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BEING A COOK IS MORE THAN THE PROCESS OF COOKING

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, then read on. Moving forward in search of doing something meaningful and growing your position into a career may require some adjustments and a definite plan.

So, here are some golden rules that will help you to move in the right direction. Maybe this is who you already are, but if not, then view these as some “food for thought” that can turn your professional life around.

[] BE POSITIVE:

Simple, right? Pushing aside the challenges and problems cooks face every day and resisting the tendency to find fault and complain is not easy. We can always find things to disagree with and people who frustrate us, but very little good ever comes out of this approach. As is often said – learn to become a problem-solver and not a finger pointer, build people up instead of tearing them down, and reap the long-term benefits of a positive attitude. People will notice.

[] INVEST IN YOURSELF:

Self-improvement is the ticket to competence and confidence. Don’t wait for someone else to build your skills and knowledge – take charge of your own growth. Join, engage, read, learn, practice, connect, experience, and volunteer – this is how we improve.

[] BE A TEAM PLAYER/LEADER:

Start by becoming an exceptional follower and an advocate for playing your part in a team effort. Look at your current role as the most important in the success of the operation and the power of the plate. Master your role and support those around you. Share, teach, and train others – this is the fuel that drives your own leadership engine. Every good leader understands how important great followership is and how the leader’s role is to give them all the support he or she can muster.

[] DEFINE YOUR BENCHMARKS:

Find those cooks, chefs, restaurants, companies, or inspirational leaders who define excellence and learn from them. Study how they work, why they are so committed, and how they approach their work. Use all of this as your roadmap to success. Push yourself to be better and use their performance as a guiding light.

[] WORK WHERE YOU CAN LEARN:

As you build your skill set make sure you select employers who are willing to invest in you; places where mentorship, training, and helpful critique are part of their method of operation. Everything else will come to you as you fine tune those skills and the knowledge to be exceptional at what you do.

[] BE YOUR OWN WORST CRITIC:
Don’t wait for someone else to critique your work – assess your performance and compare it to those benchmarks. If you can improve then set a course to do so. Find out the best way to improve, seek out those individuals who have mastered a particular task and connect with the intent to accept critique.

[] FIND A MENTOR/BE A MENTOR:

Set your focus on finding a person who will be honest in their critique and willing to show you how to improve. Don’t settle for a person who always seeks to compliment – you will only improve if someone is honest and helpful at the same time. Finding a mentor is the most important step you can take to change your professional life.

[] THIRST FOR EXPERIENCES:

Be willing to step outside your comfort zone if there is an opportunity to learn. Seek out unique opportunities to experience great food, the source of that food, the people who dedicate their lives to it, the service that accompanies exceptional dining, and the commitment to excellence that very successful cooks and chefs are a part of. Immerse in experiences whenever they are available. Spend a week working on a farm, tour a meat processing plant, work on a fishing boat, save your money and dine at extraordinary restaurants, work the crush at a local vineyard, help the best ice carver in your area, stage at the best restaurants on your days off, shadow a coffee barista and learn their craft, attend food shows and culinary organization workshops – everything helps to build that base of knowledge, improver your resume, and change your professional life.

[] FIND A WAY TO BALANCE:

If there is a lesson that most seasoned chefs will point to is finding balance. All work and no play make any cook rather dull and positioned to fail as a friend, sibling, spouse, or parent. Make sure your plan includes diet, exercise, free time, family time, travel, and relaxation. Work hard but know how to step away.

[] CONNECT:

Be part of something larger than you, join groups of cooks, restaurateurs, bakers, and food enthusiasts who can offer a different perspective, cutting edge changes on how we cook and present food, or the best way to ensure financial success in the restaurant business. This will feed your competence and confidence and provide a network of resource experts who will be there when you need an answer.

[] RESPECT OTHERS:

Remember the rules of thumb for teamwork and leadership. They all evolve around a commitment to respecting those around you who share a stove, grow the ingredients you use, carry your food to a guest, and manage the operation to ensure that it remains financially healthy. Respect for others leads to the respect you receive in return.

[] RAISE THE BAR:

As good as you may be today, you should never accept good as the best you can become. Always push that carrot a little out of reach and then work like crazy to grab it. Just when you think you are there – push it out a little further. Remember, excellence is a journey, not a destination.

[] ALWAYS BE IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE:
Use the concept of excellence, even perfection as the goal knowing that it will never be reached. Again, the journey towards excellence will always result in constant improvement – a chance to “wow” those around you.

Stay the course, enjoy the ride, and know that when your sights are on excellence your life will constantly change for the better.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Seek to be all that you can be.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

(Over 800 articles about the business and people of food)

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

More than 50 interviews with the most influential people in food

THE GREATEST THREAT TO AMERICAN RESTAURANTS

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chefs, restaurant future, 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 for size.

What concerns me the most, and what should concern others is a changing attitude towards what we do, a malaise that starts to smell of giving up, of not trying that hard anymore. Maybe it’s me but I have seen a growing number of restaurants (certainly not the majority at this point) who are simply not trying that hard anymore. They appear to have thrown up their hands in defeat and are now on automatic pilot just hoping to “get by”.

Over charged and underwhelmed seems to be a growing trend in some restaurants that are fooled into believing that things are going to get better or worse no matter what they do. Pride in doing things right is a tremendous motivator for employees, owners, and customers and a lack thereof catches up pretty quick. Restaurants are busy now, much of it is pent up demand from two years of partial lockdown due to the pandemic. This is a false sense of relief unless restaurant’s view this as a new chance to shine, a chance to be exceptional at what they do whether it is serving pizza or seven-course meals. If a restaurant gives up that desire to excel and gives in to mediocrity, then failure is just around the corner.

Thinking that the way to recover from the financial pains of a once in a century pandemic is to cut back on quality product and service and push the ceiling on pricing is short-sighted and ill-conceived as a strategy. People do care about value and once the splash of being able to get out of the house wears off, value assessment will be paramount once again.

Apathy is a disease that spreads as quickly as a virus. It infects others who are easily convinced that it is the way it needs to be. The industry can and has recovered from the impact of infection, financial downturns and collapse, overwhelming labor issues, and a litany of other challenges, but it is very hard to recover from apathy. Is it a case of not knowing how to be great or is it a real lack of desire?

“Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

-Jimmy Buffet (musician)

When I read an article the other day about BMW charging a subscription fee for heated seats in their cars, I thought: “Where are we going with this?” Ah, a subscription is a way to boost revenue without providing any real service and then feeding off the vulnerability of customers. Of course, people want heated seats: “Oh well, I guess we have to pay, and pay, and pay for something that was previously part of the deal.” Now I see a number of restaurants charging for bread – something that was always part of the value package. Is this just another result of apathy? Is it a way of saying: “We have given up on excellence so let’s charge more and offer less”.

I have seen respectable restaurants take tiny moves in the wrong direction: moving to artificial creamer for their coffee because it doesn’t require shelf-life management, failing to inspect flatware, glassware, and plates for cleanliness before they wind up in front of a guest (I guess it takes too much time to check), Ignoring the need for training of service staff who are left to their own devices to figure the job out, or something as simple as giving up on uniforms to save on cost. I continue to see good restaurants lose a step with their food preparation, flavors, and plate presentations and shrinking menus that no longer inspire. It is all very troubling even though these restaurants may be busy at the moment. At some point it will all fall apart.

What once was an exciting part of a trip (finding new restaurants to enjoy), is far too often a gamble that results in empty wallets and disappointed palates. It is apathy that kills a restaurant, not environmental factors that make operation challenging. We need to stand up and fight apathy, stand up against mediocrity and push hard for excellence as the standard of operation. Excellence and value go hand in hand and value is what will set the stage for a restaurant’s success.

“Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal that takes the imagination by storm, and second – an intelligible plan for carrying that ideal forward into practice.”

-Arnold J. Toynbee (author and historian)

This is not the time to succumb to mediocrity, not the time to push quality aside, and not the time to think we can reach success simply by raising prices. We need to grab onto that ideal and run with it. We need to build enthusiasm among our staff members and create an environment of excellence starting with the small things. Everything counts in a value formula.

I am reminded of those scenes on the sidelines of a sporting event when one team seems deflated, when they succumb to their feelings of hopelessness and as a result fail to perform as they could and should. You can see and feel defeat in the air – it is just a matter of time before it all falls apart. Unless…a coach or player steps up and says “NO”! “We are not going to give up our pursuit for excellence, we are not going to fall prey to mediocrity, we are not going to let apathy work its way through the team and infect all who allow it to take charge. We are better than that!” How many times have we witnessed those miraculous comebacks when apathy is pushed aside, and possibility comes into play?

Now is the time for restaurants to look at those who continue to embrace excellence, who never sacrifice quality, and who understand the importance of the value formula. Now is the time to renounce apathy and commit to excellence. Let’s do this before it’s too late.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEF’S HAVE PERMISSION TO SUCCEED

03 Wednesday Mar 2021

chefs, permission to succeed, post pandemic restaurants, restaurants

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It was 1969 when the acclaimed “super group” – Blind Faith with Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker caused a stir with their self-titled album. Although the group was short lived, they did leave us with an applicable lyric:

DO WHAT YOU LIKE:

“Do right, use your head, everybody must be fed
Get together, break your bread, yes, together, that’s what I said
Do what you like”

-BLIND FAITH

Well, to a significant degree chefs have been working on blind faith for decades. The hope was that by doing more, working harder and longer, making more complicated menus, and pushing the envelope of creativity the restaurant industry would rise up to new levels of success. Menus became encyclopedic, the skills to execute these menus were over the top, the equipment that allowed for this level of creativity was space age and expensive, the intensity and stress in the kitchen was as heavy as lead, and the number of staff members required to execute this complexity was painful.

Chefs and those aspiring to become chefs gave up any semblance of balance in their lives to be part of this madness, dozens of vendors were required to meet the ingredient needs of complex menus, dining room table tops were plagued by extraordinarily expensive inventories of Riedl glassware, bone china and sterling silver flatware; and wine cellars became museums for wine selections from around the world that rang up hundreds of thousands of dollars in rare vintages to support the menus that chef’s felt compelled to design.

At the end of service when the lights were finally turned off over the $50K combi ranges, bank of sous vide set-ups, All-Clad pots and pans, Vitamix blenders, Paco-Jets, and anti-griddles – chefs were left exhausted, bruised, angry, desperate to keep the line cooks that they had just belittled for placing fresh herbs with stainless tweezers at 3 o’clock instead of 5 o’clock on the plate, and discovering that although the dining room was full of 4-hour dining patrons, and wine was served at every table – the restaurant was still not profitable.

Down the street – a cadre of small independent restaurants with smaller staff requirements and tasty rustic menus would have been profitable except rents on their space had gone through the roof ever since this high end, 8-course menu, mecca restaurant opened its doors. These small restaurant operators opened and closed their doors at an alarming rate simply because they couldn’t afford the space.

Any reasonable person would look at these situations, scratch his or her head and wonder what in the world was everyone thinking. This was the restaurant world, or at least part of it, prior to the pandemic. This is a restaurant world that is not sustainable. This is the restaurant world that must change – and it will.

Chefs and restaurateurs need the freedom to “do what they like” and find success in terms of restaurant profitability, life balance, happy guests, and fulfilled employees. This is what needs to happen and this is what will happen – chef’s and restaurateurs have permission to change.

In a recent article about Danny Meyer – NYC restaurateur extraordinaire, he talks about his epiphany over the past year – an opportunity he had to truly assess everything about his restaurants and the accepted approach towards operation.

“Never again in our careers will we be able to take the boat out of water and put it in dry dock for a year to inspect every inch of its underbelly and make it seaworthy again,”

“We want to make sure when we put the boat back in the water, it’s a sounder boat and does business in a better way.”

-Danny Meyer – Union Square Hospitality

Inc. Magazine:

https://www.inc.com/lindsay-blakely/danny-meyer-union-square-future-restaurant-business.html?fbclid=IwAR30zbCadI_9nqRmBZU6o4Iu9XuYETaxJ7riH_NOE2mDcDaUhaxI5c7jpas

Danny Meyer is giving all of us permission to change the accepted approach towards the restaurant business and the way that we measure success.

Fairness, equality, respectable pay, balanced lives, manageable menus, fair third-party fee structures, and operations that stand a better chance of earning a profit must be key to a formula for success moving forward. This is an opportunity and an absolute requirement moving forward – we must embrace this and more.

Menus that reflect excellent ingredients and seasonality, menus that offer less choice, but the highest standards of quality, presentations that are naturally beautiful but that do not require an army to assemble, flavors that excite and satisfy, service that is real and filled with honest to goodness hospitality, dining rooms that are comfortable, cheerful and fun, and prices that allow for profitability while making sense to a larger swath of guests – this is what we have permission to focus on.

Let’s keep our standards high with fewer, well-paid employees who have the ability to engage in exciting careers and balance a life beyond the kitchen or dining room. We can do this and there has never been a better time to think about how we move in this direction.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

DON’T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY

28 Sunday Feb 2021

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chefs, excellence, mediocrity, restaurants, restaurateurs

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 hardened and embarrassed. Am I over-dramatizing it – maybe, but then again – maybe not.

When we settle for mediocre we relegate ourselves to a life of not good enough, also ran, and didn’t care enough to make it. Is this where you want to be? Look around you – identify the companies, businesses, or individuals whom you admire – you know, the ones that seem to win a lot and fit into that category of “successful”. Even more important – these are the companies, businesses, or individuals that seem to enjoy what they are all about. These “successful” players are there due to one very important reason: they never accept mediocrity. In fact, just the opposite – they constantly seek excellence and always know that as good as they may be – they can always be better. Mediocrity has no place in their vocabulary.

These are the Ritz Carlton’s of the hotel business, the Tesla’s of electric autos, the Wegman’s of the grocery business, the Apple’s of computer hardware and electronics, the Harvard’s of business schools, and the French Laundry’s of the restaurant industry. We know them by name, we oftentimes buy their products and services, we read about their success, and we aspire to be like them in some small way. Look deeply into these businesses and the people who own and operate them and you will see an unrelenting effort towards achieving excellence in design, product quality, efficiency, value, and service. The culture of these businesses insists on the relentless pursuit of greatness. The Japanese would refer to them as companies focused on “Kaisen” (a pursuit of constant improvement).

Now here is the kicker – excellence has very little to do with the price you charge or the type of product or service you provide. The big misconception is: “You get what you pay for”. This is an excuse that allows a person or a company to accept being mediocre. “It’s only a hot dog” – so excellence is not an option: WRONG. “It’s only a plate of spaghetti” – so excellence is a pipe dream – WRONG. “It’s only beer” – so why even focus on excellence – people will drink what you pour – WRONG. “This isn’t the French Laundry” so why even invest the time in plate presentation and cooking it properly – WRONG.

Take a simple hamburger – the second most popular item on American menus (a close second to pizza). Ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a bun – simple right? Walk through the steps toward excellence:

What blend of meat and what fat content make the most flavorful and moist burger?
What method of cooking will yield the best opportunity for caramelization and deliciousness?
What piece of equipment will be most successful in reaching your goals of deliciousness?
Which type of lettuce will provide the freshness, the crunch, the mouth-feel, and the flavor balance with that perfect burger?
Which type of tomato will present the most pronounced flavor of fine ripened, deeply refreshing acid/sweet balance on the sandwich and how can we ensure this consistently throughout the year?
Which bun sits best in the hand, has the balance of crust and soft interior, toasts well and holds its shape while absorbing the juice from that perfectly cooked burger?
What type of onion provides the aroma, sweet bite, and intensity that cuts through the fat of the burger to offer the perfect package of flavor and texture?
Should the fries offered on the side be hand cut or frozen? If hand cut – which potatoes offer the right balance of starch and sugar to brown properly and hold their shape? What type of fat and what is the best temperature for producing the perfect fry?
Should pickles be sliced in coins, sliced lengthwise, cut in wedges, or left whole. Should we pickle our own or buy them? Should they be sour dills, half dills, bread and butter pickles, or intensely spicy? What works best in creating excellence?

If you walk through these questions and answer each with excellence in mind it is easy to see how the simple acceptance of mediocrity will never set the stage for success, but an all out assault on mediocre decisions with an over-riding intent to make “the absolute best burger in the history of mankind” can lead a restaurant of any type to be superior and to create loads of “WOW” experiences for guests.

Create a similar checklist for every product on your menu, regardless of the type of operation or the prices on you charge and you will find a path from mediocrity to excellence.

Now, here is the bonus: when mediocrity is replaced with excellence then every person who works in an operation feels the power of earned pride. Excellence will eventually become the norm with everything that they do – on the job and off. At some point their work stations will be better organized, their uniforms will look a bit more pristine, their knives will be sharper, their attitude toward others will be brighter, and their acceptance of mistakes or slips towards mediocrity (from themselves or others) will not be tolerated. As the movement towards excellence becomes the standard – everyone and everything will begin to rise up. At some point excellence will no longer be a destination – it will become a habit and an essential part of a business culture.

When excellence is the standard method of operation for the business then purveyors will work extra hard to make sure you receive the best ingredients, the best potential employees will be knocking on your door for an opportunity to join the team, the regional press will notice and be more inclined to tell your story, and occasional customers will become steady customers and eventually ambassadors to spread the word about a GREAT restaurant (or school, car dealership, shoe store, or insurance agency).

Now this doesn’t happen overnight – it is a process that takes time, but it starts with the small stuff. It is your job to SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. It is your job to make sure the equipment in the kitchen is in good working order, the store rooms are organized, uniform appearance is monitored, the dining room tables are steady, employees are constantly being trained, the dish pit procedures produce spotless china, glassware, and flatware; the windows are clean, the parking lot swept, the signage is maintained, and the bottles on the back bar are dusted with labels facing forward. All of the details from the mix of beef in your hamburger to the polish on the flatware will lead the operation away from mediocrity and pointed in the direction of excellence. This can work for the hot dog stand that attracts customers from 20 miles away to the fine dining restaurant picking organic fresh vegetables from their roof top garden. The formula is the same – it’s all about your interest and commitment to make it happen.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Eliminate mediocre from your vocabulary

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT 2022 (Post Pandemic)

22 Monday Feb 2021

chefs, cooks, restaurants, Restaurants in 2022, restaurateurs, the future of the restaurant business

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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 2022 to be safe. I know what you are thinking – WHAT!!!! Restaurants cannot wait that long, no way, no how – this is the end of the world, as we know it. Sorry – just trying to be realistic. Once we have a target we might at least be able to plan effectively to either re-invent or throw in the towel. At least the real bad news is out of the way.

