restaurants
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CHEFS – DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CRAFT
I was listening to a person the other day who was involved in the restaurant business. He was making a point about how we (those of us who work or have worked in kitchens) need to embrace more technology and convenience foods if we are to survive. It was imperative, from his perspective, that we… Continue reading
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EYES WIDE OPEN, EYES WIDE SHUT
There is a real dichotomy in understanding, a gap in understanding between the employer and employee and how each views the work at hand. I’m sure it’s true in many industries, but let’s just focus on the business of restaurants. For nearly two years now I have been offering thoughts on the labor challenges that… Continue reading
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CHARGING FOR BREAD -SERIOUSLY?
A new word has been bantered about over the past few months, a word that ticks off consumers and demonstrates either greed or an inability to understand the public’s perception of “value”. “Shrinkflation” is a descriptor for reducing the size of packaged goods while either keeping selling prices where they were or raising prices while… Continue reading
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THE KING IS IN THE HOUSE
Is there any real value to nostalgia? How clear is our memory and how often do we tend to embellish on the positive and diminish the negative? Looking back can provide us with context and content for making future decisions – lessons learned and all that, or it can also help us to relish what… Continue reading
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SWING FOR THE FENCES BUT RESPECT THE FUNDAMENTALS
Look around you and try to dissect those businesses and individuals who are successful at what they do. Chances are, these are the players who refuse to lock themselves into the groove of always playing it safe. Playing conservative may win an occasional baseball or football game, but it rarely inspires the players, coaches, or… Continue reading
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RESTAURANT EYES
So, here’s the thing – knowing how to operate a restaurant is not difficult – executing the steps is a whole other story. The work is relentless, the unpredictability is insanity, the never-ending attention to detail is mind-numbing, and timing is borderline impossible. Yet, millions of people jump in the deep end every day. The… Continue reading
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DON’T NICKEL AND DIME YOUR GUEST or IMPRESS THEM WITH QUANTITY
There’s a reactionary movement that I keep seeing in restaurants; a movement that assumes the answer to the restaurant bottom line is to take more and give less or give too much to justify raising prices. Raising prices is inevitable when the supply chain keeps beating restaurants over the head, in some cases simply because… Continue reading
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THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE – SO INSPIRING
What term or phrase best describes those who are on the path of excellence: unrelenting, finesse, culinary pride, make a dent in the universe, pursuit of perfection, make a difference, total commitment, or focused drive? Some portray the result while others – the process, but in all cases, they embrace individuals or teams in pursuit… Continue reading
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT
PART TWO: The Era of the Chef: Ah, now things really changed. The once restaurateur-centric restaurant was about to become chef-centric. Seemingly happening overnight – the chef went from a behind the scenes after-thought to a celebrity. Beginning with a few flamboyant artisans like Jeremiah Tower, Paul Prudhomme, Wolfgang Puck, and Alice Waters – the… Continue reading
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AMERICAN RESTAURANTS – AN INTERESTING EVOLUTION
PART ONE: An Immigrant Nation Melting Pot: America was the land of opportunity and tens of thousands came to our shores, through Ellis Island, and stood at the gates of New York ready to become American and bring their ethnic influence the country’s profile. Italians, French, Irish, Greeks, Germans, Chinese, Japanese, and every other nationality… Continue reading
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TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND AS A COOK
If you are a cook who is happy working just for a paycheck – more power to you, but you can probably save some time and not read this article. If, however you have the sense that cooking is more than that and you have your eyes on many years connected to the professional kitchen,… Continue reading
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THE GREATEST THREAT TO AMERICAN RESTAURANTS
The greatest threat is not the labor shortage or supply chain issues, it’s not the pandemic or the price of real estate – yes, all those concerns are troubling and must be dealt with, but they are not what will bring the restaurant industry to its knees. Well then – what will? Try apathy on… Continue reading
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DON’T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY
It would be difficult to find a more sinister, demoralizing, harmful, or self-destructive word than mediocre. Mediocre sucks the lifeblood out of an individual or an organization – it is the dark side of the moon, the harbinger of discomfort and pain, and the salt in the wound that saps your energy and leaves you… Continue reading
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THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT 2022 (Post Pandemic)
Ah…now is the time for everyone to start speculating about what the restaurant business will look like when all of this craziness is over. Let’s start with what we are fairly comfortable saying: whatever “normal” is will likely not make an appearance until the end of 2021 – so…let’s begin our speculation with January of… Continue reading
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ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A TAVERN
