post them on Facebook!

The whole process is like that annoying ringing I used to get in my ears after attending a rock concert in the 60’s. No matter how hard you try, it just won’t go away. How many ideas have come and gone? How many of them were brilliant or will the next one be the real winner? Fortunately, or unfortunately, I have never invested my bank account in one of these ideas. Then again, what if I had and it really was brilliant? I guess I will never know, but it is still fun thinking about and developing a cool idea.

Does anyone else suffer from perpetual idea overload? By the way, the photo is from “The Big Night”, a movie that I consider as great as Casablanca.

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RESTAURANTS NEED TO PAINT OUTSIDE THE LINES

07 Friday Jun 2013

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What ever happened to creativity and the fun associated with developing something new, exciting, delicious and trend defining in restaurants. Certainly you could cite those handful of unique restaurants that grace the cover stories in trade magazines, win James Beard Awards and Michelin stars, and are home to chefs with names that are present on the tip of everyone’s tongue, but what about the other 950,000 restaurants in the United States along with business cafeterias, college cafes, and health care facilities? Are there exceptions to the rule, you bet, but they are few and far between.

Playing it safe is the rule of thumb, until someone creates that “ah ha” moment in restaurant dining that reinvents a segment. Do we really need another shop that serves Pizza Margherita, Ameri/Mexican restaurants with burritos and Chimichangas, white tablecloth operations with Shrimp Scampi or Veal Piccata? I have found myself many times referring to how important the classic dishes are and that they are always great to fall back on because after all – they sell! The problem is not their acceptability or the taste profile; the problem is that the industry is too boring. Did I really say that? Yes, the restaurant business is boring.

Customers play it safe, just like restaurants do, and thus the cycle continues. Those chefs and restaurateurs who try to break the mold gain notoriety among journalists, young chefs looking for excitement and that 2% of the population referred to as innovators, but walk down the street and you will find dozens of restaurants who are content (or stuck) with doing the same thing that everyone else does.

I am not a fan of what has been referred to as “molecular cuisine”; however, I am fascinated by those chefs who are head-over-heals committed to pushing that envelope. Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, Wylie Dufresne are part of the pack of rebels who (forget what you think about the food) are trying hard to pull us out of our shells and learn to “think different”.

Steve Jobs was a genius. Some loved him and others despised him. Say what you will, but as the soul of Apple Computer he embraced creative thought above everything else. He had the uncanny ability to go beyond what people wanted or needed, he anticipated what they were going to need before they ever thought of it. So too is the case with a few contemporary chefs and restaurant owners/operators.

If Achatz, Adria and Dufresne are too radical for you, consider some who have been with us for a long time, treasure the classics, but who interpret those items in a way that breaks the barriers of “playing it safe”. Eric Ripert, Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Alice Waters, Charles Carroll, Daniel Boulud, Gavin Kaysen, Marcus Samuelsson and Cat Cora all continue to move their creative ideas to the forefront of restaurants that carry their signature while 950,000 others continue to ignore the need to be just a little unique.

Part of our job as chefs is to educate the staff members who work with us and the guests who choose to grace us with their presence. Of course, I am fully aware of the fiduciary responsibilities that go along with taking the helm of a restaurant and the fragile nature of restaurant economics. It is also our responsibility, however, to grow our business, attract new customers, and most importantly: exceed guest expectations with a food experience that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

To quote a culinary friend of mine from the past: “There is little talent in cooking a steak. Certainly there is a skill that goes along with timing and organization of a char-grill, but the talent is in preparing a chicken leg or inexpensive cut of meat in such a way, and presented with such unique grace, that its value far exceeds that of even the best steak.”

Please do not misinterpret what I am saying: I love classic Italian, French, Asian, German, Polish, Irish, Norwegian and every other traditional ethnic food. I sometimes salivate just thinking about that perfectly cooked steak, but how often is it that a restaurant experience truly excites and builds unforgettable memories?

Creativity is not exclusive to high-end restaurants. Starbucks was a real “wow” when they first began. The quality, the variety, the atmosphere were game changers. When was the last time that this type of change has taken our breath away in the coffee business? I would dare say that there is little difference between the Starbucks of 1990 and the one of today. Remember the first time you experienced an Au Bon Pain or Panera Bread and how it was fun to take it all in? Where is the next game changer hiding?

Playing it safe has a price. The price is complacency and transition of unique concepts into commodity restaurants. I am waiting for the next Steve Jobs in the restaurant business to catch everyone else off guard. Every once and a while we need to paint outside the lines.

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