Now, let’s think about the purpose of restaurants so that current and potential restaurateurs and chefs can choose the direction they want to take.

THE PURPOSE OF RESTAURANTS (Where do you want to fit)

To nourish and provide sustenance
To offer convenience
To provide a forum for conversation
To create opportunities for gatherings
To reward customers
To provide an outlet for chef creativity
To complete a neighborhood or destination
To rock customers world

There may be more reasons, but these are the most common. So choose where you want to sit and lets jump on the speculation train.

[] NOURISH AND PROVIDE SUSTENANCE:

Without a doubt – one of the primary purposes of a restaurant and one that supports the defined needs of a guest is to fill their stomachs. There are numerous multi-billion dollar chains along with countless mom and pop operations that do a great job on this front. Of, course the food must be tasty and appealing at some level and above all else – consistent. If this is your purpose then the field is wide open and will remain so as long as the price you charge matches the level of purpose.

[] OFFER CONVENIENCE:

Quite often, the restaurant that is focused on nourishment is also great at providing convenience. In a world where everyone seems to live on tight schedules – convenience rules the day. How convenient you might ask: we barely need to slow down our cars and roll down the window when our food arrives – that’s convenience. During the pandemic – those operators who have been able to convert their operations to take out, curb side, or delivery using third party providers like GrubHub and Uber Eats have hit the nail on the head. Safety and convenience are first and foremost in consumer’s minds.

[] PROVIDE A FORUM FOR CONVERSATION:

The heart and soul of many communities is a place where conversation flows freely – a place where opinions reign and where judgment of others is set aside in favor of a free flow of ideas. This was (is) the design of classic coffee houses, speakeasys, and corner cafes for generations. Whether a restaurant or tavern fills the role is dependent on many factors, but high on the list is the owner’s intent on creating a mecca for this to take place. If creating this type of environment is high on your list of priorities then there will come a time, an important time, when we are able to return to this type of interaction.

[] TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GATHERINGS:

Houses focused on catering informal and formal events whether it is that tavern where people gathered after a game to celebrate a win or commiserate a loss, the banquet hall booked for weddings, reunions, birthdays, and holidays; or simply that restaurant where you can always depend on familiar faces to clink glasses with – gathering spots are important. We have felt the pain of their loss over the past year, and will need to do without them a bit longer, but in all likelihood they will return in a very robust way once it makes sense.

[] TO REWARD CUSTOMERS:

There are operators who enter the business for altruistic reasons: to bring happiness to people, to reward them when others may forget to do so, or even to allow guests to find their own reason to seek a pat on the back. Great food and drink and honest, sincere service can be the sunshine at the end of a not so terrific day. This is what hospitality is all about.

[] TO PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR CHEF CREATIVITY:

The definition of a chef sometimes includes: “frustrated artist”. Individuals who dedicate their lives to the preparation of food often view the plate as their canvas and what they do as something far more than just nourishment. This may be your priority, but know that those on the consuming end may not appreciate the chef’s art form. Restaurants are businesses as well and the customer is the other end of the restaurant tug of war. Art is wonderful, but in business it must sell to have any real value.

[] TO COMPLETE A NEIGHBORHOOD OR DESTINATION:

Look at your own neighborhood and point to any common point of interest that helps to bring people together and turn a few blocks of houses into a community of homes. Chances are pretty good that the point of interest will be a restaurant. Gentrification or urban renewal almost always begins with the opening of a place of dining. Focusing on this makes both altruistic and good business sense.

[] ROCK CUSTOMERS’ WORLD:

Ah, then there are restaurants, restaurant owners, chefs and cooks who see the operation as a vehicle for standing out, for making people jump up and applaud, for confusing the competition and helping people focus on food experiences that they never imagined. These are the risk takers, the individuals who push the envelope, and the ones who work like crazy because they have a goal of knocking people’s socks off. If this is your objective then know that it is hard, it involves the fickle nature of consumers, it requires superhuman effort to earn and then more to maintain a reputation for “the extraordinary”. To see this as a goal is to make a lifetime commitment to constant improvement because what rocks a customer today will become ordinary tomorrow. Many have tried, but few have succeeded.

So, what will rise to the top when the Covid Monster has gone into hibernation? Impossible to say, but there are some indications of change they just might have staying power. Here are a few to chew on:

GHOST KITCHENS are making people scratch their heads and wonder if this is the next “big” thing. Rent kitchen space, develop multiple concepts around a core of ingredients, develop a separate branding campaign including “order friendly” websites, contract with a third party delivery service and go to town. Minimal staff, no long-term lease, no property taxes, no dining room, no service protocol, and social media as your only marketing initiative. If one of those brands fails to move well then shut down the website and you are done. Much of the sizzle is set aside, customer interaction is non-existent, and the feeling of community may be lost – but it certainly is interesting and it eliminates many of the challenges that restaurants face.

FOOD TRUCKS are not a passing fad. Eliminating the need for brick and mortar and a set location give restaurateurs a chance to take the product where the customer is and move freely when customers have a need to do the same. Limited, focused menus; high impact flavors; spontaneity, and limited staff needs make this a very attractive model for chefs and owners. Add a rented commissary kitchen space (ghost kitchen) for prep and you can scale a hot concept to multiple trucks working an entire city.

POP UP RESTAURANTS give a chef the opportunity to experiment with concepts, menu items, styles of service and preparation, and even multiple locations. Running a concept for a few weeks can provide enough analytical data to support the need for a brick and mortar operation someday down the road. It makes sense to move in together before marriage.

GROCERY STORE PARTNERSHIPS provide chefs with another potential outlet for their product without the headache of dining rooms, service staff, and the pressure of the clock. Renting shelf or cooler space for your product places the merchandising, collection of cash and credit, and facilities maintenance in the hands of the store. Placing your product in a location where customers visit anyway opens the door for spontaneous sales providing your packaging and point of sale merchandising is top shelf.

BRICK AND MORTAR OPERATIONS will have a much more difficult time rising from the destruction that the pandemic is leaving behind. Lease, mortgage, utilities, staffing, and the need to convince people to visit you is even more of a challenge than in the past. There is little doubt that location restaurants will return, will service the needs of customers, and in some cases will thrive, but they’re a far greater gamble than other options – at least in the short term.

Be cautious, but through planning and the willingness to make solid business decisions you can find a market for your product and service.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A TAVERN

16 Tuesday Feb 2021

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chefs, restaurants, restaurants closed

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 with choice when it comes to finding a place to eat. On occasion, a restaurant opens, the owners have the right idea, everyone in the operation rallies around core principles that find a home in consumer minds and hearts, and the place enjoys success for a long period of time. These are the places where memories are built and where customers become friends, and friendships last from generation to generation.

This past year has been excruciatingly brutal on restaurants that simply haven’t been able to weather this relentless storm of pandemic related restrictions and consumer concerns. The typical 30% or more failure rate has crept up to 50% and even the most established generational restaurants have locked their doors for the final time.

It pains me to see any restaurant close. I know how much time, energy, money, and heart goes into that first day when a proud operator and/or chef looks up at the front door sign that proclaims they are open for business. I know how much personal experience is expressed in the menu that is oftentimes comprised of family recipes and a chefs “best effort”. I know how many sleepless nights went into the decision to lease a space, writing a check for the kitchen equipment, filing for an LLC, hiring those first employees, receiving that first order from vendors, and wondering if there will be enough money to pay the bills each week. I know how heartbreaking it is when the dining room is nearly empty, and how invigorating it is when it is full. The decision to close, to tell your loyal employees that it is over, to file for chapter eleven, to clean out the coolers and shut off the lights for the final time is something that cuts deep – this is maybe one of the worst feelings imaginable.

To some it is a sense of failure while to others it represents the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new one. Some walk away never to contemplate ownership again, while others immediately begin to formulate the next “great idea”. In all cases, it is not something that was contemplated on that first day of opening – it is always a last resort.

To this end, I think that it is proper to recognize all who take the leap, who give it their best, who pour their heart and soul into an idea – even if the end means a lock on the door. Here are just a few remarkable restaurants that have closed this past year – many simply because the pandemic was the last straw – something that they just could not overcome – we will miss them:

[] BLACKBIRD: A superb Chicago restaurant known for its innovation and passion. Donnie Madia and Chef Paul Kanan did an extraordinary job of bringing a relatively small restaurant into the Chicago limelight. Ultimately it was this small size that made it impossible to survive with the limits to capacity that the pandemic brought.

[] K-PAUL’S: There were times when people would wrap around the block and wait hours for a chance to sit and break bread at Paul Prudhomme’s landmark restaurant that defined the Cajun/Creole obsession that people had for this New Orleans mecca. Even after his death, the restaurant carried on – until it just couldn’t.

[] AUREOLE: For a few decades there were a handful of incredible restaurants in New York City, just a handful out of the more than 25,000 in the Big Apple that truly defined the food revolution. Chef Charlie Palmer’s Aureole was one of those operations. Incredibly creative, extraordinarily delicious food accompanied by an out of this world wine list helped to put this operation on the map as one that stood out for decades. Now the space is for rent.

[] BLUE SMOKE: Quite possibly one of the most noteworthy, successful restaurateurs in America – Danny Meyer and his Union Square Restaurant group seemed to own New York City for quite some time. Blue Smoke was his foray into the Barbeque genre, and it was a star. Even the brightest stars can fade, and so Blue Smoke is no more. Still, there is little question that Meyer’s restaurants will shine again once Covid is behind us.

[] THE COPACABANA: A number of owners, a variety of locations, but always recognized as the premier “club” in the Big Apple. This was the place in the city for the hip and the fun loving, for those in the know, and those who wanted that to be so. No owner had more influence on this landmarks prominence from generation to generation than Peter Dorn. He overcame many obstacles as locations were changed for various reasons from “off the park” to Hell’s Kitchen – this was the place to party. Now it is a memory.

[] GOTHAM BAR AND GRILL: I had a number of extraordinary meals at Gotham – a place known for innovation, the operation that coined “vertical cuisine”, a place of elegance and lightheartedness, a place for consistent excellence for more than 25 years under the guidance of Chef Alfred Portale (originally from Buffalo, New York), and a restaurant that for quite some time was one of the top grossing operations in the city. Portale left a few years ago, but it was his standards that put the operation on the map. I will really miss this restaurant.

[] THE 21 CLUB: A speakeasy in 1922 during Prohibition – Jack Kriendler and Charlie Burns made this a place that was synonymous with the New York dining scene. Hemingway was a regular, and the mob was known to hang out and even plan a hit on individuals not in their favor. It was part of the New York landscape for almost 100 years.

[] FARALLON: This was a restaurant whose décor was a combination of beauty and strangeness, but its food was undeniably superb. The octopus ceiling lights may have been what reporters wrote about, but it’s the food and service at this San Francisco restaurant that everyone will miss.

[] PATINA: This was Chef/owner Joachin Splichal’s first entrance into the fine dining scene of Los Angeles. Often written about, frequently compared to, and always respected – this operation grew into a small empire of restaurants within the Patina Group that would eventually include restaurants on both coasts. Now it is a memory.

[] CITY TAVERN: This important restaurant opened its doors in 1773. Many of the most influential people in American history spent time in this grand operation from Paul Revere to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams – the halls of City Tavern are filled with history. In 1777 the 1^st 4^th of July celebration in our country was held at City Tavern – the most American of celebrations. Chef Walter Staib was given approval to operate the business in the now National Park that is host to America’s past and he held this position with great pride until 2020 presented the business with a challenge that it could not overcome.

[] MORTONS CHICAGO and LAWRY’S PRIME RIB: Houses of beef would be the most appropriate title for these operations. Steaks, chops, and prime rib carved tableside. Although other locations remain – these were destinations.

[] EVEREST: Richard Melman – owner of Lettuce Entertain You – the thematic restaurant group centered in Chicago, opened Everest as his entrance into the high-end fine dining market. Beautiful, masculine, impeccable old world service, and a menu that reflected the grand style of cuisine – now a moment in time.

[] MESA GRILL – LAS VEGAS: Bobby Flay was the guy for quite some time. His blending of American cuisine and Southwestern won him acclaim at the New York City Mesa Grill and his sister operation Vegas took it to the next level. When Vegas succumbed to the pandemic, the volumes needed to sustain many of the incredible restaurants there were forced to re-evaluate. Mesa is a victim.

This is just a sample of the tens of thousands of restaurants that have closed over the past year. Many in your neighborhood have likely fallen through no real fault of their own. Where do these operators turn to for answers? The normal: “what could I have done differently” is no longer valid. Those in the business will try to ask these questions as recovery looms closer, but the answers will be few and far between. One thing is clear – restaurants will rise again but with battle scars that will take years to heal.

Support your local restaurants when you are able, thank those restaurant owners and chefs for what they provide, and relish the memories that cafes, bistros, taverns, and restaurants have provided in your past.

“Once upon a time there was a tavern

Where we used to raise a glass or two

Remember how we laughed away the hours

And think of all the great things we would do

Those were the days my friend

We thought they’d never end

We’d sing and dance forever and a day

We’d live the life we choose

We’d fight and never lose

For we were young and sure to have our way”

Mary Hopkins – 1968

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THAT FIRST NIGHT ON THE LINE ALL OVER AGAIN

10 Wednesday Feb 2021

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cooks, kitchen, line cooks, restaurants

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 those first tickets, of feeling that you don’t know how things will turn out. It has been a long year of uncertainty that has pulled you away from what you do best; a year that maybe even made you question whether or not this “cooking thing” is what you want to do any more.

It was the exercising of your skills, relying on your competence and confidence, of getting ready for battle and conquering the beast that made you want to crawl out of bed in the morning and face another day of craziness. With all of it’s speed bumps, curve balls, and relentlessness – this job is something that you were good at, something that brought excitement along with a touch of fear, a job that made you feel alive and pushed you to your limits. It has been far too long since you felt all of these emotions.

One day it will all return. One day customers will fill those restaurant seats, look at your menu with anticipation, test your abilities and sometimes your patience, and give you reason to click those tongs with anxious anticipation. I don’t know if it will come this summer or fall, but I do know that the day will come and I hope that you will be ready.

Consider this to be the off-season for cooks, a time to relax a bit and shed some of the stress, but also a time to get into a new rhythm of conditioning. This is the time to build your physical strength, hone your technical skills, exercise your mental acuity, and dig into more of the “why” that you cook a certain way. This is not a time to forget and lose a step, this is a time to get ready for the real season to come, and it will come.

I am certain of this because people need us, our communities need us, the economy needs us, growers and producers need us, and we need to do what we do best – it is our calling to cook. People crave the opportunity to gather again, to laugh and cheer, to break bread and tell stories, to raise a glass and toast to today and tomorrow. This is human nature and it cannot be denied forever – restaurants will rise again as soon as they are able. The time is getting near; if we all work to contain this virus and stand ready to receive the vaccine – the time will come soon.

So here are a few reminders for cooks immersed in the off-season – we are about to enter spring training camp – a time when we put aside what we have lost and bring ourselves into competitive condition.

[] PHYSICAL STRENGTH

You remember – don’t you? Pulling a 10-12 hour shift off is physically demanding. You will be on your feet for most of that time, always lots of movement – turning, lifting, bending, stretching to reach, using your shoulders and back, and gripping and flipping filled sauté pans allowing the food to dance with the syncopation of orders coming and going. You will need to be ready for this. You will perform best if you are in condition. This is the time to immerse in a physical exercise regiment. Walking, running, weight lifting, sit-ups, push ups, chin ups, hand exercises, stretching and good nutrition will be the keys. Keep that weight down and hone your diet to that of one most aligned with an athlete. GREAT LINE COOKS REALLY ARE ATHLETES!

[] MENTAL ACUITY

Being able to think clearly is essential if you are to win the battles on the line. Remember – those orders will come at you with relentless rapidity. The expeditor will challenge your retention skills, the steps in cooking that differ from dish to dish will test your memory, your flavor memory will be your friend once again as you taste-season-taste, and your ability to problem-solve when things go sideways will be your saving grace more times than you can imagine right now. Take time every day to walk through those steps in cooking that made you superb at your job; run through all of those problem scenarios that came your way in the past and jot down how you solved (or failed to solve) the problem, and push yourself to multi-task in your current environment – fill your head with too much to do and try like crazy to work your way through the list.

[] SKILL TUNING

It will be the foundations again that save the day, that will make you valuable to an employer, that will separate you from those who don’t quite have what it takes. Knife skills, mise en place, sanitation, and speed and dexterity are all part of your bag of tricks. Practice them at home or work even when business volume doesn’t demand it. Keep your knives sharp, organize yourself every day, and keep your lists of things to do (even if not related to cooking) – all of this will pay off when that day arrives.

[] KNOWLEDGE

Read professional cookbooks, study the cuisine that you are focused on, and make a list of those processes that you followed in the kitchen – “because that’s the way you were taught” – and commit to finding out “why” those processes are important. Commit to being more knowledgeable when business returns – the more you know the more confident you will become.

[] TEAM BUILDING

I know it’s hard to work on team skills when the team is not together, but what you can do is to mentally walk through scenarios in the past that can help to drive your “team savvy” approach in the future. Think about those actions of yours or others that drove a wedge between team members and think through ways of avoiding that in the future. Write down those “team defeating” actions that drove you crazy in the past and commit to working through them in a more positive way in the future. Think about “why” things might have gone sideways in the past and how honest sharing with the team can help to work through those events in the future. Don’t let correctible problems raise up their ugly head in the future and put a damper on the effectiveness of a team.

[] RE-COMMIT TO YOUR COMMITMENT

Most importantly, this is a time to ask yourself a very important question: “Now that I have been forced to step back or step away from the life of a cook – do I want to jump back in when the opportunity arises? Am I willing and able to re-commit what it takes to be GREAT at what I do?” If the answer is “no or I’m not sure” – then this is a perfect time to start thinking about your next career choice. If the answer is “yes” then roll up your sleeves and get to work on your conditioning. The time WILL come when restaurants are back in full swing.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

A SURREALISTIC PILLOW EVENT

28 Thursday Jan 2021

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A time of renewal, Covid, restaurants, Surrealistic Pillow

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 to Love and White Rabbit). This is a record that I still listen to often, but failed, over the years, to understand the meaning of the album title – until today.