Every year, a significant number of new restaurants open and almost as many close their doors for good. It is, that spark of “I have a great idea for a restaurant” that drives many people towards the leap into entrepreneurship – a leap that too many are unprepared for. Nevertheless we have always been blessed… Continue reading
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THAT FIRST NIGHT ON THE LINE ALL OVER AGAIN
One thing is for sure – we will be back. We don’t know exactly when, or what it might look like, but we will be back. A year has gone by and most cooks have now forgotten what it was like to have a full dining room, to feel the anxiety of the wait for… Continue reading
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A SURREALISTIC PILLOW EVENT
In the mid-sixties, a relatively unknown band (outside of San Francisco) released an album that would become one of the enduring recordings of the last 60 years. The Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow was both strange (surreal) and comforting (pillow) in its beautiful melodies (Today and Coming Back to Me) and cutting edge norm shakers (Somebody… Continue reading
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CHEFS – VALUE and the TOP LINE DRIVE the BOTTOM LINE
In the restaurant business there are really only two ways to view profit: a very small amount of profit balanced by very significant volume, or a significant amount of profit on far less volume. How you approach the design of your restaurant in this regard will determine nearly everything else. How you approach profit will… Continue reading
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THE 2021 CHEF SKILL SET
It is always safe to say: “things change”. Change is an inevitable part of life and as we all know if we fail to recognize that and adapt – we can become obsolete. Throughout history there are countless examples of those who ignore or seem paralyzed by the need to change as their industries or… Continue reading
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THE EINSTEIN MOMENT FOR RESTAURANTS
I have been thinking quite a bit lately about a comment made by Chef Jeremiah Tower during our recent podcast conversation. He stated: “The restaurant industry needs an Einstein Moment.” There are numerous ways that we categorize these occurrences: Eureka moments, aha moments, or light bulb moments; but what we are referencing are those points… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S LETTER TO CONGRESS
When approached, as it should be – your position is very challenging, at times – almost impossible. By design you are charged with defending the Constitution, protecting the American people from harm, creating and passing laws that support the Bill of Rights, keeping other branches of government in check, lifting up the economy, being a… Continue reading
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COOKS AND THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
Sweat was creeping down Alex’s back. The line was just 15 minutes into the 7 o’clock push and the board was full. The pressure was on, but Alex was on his game – he was wearing an ear-to-ear smile because he knew he was in the zone. The line team was in total sync: Alex… Continue reading
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CHASING THE DEVIL – SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS
Joe is a single guy, young and well educated, quiet yet personable enough, incredibly talented as a cook, reflective, and a closet alcoholic. From the perspective of the chef who reigns in charge of the restaurant where Joe works – this young line cook is an ideal employee. The chef knows that Joe will always… Continue reading
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THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE MAKING OF A GREAT CHEF
Is it possible to narrow down the secret of greatness to one ingredient? What could it be? Is it really that simple, or in this case is simplicity really complex? I have had the honor to work with, know, or at least meet many extraordinary chefs and cooks and my assessment is that – yes,… Continue reading
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IT’S STILL A TIME OF THANKSGIVING
For most people this will be a different Thanksgiving, a day without the traditional celebrations of large family gatherings, a day with far too much leftover turkey as we attempt to keep some semblance of normality through the bounty of the table. Even though those we care about the most may remain spread out across… Continue reading
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CHEFS – FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE
It seems that every time I check my email or flip through postings in social media – there is another restaurant, food business, or culinary school preparing to close their doors. It is heartbreaking to read of life visions dashed and even long-standing, viable businesses choosing to throw in the towel. I am writing this… Continue reading
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A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – TOUCH, TEXTURE, CHEW
We are tactile beings – the feel and texture of things that we encounter is very personal and very important to our life experience. Such is the case with the food that we consume. As is stated by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating – some believe that chew or experiencing the texture of… Continue reading
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THE APOCALYPSE FOR RESTAURANTS IS NEAR
It is the end of October 2020 and we are all focused on the National Election in just a few days. We certainly should be zeroing on this event that will likely change the course of history and determine what America looks like and how it is perceived for generations to come. While we wrestle… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS – WE ALL CRAVE DISCIPLINE
Let’s not confuse freedom with a desire to do whatever we want without a system of order or respect for the discipline of structure. We can both be free and still respect the need for that discipline that comes from organization. A well-run kitchen is not a free-form environment where every cook does his or… Continue reading
About Me
PAUL SORGULE is a seasoned chef, culinary educator, established author, and industry consultant. These are his stories of cooks, chefs, and the environment of the professional kitchen.