After weeks of trying I was able to arrange a date to receive my first of two Covid vaccinations. Needless to say, I was excited (interesting that I was excited to get a shot). It was to be administered in Plattsburgh – a 1-hour drive from home. First, it was one of the longest trips that my wife and I had taken since March 2020. It was a beautiful winter drive through snow covered trees and the black and white panorama of winter. The roads were dry and a light snow flurry was in the air. We had planned on stopping at Panera for a curbside delivered sandwich (our first venture to a restaurant since March of last year) and had ordered our food an hour in advance with an email confirmation resting in wait on my phone.

The Plattsburgh Panera had moved from their old location (things happen while you are tucked away in your house for 9-months) and the new building was built for drive-thru and curbside service. I parked the car and hit “we’re here” on my email message. Two minutes later, our neatly packaged sandwiches were delivered to our car. Off to a similar experience at Dunkin Donuts for a cup of coffee and we found a nice parking spot for our “restaurant meal”. It seemed a bit odd that this would be my first “restaurant like” experience, after all, the business of food is my life, quick service has never been my venue of choice, and eating in my car while bundled up in winter jacket and fur hat was hardly “normal” for me. Yet, here we were, and it was good.

I plugged in the coordinates on Google maps for our next stop – vaccination central. I never knew that this part of Plattsburgh existed. It was desolate, poorly lit (dark already at 4:45 in the Adirondacks) and actually a bit creepy. This was part of the remnants of the old Plattsburgh Air force Base and our destination was a warehouse at the intersection of Connecticut and Arizona Ave. Digital signs directed us to the first stop where a State Trooper checked my ID to make sure I was eligible by age and that it matched my reservation receipt. National Guardsmen directed us to a drive thru tent where they again checked this information and provided additional paperwork to be filled out (damn – did I bring a pen?). We moved on to the next line waiting to enter an unknown warehouse space (the door would open to allow one car in at a time). We frantically looked for a pen and finally found one under my seat and I worked quickly to complete the five pages of information while holding the papers in my lap. The excitement was building while I worked to beat the clock and occasionally look up in anticipation of the door opening.

I had shed my jacket and sat with mask on and short sleeve shirt in anticipation of an event that had been wished for almost exactly one year. The garage door opened and the National Guard waved me into the large, 30 foot ceiling space – creeping along till I reached the table where two nurses were waiting. I shut off the engine and rolled down the window to a warm, friendly greeting: “you made it!” They were pleased that I had completed the paperwork and after entering some data into the computer, the nurse apologized while gently stabbing my left arm. It was a tiny bit un-nerving when she stated: “this vaccine is not approved by the FDA, it is available through “emergency designation” and that it still carries the experimental tag.” My response was quick: “bring it on”. A Band-Aid followed as she told me to pull my car into an outside lot for the required 15-minute wait and that I would receive an email message indicating the time I should arrive for my second dose in 21 days. She smiled as I pulled away. I felt a bit emotional about the whole experience – this meant that there was light at the end of the tunnel. The dangers are not over, our lives will forever be different, there are nearly 300 million more Americans that need to experience this yet, but it was the beginning of the end.

Driving home in the dark winter night, struggling to see very far down the road on this mountain trek, I suddenly understood the meaning behind Surrealistic Pillow. The album that I faithfully listen to will never be experienced in the same way. This day was both strange and comforting. The fact that what was experienced is accepted and expected meant that normal was headed in a new direction. This new normal is with us now and the world is adjusting. I felt truly blessed to have the experience and pray that others will line up soon to discover the same. Get your shot as soon as you can and don’t forget to bring a pen.

We will get through this – of this I am sure. Today, for me, was an affirmation that there are brighter days ahead. The restaurant industry will survive – Panera was an example of adaptation and an encouraging sign that great minds are carving out a new way that will only continue to evolve and improve. The chaos surrounding the pandemic, the tragedy that continues, and the questions around expediting the vaccine will be answered (I felt real comfort in how well organized the process of delivery was), we will eventually be able to shake hands and hug each other again, and life will be great at some point in the near future. As this happens we should never forget what has and continues to occur and how unprepared we were at the onset. We must not lose sight of how important it is to be ready and think through many scenarios that can and will accompany the next crisis. Let’s learn from this experience. In the meantime – wear a mask, keep your distance, avoid crowds, and wash your hands. The time will come when the good life will return if we work together.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – VALUE and the TOP LINE DRIVE the BOTTOM LINE

23 Saturday Jan 2021

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chefs, culinary, RESTAURANT PROFIT, Restaurant Top Line, Restaurant Value, restaurants

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 determine what your physical plant will look like, the scope of sophistication in your kitchen, who your vendors will be, how many employees you will hire and the depth of their experience, where you advertise and how much you invest in that, your table top appointments, and even your hours of operation. So, if you are in the process of ideation with regard to a restaurant – then start with one simple question: “How do I want to measure profit?”

In those restaurants where profit is measured in terms of smaller numbers with significant volume then concerns such as food cost percentage are of paramount importance. When profit is measured in more significant profit from fewer sales then I will make a statement that may cause many chefs scratch their heads in disbelief: “Food cost percentage is far less relevant – it’s all about contribution margin.” In both cases it is sales (the top line) that sets the stage for success.

So what is contribution margin? Simply stated it is what a menu item contributes to the financial success of a restaurant. This can be direct (the menu item itself contributes working funds) or indirect (because the item is present on the menu – other items are more likely to sell). So let’s look at this through an example or two:

Chicken Saltimbocca vs. Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Demi Glace.

The Chicken breast (6 ounce flattened) may cost in the neighborhood of $3, the additional slice of Prosciutto, Provolone Cheese, and sauce reduction another $1.50, and complementary vegetable/starch combination another $.75 for a total plate cost (not actual costs, but fair estimates) equals around $5.25. The baseline formula for determining selling price using an acceptable food cost percent of 30% would be:

SELLING PRICE SP) = PLATE COST (PC)/FOOD COST %(FC%)

SP = $5.25 / .30

SP = $17.50

The available funds left (contribution) = $17.50 – $5.25 or $12.25

________________________________________________________________________________________
The Beef Tenderloin might look something like this:

Beef Tenderloin (trimmed) (8 oz.) at around $18/pound = $9.00, the wild mushroom demi from stock to finished reduction around $1.25, mélange of wild mushrooms (chanterelles and morels) at approximately $2.00, and a standard vegetable/starch combination at $.75 for a total plate cost of around $13.00. If we use the same baseline formula for determining selling price:

SP = $13.00 / .30

SP = $43.33

The available funds left (contribution) = $43.33 – 13.00 or $30.33

Now the first question is: Can you sell this steak at $43 or does this exceed what the market will bear?

If we chose to use 50% as the desired FC% then the result would be:

SP = $13.00 / .50

SP = $26.00 (A price that guests would be more willing to swallow)

The available funds left (contribution) would be $13 or $.75 greater than chicken at 30%. But now the contribution potential goes even further if we consider general psychology and human behavior.

1. It would not be a stretch to consider that a steak person is different than a chicken person (behavior considerations are generalized). The steak person may very well be less “price sensitive” and more willing to listen to recommendations by the server for adding appetizers, desserts, and even a nice bottle of wine. The chicken person might be of the same mindset, but could be considered more cost conscious and a tougher sell. So, in this example – even though the steak (at a 50% cost) falls outside of the norm for food cost percentage, it stands to contribute more in terms of available gross profit as well as the ability to encourage ancillary sales of other items.

If, in fact, you understand that the success of a restaurant leans on the ability to generate sales, then it becomes obvious that getting all wrapped up in food cost percentage pales in comparison to driving the “top line”.

2. The “soft issues” that go beyond measurement of dollars and cents point to a more robust overall “dining experience” when a guest is able to enjoy a broader spectrum of dishes and complementary beverages. When the “experience” is driven by turning tables to reach a desired volume then something will likely be missing. It should always be the restaurateur’s goal to encourage return business and ambassadorship when happy guests recommend what you have to offer to others.

Now, what about those operations that rely on a smaller amount of profit enhanced by some serious volume – can they create an experience that is worthy of a return? Absolutely! But, in this case you need to rely on the uniqueness of an atmosphere that also encourages shorter dine in times, signature items that create excitement and buzz (think Chick fill-A chicken sandwich), systems throughout the operation that are geared for speed (think about the order/delivery system at Panera), and the ability to maintain a high level of volume.

In the higher profit/lower volume model there will be a requirement for higher levels of skill from both front and the back of the house, a greater understanding of ingredients and their source, cost appropriate table top items (more expensive china, flatware, and glassware), and a level of finesse that rises to the level of the menu pricing.

At a time when pandemic restrictions dramatically impact typical top line initiatives for both methods of measuring profit, it is easy to see just how challenged restaurants are to find a profit scenario that works.

BRING VALUE INTO THE FORMULA

The magic of a great restaurant and one that yields profit potential for the operation lies in those factors that go beyond costs and selling price determination. These are the elements of a food experience that create “value”. Every restaurant should embrace, as part of its goal structure, a feeling among its customers of: “That was well worth what I spent.” Whether it is a $5.00 quick service meal or a $100 fine dining evening – there is always room to create experiences and in turn – great value. The most common components of the value approach are:

UNIQUE, MEMORABLE FLAVORS

It may very well be that one item or a few signature menu choices that just knock people’s socks off. Excitement around flavor is one of the most compelling reasons to support a restaurant. People come from all over the country to New Orleans with a clear commitment to stand in line at Café du Monde for their beignets.

A SPECIAL LOCATION

Those restaurants that are fortunate enough to physically sit in proximity to a breathtaking view, a center of exciting activity, or in a community of other restaurants will always enjoy a steady flow of value seeking customers. The Union Oyster House in the middle of Quincy Market – Boston; The Slanted Door on the edge of San Francisco Bay; or Spiaggia overlooking Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and a view of Lake Michigan are all prime examples of locations that create an experience for diners.

BEAUTIFUL FOOD PRESENTATIONS

A chef knows that he or she has succeeded in engaging a guest and creating visual value when the presentation of a plate of food causes the table to stop, focus on the beauty before them, and pull out their cell phones to take a few pictures to remember.

TRUST IN CONSISTENCY

Those restaurants that consistently create food flavors that are expected, presentations that are anticipated, and service that lives up to previous experiences will always be viewed as a place that offers special value.

REAL SERVICE

There certainly is value in proper technical service, but it will always be those restaurants that offer that warm sincerity, the welcoming attitudes, and those friendly connections with guests that build the most important reasons to return.

COMMUNITY RELEVANCE

Finally, when a restaurant is engaged with a community, supportive of neighborhood efforts and causes, and there to make a difference – true value becomes incredibly obvious. Why would guests patronize any other operations when yours is part of the neighborhood family? This is value.

In the end, creating compelling reasons for guests to patronize your restaurant is complex, but it can be narrowed down to building value. Building value will always lead to healthy top lines (sales) for restaurants.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Create Value Experiences

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

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THE 2021 CHEF SKILL SET

08 Friday Jan 2021

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2021 chef, chef, chefs skill set, cook, culinary, professional kitchen, restaurants

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 specific job descriptions evolve. This is reality, a reality that is quite predictable although the pace of change is now much more rapid than in the past. Think about the technology sector as a prime example.

Sometimes the change curve can be mapped out allowing ample time to gear up with new skills, new products, new methods of production, and a laser focused marketing strategy, while on occasion, something environmental takes place that forces a more immediate response. Such is the case in 2021.

We all knew that the restaurant industry was in need of a structural overhaul, we (those of us affiliated with the business) were well aware of the cogs in the chain, and the years of rust that had accumulated on systems and organization, but it took the pandemic of 2020/21 to shout out: THE TIME IS NOW!

So here is the good news: there will be ample opportunities in 2021 and beyond for chefs, cooks, managers, and service staff who recognize the immediacy of the challenge and the new skill set that will be required of successful players and leaders in the field. Let’s take the position of chef as a prime example – here is a list of skills and aptitudes that will set todays and tomorrows chef apart from those who are in a state of change paralysis:

[] EFFICIENCY

Doing more with less will be the name of the game. The labor-intensive environments that have been typical in kitchens are nearly impossible to maintain. Chefs who are able to develop systems of production that work with fewer people will find a gold star on their resume.

[] STREAMLINED MENU PLANNING

To go along with efficiency – the new chef will need to find ways to develop creative menus that rely on fewer ingredients, are fluid enough to change as the market demands, cost effective, aligned with seasonal ingredients at their peak of quality, and just as exciting for customers and cooks as those expansive models used prior to 2021.

[] ANALYSIS

Chefs who are able to generate, assess, and use analytical data in their decision-making (menu trends, cost trends, daily labor analysis, market prices, etc.) will have the upper hand when it comes to securing those prime job opportunities.

[] SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY

Marketing no longer belongs to a department – marketing is every person’s responsibility. With the increasing relevance of social media as the primary method of getting a restaurants message out – chefs who are social media savvy (astute at using Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Twitter) will be at the top of the “hire” list for prominent restaurants.

[] TEACHING/TRAINING

Of course chefs have always been trainers, but be aware that this will now become a “must schedule” part of their job. Chef’s who are able to progressively teach cooks and even service staff about the ingredient, preparations, flavor profiles, pairings, and presentations of the food that is designed and produced in the kitchen will be in high demand. With all of the challenges that culinary schools are also facing in this changing business environment, restaurants cannot depend on graduates as their primary source of trained cooks.

[] LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

Assuming that after the pandemic customers will return to a semi-predictable pattern of traveling to your restaurant is a bit naïve. Chefs who are experienced in multiple ways of connecting customers with their food (catering, food trucks, pop-up restaurants, delivery, take out pick-up, etc.) will find themselves in the winner’s circle.

[] FLEXIBILITY

My way or the highway may be difficult to maintain as a chef’s method of operation. Bending to the market, changing in an instant, adopting other people’s ideas, and seeking out new ways of preparing and presenting food will become the new norm. Can you leave your old habits behind?

[] SANITATION ADVOCATE

As important as sanitation and food safety is already, look for this to become the most important signature of a chef’s repertoire. Ultra-clean and safe will be a very important way that a restaurant markets itself and the chef who has the tallest toque.

[] LABOR LAW SAVVY

If you don’t have a restaurant law course in your background, now is the time to sign up. In a world where the employee will continue to have an upper hand, owners will want a chef on board who will protect them against litigation, not one who creates litigious situations.

[] HR ROLE MODEL

How the parent acts is how the child will also act. The same holds true in a kitchen: how the chef acts will become the standard of operation for everyone else. Throw out all of the stereotypes of belligerent, egotistical, pan throwing, demeaning chefs – they can no longer exist. If this is your M.O. then it’s time to retire.

[] SUPPLY CHAIN NEGOTIATOR

Everything, every service, every price, every vendor relationship is negotiable –especially when it comes to buying local and regional. Picking up the phone to place an order without talking about those details and negotiating the best option for the restaurant is not acceptable in the new restaurant world. A negotiation savvy chef will win the day.

[] IDEATOR/PROBLEM SOLVER

Finally, more than ever before the restaurant will look to the chef for new ideas and solutions to problems. A 2021 chef must be the go-to person for that next great idea and must have the experience and confidence to find instant resolutions to the plethora of challenges that arise every day in a kitchen and restaurant.

In case you didn’t notice – I failed to mention anything about cooking skills – the act that attracted a person to the kitchen in the first place. It will always be assumed that the chef in any operation has impeccable cooking skills, understands ingredients, is a master of preparation and presentation, and owns a palate for creating flavors that draws a steady flow of customers through the restaurants doors.

This is quite the package. How does your bag of tricks fit the profile?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE EINSTEIN MOMENT FOR RESTAURANTS

04 Monday Jan 2021

chefs, Einstein moments, restaurant challenges, Restaurant Survival, restaurants

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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 in time when we suddenly understand the solution to a problem or the need for something that no one has pondered before. With all of the challenges facing the restaurant industry today, it would seem that Chef Tower is spot on; but where do we turn for that flash of inspiration?

One thing is certain – we are overwhelmed with the problems of the moment and seem unable, or unwilling to move through the storm to blue skies that might exist beyond. Those who have confidence in their abilities will often times say: “Give me some time to think, to reflect on my experience, to chat with a few friends, and I will find a solution to the problem.” When we are able to set aside the pressure of the moment and let our imagination wander, there will be greater opportunities to find solutions and to define a new direction – one that might create even greater opportunities.

I have been struggling to dig deeper into Chef Tower’s statement and have come to a few conclusions:

I don’t have the answers for the restaurant challenges of the day
I do have a better understanding of how we might collectively approach those challenges

There are a variety of ways that people, throughout history, have approached Einstein Moments – inspiration that leads to positive solutions:

OBSERVATION – Newton supposedly observed an apple falling from a tree and thought about earth’s pull – the result was an understanding of gravity.
EXPERIENCE – Horst Shultze, a young bellman at a hotel used his experience of working his way through various positions to eventually land the position of CEO of Ritz Carlton Hotels and their approach towards Total Quality Management.
TRIAL AND ERROR – Thomas Edison had thousands of failures before he was able to perfect the light bulb – the world has never been the same.
BUILDING A DEEP PORTFOLIO OF KNOWLEDGE – Doctor Salk, an accomplished researcher and virologist was able to build on his knowledge and that of his peers to develop the first vaccine for polio.
BEING BORN WITH THE GIFT OF VISUALIZATION – Steve Jobs was always able to envision devices and services that only he knew the world would need before they came to that realization. The resulting products of personal computers, smart phones, clean and addictive MP3 players, and tablets are an integral part of our lives today.
DIGGING IN AND WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH IT – This is the method that every professional chef has used for generations.

One thing is certain, as described simply by Albert Einstein:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

Ah – stay with me: you might be thinking that the current challenges that restaurants face are all driven by the pandemic – so, we didn’t create them. Certainly, the pandemic is a major curve ball that was not anticipated, but the effects on our businesses are crippling to this degree because of some deep seated issues that have been around for decades: a labor intensive business, low profits, high rents, ingredients with a short shelf-life, unpredictable business volume, high cost of ingredients, and the list goes on. In the end, the restaurant business did not have the resources or the wherewithal to weather this storm. Our country will get through this crisis, but there will be others, maybe not as severe, but there will be others. The Einstein Moment must begin with a realization of the “cause” so that we can find better ways to avoid curve balls in the future, or at least better deal with the “effects”.

Restaurant folks are pretty good at problem-solving when we can approach the issue in a logical manner: “business volume is down and labor cost is out of whack so we change our operating hours and reduce the amount of labor needed – problem solved for the time being.” But when the boat is leaking from a dozen different spots, then logic is far less effective.

“Logic will get you from point A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

-Albert Einstein

The industry’s current situation requires imagination that can lead to a Eureka moment and a new direction that attacks the root cause of leaking from a dozen different spots.

“Knowledge of what is does not open the door directly to what should be.”

-Albert Einstein

Relying on what we know may simply not be enough to pull our industry out of the weeds, build on its solvency, and set the boat right as we move forward into uncharted waters.

Somehow the restaurant industry as a whole (ideally), or at the very least small groups of community restaurants need to make the time to step back, take a deep breath, put aside the pressures of the moment and let their collective minds wander. What we are looking for is not a solution to a problem so much as it is a rethinking of how we perceive our businesses.

If we are looking for those flashes of insight it is important to define periods of time when we can “incubate” our thinking – stop focusing on the current problems and allow your mind to observe, listen, drift a bit, take in your environment, share with others, tap into other interests, and give your mind a chance to breathe and clear ample space for new thinking. It may mean that we need to engage with other stakeholders and rather than state your time-tested approach – open yourself up to their feelings, needs, and thoughts.

“The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design (and longer term challenge solving) we will have.”

-Steve Jobs

Think of some of the great new directions (and products) that came out of this “Eureka Moment” approach:

When asked what consumers thought about buying record albums in the 1990’s and beyond, it was discovered that they were miffed that they had to purchase an entire album to get the one or two songs that they really liked. The result was Napster – a free (illegal) service that allowed people to download individual songs to their MP3 player. The industry responded by filing lawsuits and taking Napster to court rather than listening to consumers and addressing the real issue. Along comes Steve Jobs and Apple – iTunes is born and the recording industry is suddenly re-invented.
When asked what they felt about the decades old taxi industry – customers expressed their dissatisfaction with standing on street corners trying to wave down a cab. The resulting Einstein Moment gave birth to Uber built on the technology of a smart phone. The taxi business was re-invented.
When customers were asked about the service they received from their banks – they expressed dissatisfaction with hours of operation and their ability to access service when they were not at work. The result was an Einstein Moment that led to drive-thru windows and ATM machines that were available 24/7. The banking industry was re-invented.
And when it was observed how much time and effort was involved in shopping for everyday purchases – Jeff Bezos responded with amazon.com that gave customers access to nearly everything imaginable, available 24/7, delivered to your door in a few days, and now with Prime – without the cost of shipping on every purchase. The retail business was re-invented.

This is what Chef Jeremiah Tower meant when he called for a restaurant industry Einstein Moment – a time when a major paradigm shift results in reinvention, not fixing a problem. Who will be our Albert Einstein, our Steve Jobs, or our Jeff Bezos? When will we take a step back and allow our minds to wander, to incubate, and to think clearly about what the restaurant business can and should be like in the decades to come?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

A CHEF’S LETTER TO CONGRESS

31 Thursday Dec 2020

chefs, FUTURE OF RESTAURANTS, LETTER TO CONGRESS, restaurants, restaurants need help

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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 beacon of light for other countries seeking to maintain or create a democratic government, creating an environment for private business to be innovative and cutting edge, maintaining the infrastructure of an enormous country, and doing all of this as representatives of the people. This job of representation was designed to be a public service, something that you choose to do for the betterment of the country – offering your expertise in an altruistic manner for a period of time. This is hopefully done in a manner that will leave the country better off as a result of your involvement. You are elected by the people to do just this, and they trust that you will live up to the pledge that demands it. We know that it takes time to get comfortable and understand your role more fully; we know that a few years is not enough time, but we also know that representation was never meant to be a lifetime career that bends to your need to “keep the job” and hang on to the personal benefits that it provides.

All of this is a heavy responsibility – not for the faint at heart. This should never be a position that sets aside what you know is right and what the people expect in favor of a political party’s inclination or the pressures from donors and lobbyists. The expectation is that you will stand up to this pressure and choose what is right and appropriate over what special interest groups desire. This is a position that should make it difficult for you to sleep at night, to take those long vacations, to set aside the need to read and research, to avoid challenging the norm and stand on that soapbox at times in defense of what is right for the people. Sorry, this is what goes along with the position of representation – representation that holds on it’s shoulders the lives of American people, their livelihood, their families, and their potential to live the American dream.

These are incredibly challenging times, times that none of us could have imagined just a year ago. We all know the issues: a 100 year pandemic, a crumbling economy, a threatened system of education, loss of millions of jobs, a planet crying out for help, our decaying international stature, runaway deficit spending, fairness and equality, and the demise of private entrepreneurship – such an enormous load. This is the worst of times, not the best and as a result this is the most inappropriate time to relinquish your responsibility for partisanship behavior. When times are toughest teamwork must rise to the top of everyone’s priority list. The decisions to be made must always take precedent over party desires and special interest pressure. You need to come together to resolve the critical issues of our time or we all will pay the price. Your people, the ones who placed their trust in you with their vote, are counting on you and they are watching. The world depends on you just as much as do the American people and they are watching as well, watching with bated breath.

One issue that may seem to be just another to add to the pile is the health of the restaurant industry in our country. To some, this industry may seem to be one that is far from critical. After all, people can cook at home. To some, restaurants will always be a luxury and not a necessity – something that is great to have, but not essential. I would beg to differ, and so would the millions of Americans who either work in, or dine in those establishments that have been the backbone of our economy for generations (yes, the backbone). Allow me to elaborate for your edification – first some hard facts:

According to the National Restaurant Association:

There are (were) over 1 million freestanding restaurants in the United States before the coronavirus was part of our vocabulary.
15.6 million Americans are (were) employed by the restaurant industry and to so many who live in this country – working in a restaurant was their introduction to the workforce
90% of restaurant managers started out as entry-level restaurant employees demonstrating the upward mobility from a job to a career and although I don’t have a numeric value for it – a high percentage of professional chefs got their start as a dishwasher
80% of restaurant owners started as an entry-level restaurant employee demonstrating the magic of the American Dream to become an entrepreneur
70% of American restaurants are single unit private entrepreneurships

Now on the qualitative side – the following list points to the societal importance of restaurants to the heart and soul of our country:

Throughout the last 150 years – restaurants have been that place where people gather to challenge each other, to celebrate, to nourish, and to reward. We rely on restaurants to provide these opportunities and the environment that fosters these interactions.
As our country has clawed its way through disaster after disaster: two world wars, the Korean war, Vietnam, Desert Storm, The Afghanistan War, the Great Depression, numerous recessions, the horrors of 9-11, Polio and HIV, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters – it has been the American restaurant that showed the first signs of national recovery. When these disasters occur – it has been the American restaurant Industry that came together to help with the first, most basic need – to feed those in need.
When families seek to raise their children to be active members of society and learn to care for themselves while earning those first paychecks – they turn to restaurants to teach their sons and daughters some basic skills.
When the demands placed on families because both parents need to work, or in single parent homes where survival is the first call to arms – the ability to lean on restaurants for family meals has always been a comfort.
When neighborhoods that have been plagued by decades of neglect seek to renew and rebuild – it is oftentimes expected that a restaurant will be the first business to open and show signs of life and hope for that renewal.

I could go on and on, but the essential point is that restaurants are important to America, they represent all that we envision and work to reach: a paycheck, an opportunity to become an entrepreneur, a place of gathering and comfort, a place to celebrate and raise a glass, an a sign of life and vitality for a community.

Right now restaurants are in need of understanding and help from Congress. This is not an issue that can be put aside for a while and looked at in the future. This is not a tomorrow issue – this is critical TODAY, in this very moment. The pandemic and necessary restrictions on public places like restaurants in order to protect the lives of so many are something that restaurant owners, chefs, servers, and managers understand. At the same time, this is not a normal situation that resulted from an operator’s ability to manage properly, this is far beyond our control and as a result we need help to weather the storm. Some predict that as many as 50% of the private restaurants in America will close before this pandemic comes under control – some will reopen and new ones, undoubtedly will rise up, but millions of jobs, the centerpieces of many neighborhoods, the lifeblood of far too many communities, and a significant chunk of the American Dream stand to crumble.

This is not a time for Congress to bicker over politics, to take partisan sides, to try to slide in those special interest expenditures, or to go on vacation with the job left undone. This is the time to act for the people and the country that put you in office to be a representative, to do what is right. The restaurant industry needs help in providing a paycheck for their employees, loan deferrals, rent support, and long-term advisement on how to reinvent themselves. This is what one would expect from the greatest nation in the world and from a country that promotes the American Dream as essential to its character.

To fail to do this will result in the destruction of an essential industry to the character of America. WE CAN’T WAIT – TIME HAS RUN OUT. Do what you were elected to do and do it TODAY. We are all watching what you do next.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

COOKS AND THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

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chefs, cooks, kitchen career, learning to become a cook, professional kitchens, restaurants, 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 looked at his sous chef expediting on the other side of the pass – his eyes said: bring it on chef.

This has been a long haul for the eager, confident line cook who started out three years ago as a dishwasher. It was that part-time job in his senior year of high school, diving for pearls on weekends and an occasional weeknight that gave Alex a level of confidence that was lacking in his life. He would graduate from school, but not because he was a stellar student, but simply because he promised his parents that he would. School actually came easy for him, but it just wasn’t his thing. Working, sore muscles sweat, aching feet – this is what gave him a sense of purpose.

The light bulb went off the summer after graduation when he finished his third consecutive week of 50 plus hours on dishes – the chef called Alex into his office and sat him down. “Alex, I really like your work ethic, the fact that I can always count on you to be here and work your hardest is incredibly valuable to me and the team. I just don’t think that you are working to the level of your ability. You’ve washed enough dishes – it’s time to learn how to cook.” From that moment on Alex knew that his career choice had been made.

This is how so many cooks are made. Even those who have the opportunity to take the time to attend culinary school, if they are truly committed, started out just like Alex. It has been said many times that career cooks don’t choose their profession – it chooses them.

Alex spent a year as a prep cook – this is where he learned how to identify ingredients and judge their quality, proper food safety and sanitation, how to set-up a work station, sharpen and care for knives, the dimensions on vegetable cuts, how to make a perfect stock, all of the cooking methods, fabricate a chicken, cut steaks, bone out a ham, fillet round and flat fish, open clams and oysters, turn potatoes, build flavors, and create an array of sauces from the bold stocks that he made. Most importantly he discovered how to organize his work, be consistent, meet the standards of the operation, and build some speed. After a year of this important routine – he was ready for the line.

Things were a bit rough at first. Alex had become accustomed to working independently – playing his skills against the clock and the constantly expanding prep list, but now he had to depend on others. The whole concept of team was something that would take adjustment time. He started on the fry station where his focus was on a few bar appetizers, pommes frites, and an occasional deep fried entrée. When other stations depleted their mise en place Alex would jump in to chop fines herbs, portion extra proteins, clarify butter, or simply line up plates or fold extra side towels. This was a valuable experience since he had the chance to watch how every other station operated. At first it seemed impossible: “How do they keep all of those orders timed properly, seasoned appropriately, and always looking perfect at the time of plating?” After a few months he had a pretty good picture of how it all worked and his comfort level improved dramatically. Now he was pulled into the grill station on a reasonably slow night when the normal station cook was ill and couldn’t make it in for his shift. Alex understood degrees of doneness, but keeping a chargrill organized with multiple degrees of doneness, making sure that those hash marks from the grill were spot on, and taking carry over cooking into account was overwhelming. He made it through that first night with only three re-fires, but it was rough.

The chef made sure that from that point on – Alex was scheduled one night per week on the grill. Practice makes perfect and in no time he had built a high level of competence and confidence. Alex saw that the chef was determined to build him into a roundsman – a cook who could work many stations with a high level of skill. For the first time since washing that first dish while in high school, Alex saw the kitchen as a likely career – one that might even lead to the chef’s position at some point.

Another few months and the chef pulled Alex off of the hot line and scheduled him to shadow the Garde Manger. “You need to learn the cold side of the kitchen as well. Garde Manger is where we make our profit. Salads, appetizers, and desserts are the “extras” that help to turn a restaurant into a successful one. This is also where you will fine tune your skill at plate presentations.”

To Alex, this seemed like a demotion. The hot line was where the action was, where teamwork was built, and where the sweat from hard work was most evident. Garde Manger seemed too light for a cook on the rise. He would work with Sally who had been at the restaurant for three years – the last two in Garde Manger. Alex quickly saw that the shear number of components that Sally had to work with made the grill station look like child’s play. Everything had its own process, most of which fell on Sally’s shoulders unlike the hot line that was serviced by the prep cook. There were marinades, dressings, poached fruits, sauce reductions, delicate garnishes, artisan cheeses of all types, croustades, washed and spun greens, shucked oysters and clams, poached lobster, pates, and galantines, and the assembly of some pretty intricate desserts that were prepped by the pastry chef in the early morning hours. It was a lot to organize and assemble – Sally did it so well, with so much finesse. Alex’s learning curve would be steep. He dove into the challenge and learned to admire Sally’s skill more and more every day. He would later find out that she too started on the hot line, but now preferred her artistic station.

Through his on-going training rotation Alex felt himself grow into each position, earn respect from his peers, and slowly become a very good and extremely valuable member of the restaurant kitchen team. After three solid months in Garde Manger the chef called Alex in to the office. “Alex, I am very pleased to see how much you have grown and how confident your teammates are in your skill set. I want to take a step back for the next month and schedule you back in the dish room. You will start there on Monday.” The chef left it at that without any explanation. Alex was crushed and confused. “This is where I was two years ago. I thought I was doing a really good job in the kitchen – why is the chef doing this?” A bit of anger crept into Alex’s psyche and as he walked home he even gave thought to quitting this job and looking to a different restaurant. The next day, however, he returned to the kitchen thinking that he would show the chef that he was much more talented than wasting his abilities on diving for pearls.

What happened in that first week of dishwashing was both enlightening and humbling. He began to see the position differently now – he looked at the importance of the dishwasher through the eyes of the cook. It wasn’t sufficient just to wash sauté pans for the middle station – he wanted to make sure that they were stacked in line with the cooks mise en place, handles pointing a certain way, scrubbed till they glistened, and always perfectly dry before they hit the deep blue flame from the stove. He made extra sure that plates were perfectly clean, dry, and free of chips and cracks. He knew now how frustrating it was for a cook to pick up a plate and find out it wasn’t suitable for the assembly of a dish. He took the time to show servers just how important it was to properly scrape and stack dirty plates to keep the system working well, and he was always on the look out for floor spills that could endanger a cook or server. He quickly slipped into the role of an excellent dishwasher.

After two weeks, the chef called Alex into the office again. “You may have wondered why I put you back in the dish area after two years of cooks training. I think you see now that the objective was to give you a different perspective on how important that position is to the operation of the kitchen. A great dishwasher can lead to success and a poor one can bring a kitchen down. I guarantee you that from this point on you will never take the position for granted. Tomorrow you will begin to learn sauté – our most complicated line position.”

It has been three months now since Alex started on sauté. He is exceptional at the work, incredibly well organized, spot on as a teammate, and well rounded with his understanding of cooking. When his look passed on to the expeditor said: “bring it on”, it was because Alex was a confident and competent cook who learned through the school of hard knocks. He loved what he did and knew that the chef could depend on him to jump into any position where he was needed – even the dish room. Alex could see into the future and knew that it wouldn’t be long before that first sous chef position came his way.

There is no better way to learn the ropes, become excellent at your craft, and set the stage for a long and fruitful career than learning by doing. All of these steps are essential. Look for the opportunities, accept the challenges, enter each phase with an open mind, and build your repertoire in a methodical fashion. The world is your oyster.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

One Step at a Time

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHASING THE DEVIL – SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

04 Friday Dec 2020

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS IN RESTAURANTS, chefs, cooks, restaurants, substance abuse in the kitchen

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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 be ready with his mise en place at service, always be focused on excellence in cooking, he will look the part of a professional and whenever the chef is short an employee he knows that Joe will respond to the emergency and double time it in on his day off. The chef is either oblivious to or avoiding what everyone else in the kitchen knows – Joe drinks with reckless abandon. After work – Joe can’t wait to trot to the closest bar where his alter-personality kicks in after the second drink. When he settles in to this environment he quickly turns from that quiet, reflective, talented cook to the life of the party. He has done this for so long that Joe is able to stumble home at 3 in the morning and appear sharp and focused at 1 p.m. when he arrives for another shift behind the line.

Today, something is different. It’s 1:20 and Joe hasn’t shown up for work yet. The rest of the crew is quiet and uncomfortable as the chef asks if anyone has heard from Joe – his most dependable cook. The chef has called Joe’s cell a few times – but no one answers. By 2:00 everyone is rather worried and the chef sends one of his other cooks to Joe’s apartment to check on him. After pounding on his door for ten minutes – he finally opens the door. He is in rough shape, his face is bruised and cut, his clothes are spattered with blood, and he is obviously still intoxicated from a late night of bar hopping. “Man – what the hell is going on? You’re supposed to be at work – the chef sent me to check on you.” Joe is speechless – he simply waves off his peer and says: “I’m not coming in today.” This cook has hit the wall – alcohol has taken control and there is no turning back at this point. He hasn’t been on an extended bender for quite some time – but now one is rearing up its ugly head. This isn’t the first job that he will likely lose, and it won’t be the last.

If you are working in the restaurant business then this story will ring true. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who can occasionally over-subscribe to alcohol or other substances and not worry about the disease sinking its clutches into your every being. Even if this is the case – you have worked or are working with others who can’t turn it on or off. Statistics that measure substance abuse by industry rank food service as #3 in heavy alcohol use and #1 in abuse of illicit drugs. Joe is not an anomaly. Nearly 13% of all heavy alcohol users in the U.S. work in the food service industry! Why is this so and what can be done about it?

There are a number of tragedies associated with Joe’s situation – a number of ancillary victims whose only shortcoming is a quiet association with Joe and his problem. The chef will ultimately lose a great employee, his co-workers will suffer the impact of Joe’s meltdown, customers might even begin to notice a change in the quality of work, Joe’s family will suffer the uncertainty of his health and wellbeing, friends and relationships will deteriorate, and he will continue down this bottomless pit until he self-destructs even further. All of those connections tried to ignore the growing problem and simply shook their heads and hoped for the best.

One recovering alcoholic stated: “I think I always knew there was going to be a problem – but I thought – not me. One day a delivery driver arrived late – I was pissed! I gave him a hard time for no reason – it was not his fault. On his way out the door he said to me: ‘I wish I could give you a beer’. It was confirmed – I wasn’t hiding it well.”

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse are part of a disease category that relies on dependence. Like any other disease it needs to be recognized, accepted, and treated. This dependence will not go away on it’s own. The person or persons impacted by this disease will require a regimented treatment unlike any other debilitating disease. People impacted by substance abuse will need tough love, support, physical treatment, mental and emotional support, and a lifetime of discipline to overcome the need to lean on alcohol or drugs. As is said: “once an alcoholic or drug user, always an alcoholic or drug user.” Note that no one is ever cured of this disease – they are always referred to as “recovering” – never cured. Yet, like Joe – so many keep their problem under wraps as long as they can – never seeking help, never admitting that they are plagued by the evil hands of a monster that always tries to draw them in.

You might think: “a drink now and then is fine, it’s enjoyable, a nice release, a way to enjoy the social nature of friendship and family.” You might reflect on your own situation where a bottle of wine with a great meal is the complete package and never something that draws you in at the expense of family, friendships, mental health, or a career. That’s great – I belong to this fortunate club, but at the same time I have witnessed lives crushed, relationships shattered, careers end, and even lives lost among those who are not as fortunate to have the off and on switch. What Joe is experiencing is what tens of thousands of food service workers face every day – it is a very, very serious problem. There was a point in my career when I felt that I should become an honorary member of Alcoholics Anonymous simply because so many of my friends and co-workers built their life schedules around AA meetings. Let me reiterate – it is a very, very serious problem.

A good friend and fellow chef stated: “Most alcoholics and addicts feel all alone in a crowded football stadium – most of us think we don’t belong. A lot of people think, in the beginning, it will help them be more social, to get along better, but what you’re really doing is placing yourself where you can no longer learn – you stop growing.”

During these unprecedented times when the restaurant industry is challenged like never before, when the routine of the cook, chef, server, or manager is very uncertain, and when that typical adrenaline rush of working in a busy kitchen has, in some cases, come to a halt; there may be more individuals than ever before who are on the edge. It is so easy for alcohol or drugs to creep in and take control. We all need to pay attention to the signs, be aware, and be there to support those who are finding it difficult to cope.

It takes a village to save a friend or co-worker from the ravages of substance dependence; we can all play a role in the recovery process. First, most who are in the know will tell you that it serves no purpose to ignore or discount an alcoholic’s or drug addict’s actions. This is the tough love part – they need to be called out. Second, we can all help by talking about how their actions impact not just themselves, but also all those individuals around them. It is important that the individual come to grips with the problem. Third, we need to support them by helping the alcoholic or drug dependent individual connect with the right help. Bring the individual to the helping hands of another recovering cook, chef, friend, family member, or known AA sponsor. Know where and when local AA meetings are being held. Post it in your kitchen for all to see. Finally, be the voice of encouragement – the process out of despair is long and difficult, but never turn away from their desire to become whole again. The person may lose a job along the way; find a family member or friend who turns his or her back, or a co-worker who fails to understand the disease. From this point on – staying sober or clean is the most important action in their lives.

Words of advice from my friend: “Ask for help! You are not alone. There is so much help out there – talk with somebody before it’s too late.”

I was turned on to the following TEDTalk. It is heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. Everyone, whether directly impacted by substance abuse or not – should watch and listen. This is a valuable 10-minute investment of your time.

SOBER REALITY FOR THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY:

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Know that you are not alone

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE MAKING OF A GREAT CHEF

30 Monday Nov 2020

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chef success, chefs, cooks, important chef ingredient, professional kitchen, restaurants

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, there is one common ingredient that makes all the difference in how adept, interesting, creative, and ultimately successful a chef or cook might become. The ingredient is CURIOSITY.

Great cooks and chefs never simply accept – they are perpetually inquisitive. Those classical kitchens where cooks simply follow directives because that is what the chef demanded were never destined to nurture great chefs. Cooks need to state the most important questions if they are to grow – “why, where from, what is the rationale, what is the history, how is it made, what are the differences, and when should you choose one example over another?”

It is curiosity, the quest for answers upon answers that builds passion, understanding, creativity, and competence. When a cook simply accepts without asking why, how, what, or when, then his or her passion for the craft will be limited, his or her perspective on the job of cooking with be tainted, and the resulting cooking will be a shadow of what it might become. To nurture young cooks, to teach and train, and to build competence and confidence among those who work in a kitchen, it is essential that we (chefs and culinary teachers) establish a platform where curiosity reigns.

Think about the possibilities and the opportunities that curiosity might unveil.

SALT as a mineral and a seasoning is just salt – why question it? Yet to really know salt is to understand where it comes from and how it is extracted. Once you understand that the environment where salt is drawn from, just like the terroir for wine grapes, will have a significant impact on this magical mineral. Visiting a salt mine, a sea salt plant, or if you have the chance a French Fleur de Sel farm or Japanese soy sauce artisan producer will reveal the complexities of this simple ingredient that to many cooks is just a commodity that sits on their storeroom shelves.

CARROTS, POTATOES, TURNIPS, and PARSNIPS are root vegetables that are easily available to all cooks and are offered at very inexpensive commodity prices. Root vegetables are just root vegetables unless you understand them, visit a farm where they are grown, spend a few days in the farmers shoes, harvest the root vegetables by pulling them from the soil that has kept them in a protective blanket for months, and brushed them off and taken a bite. Curious chefs want to know what that carrot really tastes like, how the farmer plays a role in its shape, texture and flavor, and how soil and climate impact the flavor. I guarantee that if this curiosity is met – the cook will never view a root vegetable in the same manner again.

THAT STRIP LOIN COMES FROM MY VENDOR, period. This is easy to accept. Call your local meat vendor, place an order, receive it, store it, prep it and prepare it just as the chef told you. Simple directions for the cook working the grill station in your kitchen. But cooking that is void of understanding is so shallow, void of respect, and starved of meaning. To become an extraordinary grill cook and eventually a chef who plans menus using those products received from a meat vendor – a serious kitchen employee must ask those critical questions: WHERE does the product come from? WHAT part of the animal? WHY do certain cuts adapt well to high temperature, rapid cooking like grilling, while others insist on low heat and slow timing? HOW is the animal cared for? WHAT is it fed? HOW is the animal processed, fabricated, aged, graded, and packaged? WHAT is the difference between dry and wet aging and does Cryovac impact the flavor of the muscle? Think about the care, respect, intensity of attention to detail, and pride that a cook will have once he or she is able to have answers to these questions, maybe visit a cattle ranch, a feed lot, and processing plant before turning a steak on a hot grill to receive those perfect grill marks.

ORDER FRESH SEAFOOD FROM OUR USUAL FISHMONGER is a task that chefs engage in constantly. It might come from a local supplier or be flown in from different parts of the world, but what is important is the transaction and receipt – right? The styro boxes packed with ice arrives and inside are beautiful Queen Snapper from Florida, Mahi Mahi from Hawaii, Atlantic salmon from Norway, Lobsters from Maine, or Dover Sole from the coast of England. The chef unpacks, fabricates, stores, and prepares this seafood as is intended and the customer enjoys the fruits of the chefs labor. How shallow is this process that is void of any real understanding or curiosity? Why did the chef choose that Queen Snapper from Florida, Salmon from Norway, or Lobster from Maine? Is it simply because of a product specification designed to meet a standard? Imagine how the chef would approach the transaction if he or she had spent an arduous day on a Maine Lobster boat – pulling in cages? Imagine how the chef might approach the fabrication of a beautiful Norwegian Salmon if he or she had visited with those engaged in fish farming off the cost of Bergen, Norway? Imagine if that same chef had tried to overcome seasickness on a 25-ton fishing trawler positioned miles off the coast of Florida as they pulled in nets filled with the fruits of the sea? Would satisfaction of this curiosity change the way that chefs order, store, fabricate, cook and serve the fish that came through the hands of dedicated fishermen rather than those who simply move the product from point A to point B?

PURCHASING THOSE FLOUR OR CORN TORTILLAS is the most cost effective way of acquiring the ingredients for that “authentic”, Central American restaurant. After all, who has time to make fresh tortilla? This will always be the case in the absence of curiosity. Until a cook or chef has tried that first hand pressed and grilled tortilla, folded it to encompass a world of different ingredients, maybe pay a visit to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, or Costa Rica or at least spent a day with indigenous people who would never, ever use a store bought shell – he or she will fail to feel the history and the passion behind this beautiful ingredient and process. “I wonder if there is any difference between store bought and hand made tortilla, and I wonder how the item came about in Central American culture.” Inquiring minds want to know, and inquiring chefs will always learn to excel at what they do.

THE WINE LIST IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DINING ROOM MANAGER OR SOMMELIER – says a typical chef in a busy restaurant. Have enough variety and there will be something to please most guest palates, besides, the chef really doesn’t have time to engage in wine selection as well. Great restaurants and great chefs understand the connection and importance of food and wine pairing. A great chef without a solid knowledge of wine varieties, terroir, the art of the wine maker’s signature, variances in vintage, and how a particular wine enhances the experience of food presented on the menu will surely be at a loss. Chefs who delve into the winemaker’s closet of understanding will be far better at their job and will reveal a passion that rivals that of the food ingredients that bring a menu to life. It is the curiosity about this beverage that is alive and ever-changing that adds a spark of interest to a chef’s repertoire.

Whether it is a desire to learn more about the ethnic influences that create a cuisine, the indigenous ingredients that are at the base of a certain cuisine, the time-proven steps in cooking methods, or the historical environment that led to the development of a dish or a regional cooking style – it is that most essential ingredient: curiosity – that separates a good cook from a passionate great one. We must all remain curious if food is to be viewed as a life-long calling.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

IT’S STILL A TIME OF THANKSGIVING

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

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chefs, cooks, restaurants, 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 the country and social distancing is measured in hundreds of miles instead of six feet – there is still plenty to be grateful for. We can be grateful for whatever health we are able to enjoy, for the memories of those whom we have lost over the years, and the prospect of a happier and hopeful 2021.

We can be grateful for faith and science that has carried us through this most difficult time and that will allow us to rise up anew – refreshed and positive as the virus is slowly brought under control. We can be hopeful that what seems to have separated us will now help us to heal and come together. When we look in a mirror there will always be more that unites us than tears us apart. We can be thankful that Mother Nature carries on with her work – the snow will be here soon, the crisp air will wake us in the morning, holiday lights will brighten our day, and the season of giving will have even more meaning this year. We can be thankful that this crisis serves as a wake-up call – an alert that allows us to remember what is truly important: family, health, friends, traditions, and that our longing to bring all of those blessings together will be rewarded soon enough.

We can be immensely thankful for those tireless individuals who risked their own wellbeing so that we could continue on with our lives during this pandemic: doctors, nurses, grocers, cashiers, first responders, medical technicians, postal carriers, farmers, fisherman, cooks and chefs, servers, FedEx and UPS drivers, teachers, and those in the trades who still managed repairs when their safety was tested. How would we have managed through this without them? We can certainly be grateful for ZOOM – this is a gift that allowed us to work from home, stay connected with our families, and even talk with our health care providers when a person-to-person visit was not possible.

For restaurants, chefs, cooks, and servers – this is a particularly difficult holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas Week, New Years Eve, Presidents Week, and Valentines Day are some of the busiest restaurant days of the year – especially during a season that has little to offer small restaurant businesses otherwise. This year will not be the same. We won’t see the elaborate holiday buffets, full dining rooms of families looking for a break from cooking at home, restaurants enjoying the seasonal increase in marriage proposals and planning for weddings, and of course those Santa visits to eager youngsters dressed up for the Christmas Eve buffet. There will be less need for kitchens filled with cooks working overtime, and servers hoping to receive those extra generous gratuities that will make their family holiday season a little brighter. Maybe it’s a good thing – maybe the industry needs to re-evaluate the importance of allowing their staff to be home with their own families during this time of the year and maybe those traditions of family kitchens filled with relatives trying to lend a hand at dinner will return as we collectively relish the way it once was.

Like other businesses, especially those small businesses that make up the backbone of our economy, this has been a catastrophic year. Some closed their doors and will not reopen; others have struggled to hang on with hope of a better tomorrow. Those who remain will be different when this is all over. They may look different, offer a new product or service, and will certainly be aware that how they deliver those products or services to the public will be different. They will need your support as never before. Those who could not weather the storm should know that other opportunities will arise and they will need our encouragement and engagement as well. We will be different in another year – different, but in many ways better, stronger, and more in tune with what needs to be done.

We may not enjoy those large gatherings at home or in restaurants this year, but we still know that the heart and soul of this season is all about appreciating what we have and looking forward to what will come next. This can happen in your dining room, in your local restaurant, or breaking bread via a ZOOM call that brings everyone together to smile, laugh, and enjoy the moment, even if virtually.

Next year will require that we remain vigilant and patient. It will require that we muster up the positive energy and courage to do what is right for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves. This is a time to give thanks for those connections and to remain strong while science does its work and the world collectively takes another step towards winning this battle.

After we have persevered – whether it is the Spring, Summer, Fall or beyond – it may be time to ask: “what have we learned and how will we act moving forward?” One thing for sure, we have all assessed and reassessed our priorities over the past few months – let us not forget what we learned in the process.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone; be safe, be well, love your family, cherish your friends, break bread and raise a glass, and let’s move through this as a stronger, more unified, compassionate country of 330 million people.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consultant

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE

20 Friday Nov 2020

www.harvestamericacues.com

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chefs, cooks, Restaurant failure, restaurant success, restaurants

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 to tell you that, in most cases, this does not have to be the storyline.

There is no shortage of organizations established to support their segment of a far-reaching industry. We have organizations for bakers, pastry chefs, savory chefs, executive chefs, corporate chefs, club chefs, restaurateurs, cooks dedicated to sustainability, whole food chefs, college food service directors, culinary educators, hoteliers, club managers, dietitians and nutritionists, vegetable farmers, dairy farmers, cheese makers, servers, bartenders, mixologists, grape growers, wine makers, and sommeliers. Each has a focus on issues and opportunities for their particular group, but rarely do they talk effectively with one another.

I tend to try and separate cause and effect – knowing that nothing will truly change unless we identify cause and focus on that. Restaurants, culinary schools, producers, and those in the beverage business are suffering because of the pandemic, but there were (and still are) plenty of other crisis situations facing these segments long before Covid-19. Restaurant profits are too low, finding competent staff is far too difficult, prices of ingredients keep rising, rents are out of sight, culinary school enrollment continues to decline, competition is too expansive, cost of an education doesn’t match rates of pay, industry pay scales and benefit offerings are too low, and marketing is way too confusing in the era of technology and social media. How many of these challenges might be addressed if all of these silo groups actually viewed themselves as part of the same business and worked together?

Here are some things that I know to be true:

[] Restaurants Will Rise Up Again

When WWI and WWII ended – restaurants and bars were some of the first businesses to recover. When the Great Depression came to an end – restaurants and bars positioned themselves to thrive. As we rebuilt American pride after 9/11 – restaurants stood in position to greet a reinvigorated American spirit. Following the economic devastation of 2008 – restaurants hunkered down for months and then came back refreshed and charged up. And when we are able to bring the pandemic under control – the same recovery for restaurants will be the case. Restaurants and bars will be different; their product, service, and method of operation will likely change – but they will rise up again.

[] Culinary Schools Will Be In Demand Again

Those schools that self-evaluate and communicate effectively with the industry they serve will always be needed. The question is – are they willing to change? The purpose of colleges is to teach, prepare, train and connect students with the rest of their lives. The purpose is not to generate degrees. When they start to look at the relevance of products that they offer and diversify from the standard degree; and once they connect better with the industry that hires their graduates, they will stand tall and thrive. Schools cannot continue to exist in their own bubble – creating content that fails to align with the industry they serve. They cannot continue to create programs that place graduates in debt for 20-years following graduation and, they cannot remain effective unless they deliver an education model that takes advantage of industry partnerships.

[] Bars Will Once Again Become a Preferred Meeting Place

People love to gather, to connect with friends and make new ones. Restaurants and bars have always served that purpose and they will again once people are comfortable with being out in public. In fact, I would dare to guess that bars, in particular, would find themselves busier than ever before.

[] Smaller Farms Will Become Essential Once Again

One thing that has become very apparent during this pandemic is that our supply chain is far more fragile than we thought. Compound this with the impact of climate change on centralized production and we have a real concern that reaches far beyond the altruistic and environmental reasons for connecting with local farms. Although a very difficult business – the opportunities for smaller regional and local farms will only grow. But, farmers and chefs must work together to create this model. Neither can exist in a vacuum. The farmer needs to grow what the chef is looking for and the chef must create more fluid menus that take advantage of growing cycles and the quality derived from peak crop maturity.

[] Great Bread Will Be Even More Important to Restaurants in the Future

One thing that we have learned over the past two decades is that great bread is essential to a great restaurant experience. We have also discovered that artisan style bread is preferred over the tasteless, poorly structured products that were prevalent in the American diet for decades. For those who are willing to learn and invest the intense amount of effort – artisan bread will be in much higher demand – thus a business opportunity.

[] Private Entrepreneurship Will Prevail in the American Restaurant Industry

Those who have been most impacted by the pandemic are the small, privately owned restaurants in America. Tens of thousands will close their doors, yet the American dream of entrepreneurship will rise up from the ashes and restaurants that have always been, and will once again become – a first choice for those who want to leap into ownership. If banks can become more “user friendly” for restaurants and landlords more reasonable with rent, then your neighborhood restaurant will return – maybe with new owners, certainly with new concepts, and a fresh way of serving the needs of a community.

[] More and More People Will Seek to Eat Healthy as They Understand the Impact on Health and Wellbeing

It is inevitable that our obsession with healthcare will lead a larger percentage of the population to work on preventative issues such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart issues – all are linked to the type of food, the method of cooking, and the amount that we eat. Restaurants will need to respond, and they will.

[] Profitability and Challenges with the Labor Market Will Eventually Find Common Ground

Restaurants are and always have been highly labor intensive while remaining very stingy with profit. The answer has always been to skimp on rates of pay and benefits creating an ever-challenging swinging door of employees moving from operation to operation for a few pennies more in pay. The likely answer is to change the way we look at production and service leading to more efficient operations requiring fewer employees that can be paid a fair wage with reasonable benefits. Something has to give.

Now, if we can unify our efforts around these realities, if we can connect all of those silo driven organizations to work together for common solutions, then the business of food will thrive and become far more resilient before the next crisis strikes.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – TOUCH, TEXTURE, CHEW

12 Thursday Nov 2020

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chefs, chew, cook's senses, cooking, cooks, kitchens, restaurants, texture, touch

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 food is an innate need to show a level of aggression – a necessary release for our piece of mind – while others simply point to the process of chewing as an essential part of the digestion process. In all cases, the concept of flavor depends on the texture of food, to be complete.

To this end, certain foods are defined by their texture or chew. What would a September apple be without that crisp snap when we bite into it, what would a great bagel be without the hard work of chewing, a pudding without the creamy texture of softened butter, or a steak without the rich chew that releases the deep umami sensation that is a result?

“So important is the level of crunch that many years ago, potato-chip manufacturers developed a sophisticated apparatus to measure the perceived level of crunch that consumers hear in their heads. The most pleasurable decibel levels were deciphered, and potato chips were subsequently manufactured to these standard orgasmic crunch levels.”-The Institute for the Psychology of Eating

Flavor is a complex and complete experience – it is far beyond the stimulation of taste receptors. To taste without chew is shallow and incomplete. Chew is something that has lasting meaning and, like smell, there is memory attached to it. Just as we remember and look forward to the texture of that fall apple, so too do we vividly remember what that experience is and use it as a benchmark of quality when it comes to judging all other apples.

Texture and chew is also a metaphor in life that points to how these “touch” events determine the depth to which we become one with life’s experiences. We are told to “chew on it” when presented with an opportunity or problem. Accountants “crunch” the numbers signifying a commitment to ensuring that the results are accurate and when we over-extend or take on too much responsibility we are said to “bite off more than we can chew”. It is this physical process or association that helps to define the type of experience that is a result.

As cooks and chefs build their flavor memory they must understand and categorize the process of connecting with texture, touch, and chew. Think about these products and experiences and how important touch, texture, and chew are to the dynamics of flavor.

That first oyster or clam:

It is an act of faith in the strong recommendation from a chef or the result of a dare from others that allows us that first experience with a raw oyster or clam. Certainly, it is rare that anyone would choose to let a live shellfish slide down your throat for any other reason – yet, if we allow that incredible texture and ocean brininess to take hold – the flavor experience is like no other. In this case – chew is very subtle; we allow the throat to simply accept the texture of the sea.

The French fry expectation:

Food companies spend countless hours trying to perfect the French fry experience. For the product to meet and exceed expectations it must retain its deep fried crunch on the exterior while yielding a soft and moist experience within. It is a delicate balance between the type of potato, the method of processing, the state of chill or freeze, how it is blanched, the type of oil used in deep frying, the temperature of the oil, and knowing how the cook will treat the whole process before the finished product is placed in the pass. With the French fry – texture is king.

Ripe melon:

Melon is one of those fruits that thrive on the extreme. An unripe melon just doesn’t feel right in the mouth, is tasteless, and is likely quickly discarded by any who have experienced the benchmark of ripeness. When ripeness is at its peak – the texture is soft, yet still in complete control, the flavor is pronounced, the level of moisture is intoxicating, and the overall food memory created is exceptional. Once you experience a perfectly ripe melon – nothing else will do.

Vine ripened tomato:

To meet the demands for tomatoes on the market – twelve months a year, and to be able to ship those same tomatoes without damage – they are far too often produced in a greenhouse, sometimes hydroponically, picked long before vine maturity, sometimes waxed and sent your way. The result is a firm and tasteless product that barely resembles what a perfect tomato should be. When a tomato is exposed to the sun, grown in rich soil, picked when it is mature and consumed while still warm from that July sun – it is something to write books about and sing its praise with song. When the texture of the skin serves to simply keep those warn tomato seeds from bursting forth, when the bite yields the powerful flavor and soft texture of that warm interior running down your chin – then you have a flavor memory that will linger until next season.

The magic avocado:

Maybe more so than any other fruit – the avocado is a tough client for the chefs cutting board. Before it is ripe – the texture is uninviting and unwilling to add any value to the kitchen program at your restaurant. Left too long in its skin and the peak creaminess of a perfect fruit turns to a stringy and sometimes blackened interior that shouts to the cook that he or she has waited too long. When the avocado is perfect it is as creamy as softened butter, rich in flavor and brilliant in color. This is the fruit that serves as a centerpiece for salads, appetizers, and your favorite guacamole.

Crispy skin of a roast chicken:

There are few preparations that point to the skill of a seasoned cook than a perfectly roasted chicken. When the cook pays as much attention to the skin as he or she does the breast meat or rich darkness of the thigh and leg, then the chicken experience is so prominent as to become a favorite meal. Basting, seasoning, covering and uncovering through the roasting process will yield that crisp, buttery, salty crunch that is the first thing that a knowledgeable consumer reaches for.

A Georgia peach at peak maturity:

Stone fruits like plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots, and peaches can be just as fickle as the avocado. Typically picked before maturity so that shipping does not damage the fruit – these hand held products of nature can be too hard, too unforgiving, and too tasteless for positive food memories. When picked at or near maturity – the peach is an ambassador for Mother Nature. Soft with a small amount of bite, bursting with flavor of sweet and a little bit of tartness, dripping with nectar, and hard to put down – the ripe peach is right at the top of the food memory data bank.

Artisan bread:

Very few foods are as satisfying as perfectly baked artisan sourdough bread. When done right – the combination of a crisp exterior and a chewy interior that releases more and more flavor the longer you chew is something that you can experience virtually once imbedded in your food memory.

The stages of salt water taffy:

Maybe not the most prominent flavor that chefs think about, but in remembrance of your youth – walking on the beach and stopping at that salt water taffy stand is something that can define an important time in your life. Taffy has it all from a texture and chew standpoint. The warmth of the sun makes the taffy a bit sticky to handle, but once in your mouth you will always remember the changes from a challenging chew at first to different stages of softness until it finally melts and disappears. Incredible – imagine if chefs could re-create these stages with their dessert selections in a restaurant.

Al dente pasta:

Al dente – or firm to the bite defines how most pasta is designed to be eaten. When cooked al dente – pasta is digested more slowly and thus satisfies your hunger for a longer period of time. The firmer texture creates a more enjoyable “chew” and retains far more flavor than over-cooked pasta that bleeds out its flavor to the salted cooking water.

A comfortable dining room chair:

Aside from the food itself – the environment where we dine has much to do with the flavor experience. An uncomfortable chair detracts from the process of eating and attention is placed on finding a way to relax so that dining becomes a positive respite.

The feel of the right flatware:

The feel and type of flatware can enhance the flavor experience if it matches the food ingredients, their preparation and their cost. A plastic fork and knife may be perfectly acceptable for that Nathan’s hot dog and fries, but the Black Angus rib eye steak deserves a rose wood handled Henkel steak knife and heavy, long tine sterling silver fork. The touch of the tools is part of the dish memory.

The delicate elegance of the right wine glass:

Wine is such a unique beverage that is impacted throughout its life by numerous environmental factors. The struggle that the vine goes through to extract nutrients from the terrior will determine much of the grapes integrity and flavor; the process of touch as it applies to how the grapes are crushed (gravity fed or more aggressively pressed) will determine if the grapes are bruised and possibly change the deepness of flavor; the packaging for shipment of bottles will either protect or endanger the stability of the continued bottle fermentation; and the quality of the wine glass does, in fact, impact the experience of taste and aroma. If you have never been through a Riedl glass seminar then make sure you put it on your list of “must do” experiences

Touch, texture, and chew are essential components of the dining experience and critical elements that define your food memory benchmarks.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE APOCALYPSE FOR RESTAURANTS IS NEAR

31 Saturday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, Restaurant Survival, restaurants, Restaurants and Covid

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 with important issues of voter suppression, confidence in the system (how amazing it is that this is a concern in the United States of America), and whether or not one party or another will accept the results – there are two monumental disasters looming: Covid-19 is rearing up its ugly head for a second and third wave that all indications point to as worse than the first (even if some may try to down play the threat) and as a result – the restaurant industry is facing the end of the road. As Jeremiah Tower stated in a recent interview I conducted with him: “This is not a challenge – it is the apocalypse.”

This is not an exaggeration, this is not a case of fear mongering, this is not political – it is a fact. As winter looms heavy on every restaurateurs shoulders and those outdoor patios are closed due to weather – restaurant owners and chefs are breathing heavy as they know what lies ahead. The pandemic is real, the virus is real, and people are scared. Dining indoors is scary enough for both customers and providers, but opening inside dining with 50% occupancy is simply not workable financially. Add to that the realization that at any moment, Covid-19 may force local governments hand and another mandated lockdown could be right around the corner. Leisure travel is non-existent, and business travel is very limited. Conferences and conventions are gone, weddings are not taking place in hotel and restaurant venues, meetings are virtual, graduations are accomplished on ZOOM , and those Friday night meetings of friends in a local bar or trendy restaurant have basically evaporated. Each one of these changes is another nail in the coffin of the restaurant business.

Try as they may – restaurants cannot sell enough take out, press regular customers to purchase enough gift certificates, deliver enough re-heat meals, or convert enough dining rooms into marketplaces to cover their expenses and make up for that loss of full dining rooms. Restaurants are facing really, really difficult times. These are problems that they can’t ideate their way out of. Even the best restaurant minds are at a loss – what can be done to stop the bleeding and ride out the storm that is likely to last another year? Holy crap! Most restaurants have a tough time surviving through one tough month – let alone nearly two-years.

Breathe deep, sit down, have a glass of wine or beer and think about a world, a country, a neighborhood without those familiar restaurants, those places where we gather with family and friends to celebrate, honor, laugh, toast, and communicate over great food. We might try to convince ourselves that restaurants are a luxury and we can get by without them – but the reality is that restaurants are a very, very important part of our lives – we all need them. We may have survived over the past eight months without those restaurants, but think about the hole in our lives as a result let alone the loss of jobs and the demise of small businesses. This is a serious and highly transitional time that will have a long-term impact on society.

We certainly can’t ignore the dangers of Covid-19, it is our responsibility to do what is necessary to move through this, stay safe, and keep our neighbors healthy. Restaurateurs and chefs, for the most part, do not deny this – but, the question is: “are we ready to pay the price?” Are we ready to face a life without those places that are the core of a community? Is there an answer, is there a way to protect each other and support the restaurant industry at the same time?

YES THERE IS!

First, and foremost – we need immediate assistance from the Congress and the Executive Branch of government. It might even be too late, but we (I mean each and every one of us) must insist that Congress pass a relief bill that focuses on the individual, restaurants, and state governments that host all of those public services that we depend on. A new wave of PPP support to help restaurants and other small businesses pay their employees (employees that are in rough shape through no fault of their own), intervention with landlords for reasonable deferral and payback programs for rent that can’t be met during the pandemic, and an infusion of funds to the SBA so that they can buoy up restaurants that need short term loans and consultation to help problem solve their crisis issues.

Second, we need to stop this politically polarized nonsense that denies the seriousness of Covid-19, ignores the directives of science, and coddles people who fight common sense over wearing masks as if they were middle school brats, and promotes dumb conspiracy theories that the virus is non-existent or far less serious than it is. This is just absurd and we will never get back to anything close to normal unless we stop this foolish behavior.

Finally, we all need to do our part to support local businesses in ways that we can, while still practicing safe behavior. We need a 12-month strategy that will support the 24/7 efforts of local businesses to survive. The alternative is to accept a life after Covid without those restaurants that have been around for generations, those places where we gather to celebrate special occasions, take a break from the stress of work, or simply get together to clink glasses, share our day, and laugh with reckless abandon. Remember those days, remember how important those opportunities were to our wellbeing?

Call your representative, vote for those who know what needs to be done and stand on a soapbox to fight for yourself and those local businesses that make a community all that it can be.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

SAVE LOCAL RESTAURANTS – WE NEED THEM!

Be smart – wear a mask, socially distance from one another, wash your hands, and know that together, with effort, we can make a difference.

COOKS AND CHEFS – WE ALL CRAVE DISCIPLINE

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, kitchen discipline, kitchens, Professionalism, restaurants

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 her own thing or moves to the beat of his or her own drum. Just like other well-run organizations – the kitchen functions best in a system where everyone has well defined jobs, follows the structure of systems or order, and exhibits the discipline of structural respect.

Whether it is the military, your favorite baseball or football team, FedEx, UPS, the airlines, or your favorite musical group – structure and a level of discipline are essential if the end result is going to be accomplishment of business objectives.

My experience, and I will note that it may not be everyone’s experience, is that kitchens tend to attract a broad array of staff members who come from environments where discipline is not always the norm. The refreshing nature of discipline is what attracts many of those great employees to the environment of the kitchen. There is comfort in the ability to achieve concrete objectives – a well-prepared plate of food and a satisfied customer. There is comfort in wearing a clean, crisp, white uniform that represents history, tradition, and pride. There is comfort in following the directives on a prep list, a recipe, or a banquet order. There is comfort in knowing and executing foundational methods of cooking that can consistently yield good results. There is comfort in knowing that there is a chain of command in the kitchen and that following this order creates a sense of team when and where it is needed.

I have recently read articles that claim that the discipline and order of chefs as far back as Escoffier or as contemporary as Ferran Adria or Thomas Keller are no longer appropriate or needed. That this structure that chefs have defended for generations will somehow stifle an individuals opportunities in a kitchen and thwart their ability to grow. Oh contraire, my experience is just the opposite. It is exactly this structure, and this discipline that helps to develop talented, polished individuals and build a skill set that leads to long-term success.

Do not misconstrue this support for discipline as an endorsement of hostile work environments where some chefs have been known to demean and excessively criticize cooks – there is no place for this approach. Discipline is not synonymous with this awful, abhorrent approach that is, for some reason, portrayed as normal on TV kitchen shows. This may have been normal in the distant past, but it cannot be tolerated today. But, a level of discipline and structure is critical, especially in complex, ever changing and time sensitive environments like a busy kitchen.

I have observed kitchens that are highly disciplined while employee centric at the same time. It is these kitchens that hum with enthusiasm, pride, and professionalism and produce extraordinary results. I have seen cooks when they button up those crisp, clean uniforms, tie on an apron, and draw their knives across a wet stone to hone an edge; when they wipe down their station, line up their tools, and pull down an organized prep sheet, and I have watched that spring in their step, that look of focused professionalism that can only occur in a kitchen that respects the order and discipline of the work.

It makes no difference if it is a 4-diamond restaurant offering fine dining, a quality pizza shop, a bakery, or a hospital foodservice – discipline, pride, and results are closely aligned. I have seen cooks from all different walks of life – some from culinary schools, some who worked their way up from dishwasher, some born into an American neighborhood, and some who came to our country for a better life, both male and female, young and at the beginning of their work life and others who are nearing the end of their careers – come together with pride in the work they do, joy in their accomplishments in front of the range, and charged up about the kitchen where they work. This is what discipline and organization bring to a work environment.

Peek into the kitchens of restaurants that you patronize and you can immediately see the difference. In fact, it is likely that the food presented to you as a customer will reveal the level of discipline, professionalism, and organization that exists in that kitchen.

A chef who understands that his or her role is to define that structure, create an environment where critique is tied to training, and results are aligned with the structure and organization that –yes, Escoffier, Pointe, Poilane, Keller, Trotter, and others established or reinforced, is a chef who will not only find personal success, but will set the stage for employees to enjoy a long and fruitful career.

There are many aspects of the restaurant business that need to change: pay scales, benefits, reasonable work schedules, tolerance of chefs and operators who demean and belittle employees, and addressing the factors in restaurants that limit profitability- but, in all cases it will be organization and structural discipline that will make those changes possible.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – WHAT DOES YOUR MENU REPRESENT?

24 Saturday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, menu planning for chefs, restaurant menus, restaurants

Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business. These aspects include: décor, skill level of staff, style of service, pricing, profit, type of vendors selected, kitchen layout, equipment selection, marketing and advertising, pay scales, dining room seating, type of china, glassware and flatware, even the location and color scheme for the exterior of the restaurant. YES – the menu is that important!

The menu comes first and should reflect the philosophy of the owners and chef and how the operators expect to be perceived by the public. Far too many times the menu takes a back seat to all other planning that will lead to serious miscalculations along the way. General Motors would never build and equip an auto plant, hire the entire staff, and create a marketing strategy until the car they intend to build is designed, prototyped, and presented to various focus groups first. Why should it be any different for restaurants and their menus?

That being said – here are a few examples of “menu thinking” that can be considered:

[] A COLLECTION OF ITEMS THAT SELL

This menu is developed using analytical data that is drawn from surveys and historical reference to other restaurants within a community or region. There is certainly nothing wrong with this approach except that the result is typically an operation that lacks inspiration, lacks soul, and attracts employees who are less interested in passion and far more content to align with the operation that provides a dependable paycheck. There are thousands of restaurants just like this – they serve a real need for dependability.

[] A CONNECTION TO HISTORY

Whether it’s the history of the town where the restaurant is located, the family that owns the operation, or the heritage of a certain ethnicity – sometimes these influences set the stage for a menu and what it represents. Destiny and tradition create expectations that are hard to argue with. A restaurant on the Maine coast without lobster would be difficult to justify, just as a café in the French Quarter of New Orleans without some reference to Cajun, Creole, traditional Southern or Acadian French cooking would seem out of place.

[] A CHEF’S SIGNATURE

Of course – many chefs view the menu as a chance to make a statement – a statement that focuses on those styles of cooking that influenced the chef, his or her desire to “push the envelope”, and a chance to stand out among the crowd of competitors. This menu energy is attractive to chefs while at the same time it is risky. A chef’s signature without any research can set a negative perception of the restaurant that is hard to break. At the same time – a restaurant that boxes a chef into a corner with little or no room for expression will find it difficult to hang on to culinary talent.

[] THE COLLECTIVE STYLE OF THE KITCHEN TEAM

When a chef engages the culinary team in the process of menu building, and when this is done with proper guidance and adherence to a common set of benchmarks, then real kitchen synergy will result. This is one of the best ways to attract excellent cooks and create an environment where they want to stay and contribute to the team effort.

[] A DARING TRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN

We have seen some examples of uniquely talented and daring chefs who want to shock as much as inspire. Keeping in mind that there is a relatively small, but passionate number of consumers who are referred to as “innovators” (1-2% of the dining public) – there will always be room for a few disruptor restaurants. The biggest challenge is keeping those innovators interested and expanding the market to enough predictable guests to keep the restaurant in business.

[] A REFLECTION OF COMMUNITY

When a chef takes part in active demographic research – a menu might very well reflect something about the community where the restaurant sits. Building a neighborhood restaurant where support for the operation is considered a responsibility of residents becomes a reality when that operation truly connects. It might be based on a menu that reflects the heritage of the community, the ethnicity of residents, their socio-economic background, or something about the community that makes it unique. When a chef identifies this and as a result creates loyalty – then a restaurant can expect to live on for generations.

[] THE OWNER’S FAVORITES

Owners have a tough time staying out of the menu planning process. It is their business after all – right? The chef, regardless of how creative he or she might be, and the owner, regardless of how savvy he or she might be as a consumer – needs to take a back seat to all of the factors that will lead to a connection with consumers and return customers. Beware of the owner that hopes to build a personal menu rather than one that might work.

[] A LIST WITHOUT DIRECTION

It takes just a minute or two for a seasoned restaurant professional to identify a menu without direction. There should always be “connections” on the menu: the appetizers set the stage for the entrees, and the entrees lead to desserts that complete the package. When a menu lacks continuity, then the experience suffers and the customer is left – confused.

[] AN ATTEMPT TO PLEASE EVERYONE

There was a time when the American diner was prevalent at every major crossing of highways. Not ever knowing whom their next customer might be – these operations attacked the customer will pages of menu choices, representing multiple ethnic influences, utilizing every ingredient possible, and doing so without any parameters such as what makes sense for a given meal period or how the kitchen and service staff might function. When the restaurant offers pasta primavera and tacos throughout the day then the consumer starts to wonder what the results will be.

Don’t underestimate the importance of smart menu planning that takes into consideration the habits and desires of typical customers, demographics, the facility layout and equipment on hand, the skill level of the cooks, the style of service that front of the house employees are trained to execute, the price point and profitability potential of the items selected, the availability of vendors, and the passion and ability of the chef who stands at the helm.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE COOK’S INTELLECT

19 Monday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, cooks intellect, professional kitchen, restaurants

Anyone who has tied on an apron in a professional kitchen understands the physical nature of the work. We know about the aching muscles, the throbbing feet, the faltering knees, and the heat – did I mention the heat? But we don’t often take the time to stop and pay attention to the intellect of the cook and the broader skills that few careers can boast. Great cooks and chefs are highly intellectual individuals who are challenged to apply those skills and aptitudes every day. Unfortunately, it is rare to hear of anyone pointing out these essential abilities or the need for them if one is to be effective in the job.

So, for all who are sweating on the line every day, for all who are dipping their toes into the rushing water of a culinary profession, and to all chefs who think they know their worth – here are the unheralded skills that cooks and chefs apply each and every day without much fanfare:

[] MATH

Yep, that’s right – cooks are adept at using math every day in the kitchen. They apply these principles while expanding recipes, using fractions with units of measurement, working with percentages (especially in the bakeshop), portioning products, determining yield of products through fabrication and cooking, using geometry to determine precise vegetable cuts, and working within the parameters of recipe costing.

[] TIME MANAGEMENT

Working backwards from a finished plate of food – cooks must prioritize work based on how long each step will take, as well as pacing of a ‘la minute work on the line to ensure that every dish on an order is ready at the precise time for plating.

[] STRATEGIC PLANNING

From the moment a cook walks through those kitchen doors he or she is building a strategy for the day. “How will I approach today’s prep, what can I defer till a later time, based on who is scheduled for a shift – how must I adjust the work that I do, and given the reservations for tonight – which items might move and which items will take a back seat to demand.” Sometimes the strategy is systemic and doesn’t waver, while at other times each day will be unique.

[] PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Especially in operations where there are significant numbers of banquets and special events – the cook is assigned a function and must either align with a project strategy already developed by the chef, or in some cases build and manage that project independently. All of this is done within the parameters of standards of excellence and timing.

[] PROBLEM SOLVING

Even the best-laid plans can go astray when the unforeseen gets in the way. The best cooks and chefs will constantly work on scenarios so that very little is classified as a surprise. If left to chance – whatever could go wrong – will. This is the principle of Murphy’s Law that every cook subscribes to. The best cooks solve problems before they arise.

“In its simplest form, Murphy’s Law states: If anything can go wrong, it will. However, as with many successful business theories, the original law has been extended over time to cover specialist areas, several of which are given below:

Project Planning: If anything can go wrong, it will. Usually at the most inopportune time.
Performance Management: If someone can get it wrong, they will.
Risk Assessment: If several things can go wrong, the one you would LEAST like to happen will occur.
Practical creativity: If you can think of four ways that something can go wrong, it will go wrong in a fifth way.”
www.mindtools.com

[] HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGIE

The best cooks take the time to study the background of a dish or a cooking process. A person who has never studied the history of a dish such as Cog au Vin is far less likely to master it than another person who understands the ingredients, why they are used, how they are used, the type of people who consumed it, their socio-economic background, the indigenous nature of the ingredients used, how it was presented and how it might have been celebrated by those involved. So cooks are often compelled to learn more about a dish or process as part of their skill development. One does not learn how to make Kansas City BBQ without living in KC and apprenticing with a pit master who was born and raised there.

[] ART AND DESIGN

Food is the ultimate art form and every plate of food that a cook touches is truly a canvas that was analyzed and approached with an eye for color contrast, symmetry, dimension, consideration of negative space, applying different textures, combining geometric shapes, and maximizing the three-dimensional nature of the dish. Additionally, the cook considers all human senses in the build out of that dish: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch – no other art form is that fully engaged with the senses.

[] PSYCHOLOGY

There is psychology at play whenever team members are reliant on each other to perform a task. The kitchen team is a fragile organism that requires understanding, compassion, support, critique, anger management, and passion. All of the aspects of understanding oneself and those around you are at play at every moment in the kitchen.

[] COMMUNICATION

Communication in all of its forms is essential in a well-run kitchen. Verbal, body language, written communication, and eye contact are used by cooks – all the time. Whether it is checking what and how you say something, the manner with which you give a directive, offer critique, write a prep sheet, enter info in a log, prepare a recipe, or simply give a nod or make eye contact with another player on the team – communication is critical. Cook’s learn to be masters at this essential skill.

What is most interesting about these unique skills is that they define the difference between a cook and a great cook, a chef and a remarkable chef. These skills are also very transferrable – thus great cooks and remarkable chefs can quite easily transition into another career track as a result.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

Know your value and the unique skills that you bring to the table.

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

TEAM COMPETITIVENESS IN THE KITCHEN

20 Sunday Sep 2020

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chefs, Competition, kitchen team, restaurants, winning in the kitchen

Create a Team Built to Win

When Coach Vince Lombardi said: “Winning isn’t everything – it’s the only thing”, he was not inferring that winning at all costs justifies the means, not was he inferring that somehow “losing” was the end of all hope – he was simply stating that the attitude of excellence and the goals that define it should always be a driving force within a person’s attitude or a teams mantra. How you play the game in the process of winning is critical, as is the sportsmanship that allows people to get past defeat with honor and grace while taking the time to positively recognize those who administered that defeat. Standing tall and looking forward to the next chance to win, knowing what needs improvement, how to rise above mistakes, and supporting each other in the process is at the core of a winning team – even in defeat.

Well-run organizations – in this case a kitchen, are built to win. They hire, train, critique, support, celebrate, and rally behind the members of the team that has been built and push each individual to contribute his or her best – always. This is what great organizations and great teams do.

Kitchens, like athletic teams, share in a common structure. This structure is based on the understanding that the team is only as strong as its weakest link and that greatness is achieved with each team member understands his or her strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the other members of the organization. Great teams turn to those with certain strengths to rise up and show the way and build up those with identified weaknesses so that together they can float their boat even on the most challenging seas.

Each day in a kitchen there are ample opportunities for a “win”. Getting that dish just right, controlling costs, managing inventory, meeting budgetary goals, topping yesterdays customer count, clearing the rail of tickets without any re-fires, a complement from customers, top ratings on Trip Advisor or Yelp, or a positive local restaurant review can all be viewed as a competitive opportunity. Each of these goals requires that all players on your kitchen team be tuned into their role and self-motivate to hit the mark of expectation that the chef, manager, or owner has set. Success will not occur if the weight of success falls solely on one individual or even a part of the kitchen team. United in purpose is the call to arms.

The spirit of competition must be felt by every individual in an organization and by the team as a whole. In this manner – competition helps to drive people to always improve. The Japanese refer to this as Kaizen.

Michael Jordan is probably one of the most vivid examples of a person who would breathe that competitive spirit constantly. He said:

“You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.”

Michael did not need to be pushed to strive for excellence – it was in his DNA. As a result, he became the taskmaster for the team, the standard setter that drove the expectation of others. His unwillingness to accept anything less than best effort became the core philosophy of those around him. He was tough, but focused on something that would benefit everyone. He could play a support role when the team was clicking on all cylinders or he could take individual control when the rest of the team had lost its steam. It was his competitiveness with himself that kept the team boat afloat.

Charlie Trotter, in many chefs’ minds, defined what fine dining would become in America. His renowned restaurant: “Trotter’s” was the benchmark for others to follow for nearly 25 years. The food was groundbreaking, the service was impeccable, the restaurant was polished and smooth on the eye, and the creativity was beyond parallel. It was his competitiveness and the expectation of the same from his staff that made the restaurant what it was. He was a tough person to work for and his expectations were not for the faint of heart.

His focus is clear in this quote:

“I have always looked at it this way: If you strive like crazy for perfection – an all-out assault on total perfection – at the very least you will hit a high level of excellence, and then you might be able to sleep at night.”

It is this internal competitiveness that pushed Trotter to not only create a truly great restaurant, but more importantly to help those who worked for and with him to carry this spirit of winning to their own careers, and in some cases – their own future restaurants.

Never known as a pleasant person to work for – Steve Jobs – founder of Apple, was a consummate perfectionist, the driving force behind and in front of a company that always maintained a mission of excellence and ease of use. Creating the next great product was secondary to doing so as the company that created the benchmark of excellence with regard to that product. His focus on every detail from the user interface to how beautiful the circuit boards in an electronic device were (something that the average user would never see), to the packaging and style of everything associated with the company became the core belief and guiding measurement for every employee in the company. Some could not live up to the expectation and some would thrive in the environment where winning meant admiration, respect, coolness, and desire to own. Although he is no longer with us – Apple continues to move forward with the underlying question: “What would Steve think?”

Steve once stated:

“For you to sleep well at night – the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”

He was in competition with himself to always produce a product that was great – this same objective became the calling card of Apple – that internal competition that drives them to always determine how to make things better – how to win.

“When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.”

-Steve Jobs

This is how a great business “wins”. This is the result of a commitment to excellence and internal competition that moves people in that direction.

The same can be said for numerous other companies like Walt Disney, IDEO, Porsche, Bose, Oxo, Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group, Thomas Keller’s restaurants, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality, and Ritz Carlton Hotels. Each of these successful companies is founded on an attitude of excellence – a desire to win – not at all costs – but through a commitment to individual and group need to reach for excellence.

Your restaurant whether it is a neighborhood pizzeria, taco shop, American diner, Italian trattoria, French bistro, Farm to Table fine dining operation, or New York style deli – can and should build up from a desire to be excellent, a commitment to win, and a team effort to reach those goals.

As a friend of mine and successful entrepreneur once said:

“No matter how many similar businesses there are in a community – there is always room to be the best.”

It’s hard to argue with that logic.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks podcast

CHEFS – FINE TUNE THOSE SENSES

15 Tuesday Sep 2020

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chefs, Chefs senses, cooks, craft of cooking, professional kitchen, restaurants

The kitchen sensual army

There are many things that differentiate cooks and chefs, but none more important to the customer experience and the reputation of the restaurant than mastery of the senses. Whether a fine-dining experience or your local taqueria – the cooks that stand out, the ones that are the reason why customers line up to buy their food, are the ones with well developed senses of taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound as they relate to what takes place in the kitchen.

The essential tool in development of these senses is experience. Certain individuals may be born with the capacity to taste and smell, with the innate talent to present beautiful food, and with excellent hearing, but it is what those senses are exposed to that makes a cook – a great cook. Every experience that we have is imbedded in our subconscious mind. When we are exposed to that memory again, it moves quickly to the conscious realm and we say: “a’ha – I remember that”. After frequent exposure to that same memory can even allow an experienced cook or chef to envision what that product will smell, look, sound, and taste like – even before that takes place. This is how experienced chefs are able to plan dishes and menus knowing how ingredients will marry together, what the overall flavor profile will be, and how the final dish will look. It’s an amazing process.

Without the experience associated with the development of this sensual tool, it is like a beautiful knife that never leaves the roll bag, or fine china that never serves as a canvas for a plate of food. Thus, the best cooks and chefs are always seeking out those sensual food experiences so that they can develop their flavor memory.

It is common for people to confuse flavor and taste as being the same, but taste is but a portion of the flavor experience. Flavor is a combination of taste, sight, sound, smell, and texture – all in the right proportions. Try tasting a familiar ingredient while you hold your nose to see how the flavor changes. Close your eyes and taste a raw potato next to a fresh apple and see how similar they are. Think about it: Is a potato chip a potato chip without the sound of the crunch? Is fresh baked apple pie as appealing if it has no smell? Why do green and white asparagus taste so different – does it have anything to do with the color?

An interesting exercise to establish the importance of sense experiences is to ask your cooks some basic questions:

[] WHAT DOES A STRAWBERRY TASTE LIKE?

The majority of time the cook will likely say something like: “It tastes like a strawberry”. Well, if that cook had never tasted a fresh picked, fully mature strawberry before – how would they know what to expect? More importantly, how would they know how to differentiate a great strawberry from an inferior one?

[] DESCRIBE THE FLAVOR OF BAR-B-QUE BRISKET?

Anyone from a southern state will likely win any contest in describing this flavor, and ironically, their response will differ depending on which state they are from. What will be universal are the smokiness, the moisture, the tenderness, and the subsequent mouth feel that comes from a process that goes beyond taste. Unless you have tried a brisket that was smoked and cooked over coals for 12-24 hours then it will be impossible to describe the flavor or know when a properly cooked brisket is just right.

[] WHAT DOES A FRESH TRUFFLE SMELL LIKE?

The truffle is one of the most unique, impossible to describe ingredients unless you have held one up to your nose, shaved it offer soft scrambled eggs or fresh pasta, or buried it in raw Arborio rice to imbed its perfume in a dish of risotto. It is intoxicating and overwhelming to the senses. But without the experiences mentioned, it would be impossible to describe.

[] TELL ME IF THE HOLLANDAISE I JUST PREPARED IS CORRECT?

What is the balance of lemon and heat from Tabasco? What is the right amount of salt? Is the correct balance of egg yolk and clarified butter present? Is the mouth feel correct? A sauce with the simplest of ingredients is so hard to make correctly and to achieve proper balance. Can you imagine being asked to make a hollandaise if you never made one correctly before or had never tasted a perfect example?

[] CAN YOU TELL IF A SAUTE DIVER SCALLOP IS BEING COOKED CORRECTLY IF YOU ARE BLINDFOLDED AND 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE RANGE?

That scallop will only reach it’s perfect state if the pan used to sear it is screaming hot and the portion of clarified butter is just right. The sound of a pan when it sizzles beneath that scallop and the smell of butter before it passes the burn point is a tell- all even if the cook does not see the scallop.

[] ARE YOU ABLE TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF DONENESS ON THAT STEAK BY SIMPLY TOUCHING IT?

Of course a cook can always probe that steak with a thermometer to determine degrees of doneness, but a seasoned broiler cook would never be caught doing that. This cook knows the give of the muscle at medium or medium rare. He or she knows the perfect point at which to give the steak a 45 degree turn to imprint those beautiful grill marks, when to flip the steak (just once), and when to pull it from the heat so that it takes advantage of carry over cooking and time to rest so that it doesn’t bleed out when that first cut of the knife opens it up on a plate.

[] CAN YOU TELL IF THOSE ONIONS ARE CARAMELIZING PROPERLY JUST BY SMELLING THEM FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE KITCHEN?

The Maillard reaction (reducing sugars and protein through the application of heat) that is the process of caramelization has its own smell and sound. If it is taken too far then the item begins to burn giving off a less than pleasant aroma. When it is done right the sound of the sizzle and the sweet smell of this chemical reaction is one of the most positive of kitchen aromas.

When the chef turns on his sensual radar

A seasoned chef can walk through a kitchen, turn on his or her sensual radar and assess what is going right and what is going wrong. When the radar is tuned in, he sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of the kitchen fill the air and send signals of process and outcome. These are skills that go way beyond a person’s natural ability; it is a culmination of experiences that have changed how the cook views the world around him or her. Without these experiences, this capacity will never be realized.

Cooks who have the desire to master their craft are the ones who seek out food experiences, taste and mentally record those experiences, re-introduce those experiences frequently enough to allow them to become a part of their bag of tricks, and relish the opportunity to share this gift with others. When this happens they are in control of the food that is being prepared, the ingredients that are being purchased, and the success of the team engaged in creating memories for restaurant guests.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Experience is the best educator

Restaurant Consulting

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks podcast

A CHEF’S 2020 LAMENT

04 Friday Sep 2020

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chefs, cooks, covid kitchen, kitchens, restaurants

They say that hindsight is 2020 – that being so, there is plenty for us to reflect on and determine how we might have done things differently. The fact is, we can’t go back, but we can look forward. At this point we are all hoping that 2020 will just fade from our memories. In the moment, however, there are loads of things that we miss, things that make us shake our heads in disbelief, things that we long for – a return to a time when our greatest concern as a chef was our reservation list and daily mise en place.

The prudent approach would probably be to put the past behind us and lay a course for the future, but when the future is so uncertain there is some solace in looking backward and reminiscing about those things that had put a smile on our face. There is always a level of comfort in reflection, even if there is “no turning back”. It’s history, as they say, but history is important. History is a great teacher and, if nothing else, we can reflect as a way to learn.

So, what do chefs miss in this crazy environment where employees and guests float around in masks, keeping their distance, and eyeing each other with concern? What do chefs long for in a world where restaurants are closing left and right – even the most established ones? What do chefs crave when protocol becomes far more important that the flavor profile of a dish? Here are a few things on my list:

[] ANTICIPATION

That moment in the early morning when a chef steps out of bed with the knot of mixed emotion in his or her stomach is – yes, something that is missed. There is a bit of fear regarding what might be faced when stepping through that back kitchen door, yet at the same time there is always a twinge of excitement about the same. The minute a chef’s feet hit the floor from a restless nights sleep – adrenaline is pumping. After time, this is a highly anticipated feeling. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] POSITIVE ANXIETY

Anxiety in small doses can be that spark that starts the human engine. Too much anxiety has just the opposite effect, yet if a chef can control it at some level, then anxiety can be used to fuel the energy needed for the day. Positive anxiety can keep us on our toes, helping us to prepare for the expected and the unexpected. This positive anxiety gives the chef a bounce in his or her step – the bounce of confidence that the kitchen team depends on. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] THE SPIRIT OF WINNING

It is always more than “how you play the game” – every person ultimately wants to win at whatever they attempt. Some put the time and effort into helping that happen, while others may simply hope that it occurs without their active involvement. Chefs tend to put the effort in. When the chef has the winning spirit then it rubs off on the team, setting the stage for achievement. To a kitchen team it is all about the basics – efficiency, great tasting and looking food, a clean operation, meeting the timing demands of orders, clearing the board of orders, no re-fires, no injuries, and happy guests sending back empty plates. This is what the chef and the team work for; this is what brings about fist bumps, high fives, and a smile at the end of service. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] APPROPRIATE BANTER

There is certainly no place in today’s kitchen for hurtful or inappropriate banter that demeans or makes people uncomfortable, but that harmless banter that yields a laugh or a re-energized staff is simply a part of the environment that cooks and chefs look forward to. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] INTERACTION WITH STAFF

Walking through that back kitchen door – the chef grabs a cup of coffee and invests the time to walk the kitchen and connect with prep cooks, breakfast line cooks, bakers and pastry chefs, dishwashers, and service staff. This is the first opportunity to touch base and connect with the people who are at the heart of a restaurants success. Throughout the day it is the sometimes serious, oftentimes light conversation that pulls chefs and cooks alike into the environment of the kitchen. People are interesting, they all have stories to tell, they all bring something special to the team, and they validate why a chef chose to do this work for a living. Chefs miss the level of this interaction in 2020. Instead of a smile and a resounding “yes chef” response from cooks, 2020 brings a look of uncertainty and a less than enthusiastic “yes chef”, wondering what tomorrow may bring.

[] INTERACTION WITH GUESTS

Many chefs look forward to the opportunity to occasionally “ walk the dining room” and interact with guests, engage in short conversations about food and maybe a suggested wine pairing, check for those smiles of satisfaction from diners, and feel the energy of the front of the house. Somehow this just doesn’t work when everyone is wearing a mask and looking over their shoulder for a person walking too close. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] BEING FOOD CENTRIC

Of course chefs always worry about food cost, training, labor cost, vendor dependability, and the next health inspection, but what brought a person to this position is a love of food and a desire to learn more and create for the plate. When menus become utilitarian out of necessity, when a diminished labor pool is the driving force for menu design, and when survival is the focus – that food centric energy is in short supply. When the focus is not on creative food that is the signature for the restaurant – chefs miss that.

[] A FULL DINING ROOM

One of the measures of success that is most exciting in restaurants is looking through those swinging doors and seeing every table full of happy guests – eating, raising glasses, and laughing with reckless abandon. This is what we strive for in restaurants. When tables are 6 feet apart and capacity is limited due to pandemic protocol – that dining room energy is far less noticeable. It is really difficult to relax, enjoy a dining experience, celebrate, and laugh when the fear associated with Covid is always present. Chefs miss those full dining rooms in 2020.

[] THE ENERGY AND BEING ON THE EDGE

That knot in a chef’s stomach, that nervous energy that a line cook feels just prior to those first orders clicking off the POS, that uneasiness that servers experience just prior to opening the restaurant doors is, when in control, very similar to that anticipation felt before an exciting football game, cross country race, or rush to fill the stands at a rock concert. Sure it is a nervous energy, but it only feels dangerous until the gates open, the kickoff starts the game, the starting gun is fired, or those first orders signal – let the fun begin. Chefs miss this in 2020. It may exist, but at a much more subdued level.

[] THE SMELLS, SOUNDS, AND TASTES OF A KITCHEN ON A PATH TO SUCCESS

As that chef walks through the back kitchen door and grabs a cup of coffee – it is always the familiar sensual experience that reminds him or her that there is no other job more physically and emotionally rewarding than cooking. The smell of breakfast bacon, fresh baked bread, Danish pastries, caramelizing onions, and roasted garlic somehow completes the aroma package with the nutty, deep roasted smell from a cup of coffee. The sounds of sizzling pans, clinking of plates being stacked from the dishwasher, cooks barking out warnings like “behind” or “hot”, and the resounding cadence of the POS printer and expeditor barking “ordering, fire, or pick-up”, are part of the music of the kitchen. When this is muted or felt to be less indicative of a warm kitchen – then- yes, the chef misses that.

[] THE FREEDOM TO CREATE

Menus need to be streamlined, costs need to be watched very closely, limited staff must be considered, and efficiency must rule the day. Creativity takes a back seat during times of crisis and uncertainty. This is what charges up a chef and when it is lacking then chefs truly miss that.

[] KNOWING THAT TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER THAN TODAY

Most significantly, when the restaurant business is healthy then there is little energy invested in worrying about your position or that of your team members. The impact of the pandemic is intense and all consuming. Tomorrow is always a question. Whether it be new protocols, or expenses that can’t be met – when tomorrow is uncertain then the chef certainly misses the comfort of knowing that doing things right will take away that fear.

Yesterday is gone, today is challenging, but tomorrow will come and with it will be a restaurant industry that is different, but robust, challenging, and once again – exciting. Today is tough, but reflection and optimism will help us all to chart a course for success. Chef’s should remember the past, miss what is lacking today, but think about tomorrow with a smile of optimism.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

SUCCESSFUL CHEFS – WHAT CAREER KILLERS TO AVOID

31 Monday Aug 2020

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chef success, chefs, chefs new normal, cooks, Keys to success, kitchens, restaurants

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Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. The opportunities for chefs will be viewed again as instrumental and of significant value to owners, and those who are qualified and prepared will have ample career opportunities in front of them.

This being said, some responsibilities will return to where they were pre-pandemic, yet others will work their way into the chef’s bag of expectations. In all cases, there will be a re-shuffling of priorities driving changes to the profile of the “best candidate” for the leadership position in the kitchen. Some of the previous characteristics of chefs and their role will be viewed as less important and some may even not be tolerated in the “new normal”. Now is the time to self-assess and realign priorities. When those opportunities rise up – you want to be ready. Here is a list of career killers in the new normal – now is the time to make the necessary adjustments.

[] OVER-CONFIDENCE/EGO

“I am the best” is more likely to turn employers and teams off. You should not confuse being humble with being weak or lacking in confidence. Chefs can be very confident without putting on an air of superiority. When chefs are willing to listen to others, admit that they still can learn something new, that others may have the right answer to a problem and that those individuals should receive credit for their ability to bring about resolution is the sign of a strong leader. This is where you need to be.

[] POWER vs. LEADERSHIP

“I am the chef” has oftentimes been a statement that points to his or her authority over others. This is arrogant and rarely sets the stage for teamwork and alignment with a common goal. Leaders don’t boast about their authority and never use it for personal gain over another. The power of leadership comes with tremendous responsibility to listen, treat others with respect, study an issue and avoid making rash decisions, and an understanding that his or her role is that of guide, coach, and mentor – not dictator.

woman

[] LACK OF EMPATHY

“That’s not my problem” is a statement that demonstrates a callous approach towards other members of the kitchen or restaurant team. This callousness will do very little to create followers, in fact it will contribute to division and angst among those team members. The environment that is a result will surely drive a wedge between management and staff.

[] POOR COMMUNICATION

“I don’t have time to tell you everything” demonstrates a lack of understanding the importance of taking the time to make employees, vendors, and customers comfortable with your style of management and the decisions you make. Share as much as you possibly can, do it in real-time, and do it because it will build understanding and support. Share your financials, share your challenges with product, share your vision moving forward, share your commitment to excellence, share what you know and share what you don’t – it’s all important. This is what brings a team together and firing on all cylinders.

[] LACK OF TRAINING

“You should know how to do that” is an attempt to relinquish responsibility for a team members skills and abilities. When you hire a person you own the responsibility to inform, train, teach, and improve their abilities. The best operators seek to find ways to help employees improve even if it means that they eventually move on to find other opportunities as a result. Training will create a business brand that attracts the very best.

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[] POOR DELEGATION

“I will make those decisions” is a proclamation that only the chef knows how to make the right decision. You are foolish if you think that the hundreds of decisions that are necessary on any given day in the kitchen must rely on your abilities alone. The best chefs train effectively so that others can make solid decisions without the chef’s active involvement. Delegation of responsibility must include the responsibility for decision-making and the authority to make those decisions. This is how a team operates.

[] INADEQUATE FOCUS ON COST

“My responsibility is to produce great food”! Yes, this is true, but it is even truer that a chef’s responsibility is to make great food that yields a profit. The most talented cooks without a focus on financial acumen will not be enough to sustain their position. Chefs must be number crunchers and advocates for analytics that allow them to make the best financial decisions for the restaurant. This is your job!

[] LACK OF TRANSPARENCY

“That’s beyond your pay grade” is a statement that hides something that will make an employee question your actions. If labor cost is too high in comparison to sales – share it with your staff. If food cost is too high, then share it with your staff and talk about possible solutions. If ownership is not satisfied with the product that is leaving the kitchen, then share this with your staff. If your job is becoming overwhelming, then share this with your staff and show how they can help to relieve some of this stress. Trust me when I state that your employees will respect and appreciate this, and will rise to the occasion if they feel that you trust them with business information.

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[] DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO

“I am the chef – just do as I say. My position is different that yours.” This is the most effective way of losing the respect of your employees. You need to set the example for others to follow. Be there, work as hard as they do, demonstrate your passion for excellence, look and act the part of a professional, help others when they need it, and support your staff in the way that you would like to be supported in your role.

[] AVOIDANCE OF SCENARIO PLANNING

“I can’t predict those things” is an admission that you are not prepared. The chef is expected to have answers and solutions. This goes with the turf. The best way to solve problems that arise is to prepare for them. Yes, experience will certainly help – if you have faced a challenge before then you understand how to react, but scenario planning is a more effective way of avoiding those challenges before they arise. Plan for a power outage, plan for that crippling snow storm, plan for the delivery that doesn’t arrive or that missed event that shows up unexpectedly, plan for new competition, plan for sick employees and plan for that new menu that doesn’t hit the mark. How will you respond if any of these realities knock on your door? Planning is the best antidote to chaos.

Take the time NOW to look at yourself and build a portfolio for success in the future. Be the kind of chef that is in demand, a chef that attracts followers, a chef that helps a restaurant succeed, and a chef prepared for the new normal.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

IN CHALLENGING TIMES DON’T MAKE CLASSIC BUSINESS MISTAKES REMEMBER THE TOP ELEVEN

28 Friday Aug 2020

business mistakes, chefs, restaurants, restaurants - challenging times, success in tough times

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Painted in Waterlogue

Difficult times in business can never be addressed with complacency. This is the time to double your efforts rather than allow yourself to get caught up in the malaise. There is always opportunity beyond business survival for those who commit to moving forward. William Channing once wrote:

“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”

For the restaurant operator caught up in the current, somewhat bleak reality of the business environment we are living in – there is hope in knowing how resilient the business of food can be. History is only kind to those who put one foot in front of the other and face each day with a “can do” attitude. Giving in to the weight of challenge is never a suit of clothes that looks good on anyone – especially restaurateurs and chefs. Shake off the dust of complacency, press the wrinkles out of that chef coat, polish those shoes and face the challenges straight on. You can do this!

The first step is to open up that time-tested playbook and remind you how important the basics are. These foundations of business success are even more important when facing difficult business cycles – so here is a blueprint for setting a course towards renewal:

DEPENDABILITY

Your employees and your guests need to hang on to that business anchor that will keep them feeling safe and secure in the realization that you have a firm footing and will consistently be there to help them feel the same. This means that you are a beacon of strength and dependability. Find your hours of operation, your strength in concept, your commitment to keeping your eye on the details and don’t waver from the standards that you set. Show everyone that you intend to stay the course and be there when they need you.

COMMUNICATION

As much as communication is always the number one criticism of those on the receiving end – it will be even more so during times of crisis. This is the time to up your game in this regard. Share everything that you can with your staff – right down to the nitty gritty of business finances – they deserve to know. Communicate profusely with your business guests – use all of the mediums available and make the communication positive and uplifting. Engage in social media even more than before – post positive info daily. Send out information about your current offerings and your future plans through effective email blasts. Ask your guests for advice and ideas that might help the business that they are a part of. Invest the time – this is very critical.

When I see a restaurant with a lackluster website or a Facebook page of sporadic posts with lengthy gaps in activity then I sense that the business has lost its energy. When I fail to see Instagram posts of great looking dishes coming from a restaurant kitchen then I sense that there is a culinary team without that spark that draws people in. Become obsessed with communication!

CREATING A BUZZ

Remember all of those exciting things that you did to draw customers in when business was great? This is not the time to put that effort aside – this is the time to invest even more energy in creating that excitement that demonstrated a business that was alive. Everyone is engaged in take out or delivery – don’t settle for being everybody – make your engagement in this arena really exceptional. Social distancing is un-nerving in restaurant settings – how can you make it fun? Remember that guest chef program that you tried before – do it again with real gusto – hype it up – make it your signature. Don’t just sit there – do something unique and filled with excitement.

HOSPITALITY FIRST

It seems that far too many restaurants when faced with the extraordinary challenges of the day are relegating their operations to utilitarian delivery of product and service. Where is the welcoming attitude, the willingness to go the extra mile for the guest, the smiles and laughter, the little touches that made you that preferred operation for guests? I know it’s hard, I know these are uncharted waters, I know it’s tough when you are wearing a mask and gloves – but, everyone is wearing a mask now – this is the common space we are living in. How do you make it come alive with hospitality? Work at it, train for it, stand behind it, and make a difference.

FIND WAYS TO MAINTAIN THE EXPERIENCE

Look around you – the restaurants that are open at some level are not focused on creating experiences anymore. This is what the restaurant business has been about for decades now – where is the attempt to find ways of building a new experience that goes beyond providing food for a paying customer? I don’t know what that means for your operation but take an inventory and look for the sensual interaction with guests. What are the sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes that you offer and how do they blend together to create something enticing and enjoyable? Is it ambience, music, plate presentations, great smells seeping out from the kitchen, the sound of frothing milk from the espresso machine, quality background music, fresh cut flowers, pots of herbs on the table, attractive logos and uniforms? All of this still counts! Don’t let your edge slip away.

BE PRESENT

As owners, managers, and chefs – regardless of the hours that you invested in the job in the past, this is not the time to back off – this is the time to be even more present. In many cases the comfort and support that your guests have aligned with in the past were probably nurtured through the connections they built with you. You have been the rock of the business – the reason it exists – now is the time to renew those connections and be that friendly greeter when they give you a chance during these scary times to be out and about. YOU NEED TO BE PRESENT! Your guests will remember this effort when we move past the pandemic.

Painted in Waterlogue

KEEP THE SURPRISES COMING

Every few weeks add another twist to what you do – keep it exciting. Hold on to what works, but don’t let uncertain times keep you from being innovative. Whether it’s menu, special events, feature nights, or catchy pricing packages – do something that keeps people guessing and returning to your social media posts for more news.

REMEMBER FRIENDS – MAKE NEW ONES

You know how important those return guests have been in the past – guess what, they are even more important now. These are the folks who give you lots of slack, forgive you when you make mistakes, encourage you when you get it right, and tell the world about their special place. Invest heavily in keeping these folks on your side. Offer special pricing for them, create a loyalty program, as them for advice on menu changes, invite them to new menu tastings before they are unveiled to the public, make sure you treat them well when they walk through the door, train your staff how to interact with those VIP’s – these folks work for you without pay – they want to tell the world about the place that treats them well.

EMBRACE YOUR EMPLOYEES

Isn’t it ironic that with unemployment higher than it has been in decades – restaurants can’t seem to find employees right now? If you view your staff members as interchangeable parts then they will always look for a better opportunity somewhere else, or feel that unemployment insurance is a better option. Hire well, connect with them, train them exceptionally well, show some empathy for their personal situation, be fair and just, communicate, pay a fair wage, and embrace them as part of your family.

QUALITY FIRST

The kiss of death for a restaurant is to cut corners when times are tough. Maintain your standards of excellence, continue to buy the best ingredients, ensure that your kitchen team treats those ingredients with respect, be consistent with your process of cooking and plating, and never, EVER sacrifice quality standards for the sake of a few extra pennies of profit. This is the time to up your game!

INVEST IN TRAINING

I understand that money is very tight, in fact many restaurants are just hoping to have cash flow rates exceed outgoing bills until they can be in a position to reach for elusive profits; some, in fact, might be incurring losses during this time of limits to top line sales. This is not the time to cut back on training. Your employees, if well trained will help you through these tough times. They will provide that experience for guests, treat them as friends, provide that hospitality that is so important, watch your costs and help you control them, communicate as loyal ambassadors, and be there to problem solve through these challenging times. Help them to improve – invest in training even when it seems that you can’t afford it. You can’t afford not to train.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

We will get through this together

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

IT’S ONLY FOOD

10 Monday Aug 2020

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chefs, cooks, culinary, food, food history, restaurants

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You know I have occasionally heard this statement, or at least felt that it was implied: “Don’t get so wrapped up in it – it’s only food.” Well, I am here to state unequivocally that this just isn’t so. Of course, there are restaurants and home cooks who seem to view it as such – sustenance, a way to fill an empty stomach, and there are loads of people – both preparers and recipients who are content to define it that way, but their perception is shallow. “It’s only food” discounts all that goes into the understanding of a dish, a process, an ingredient, and the numerous people and systems that sit behind the steps in bringing that food to a plate.

A plate of food is a culmination of so many factors: the farmer and the soil that nurtured a crop, maybe a crop that originated in a country far from our borders and was brought to America during those early days of exploration and expansion; a crop that had been historically integrated into family pantries as a staple in home food preparation, or maybe appeared in those early European taverns as a comfort food for vagabond travelers and then eventually worked it’s way into a traditional preparation that became a signature item defining a culture. Maybe that signature item found its way to the New World and with the addition of some indigenous ingredients in America it morphed into something different and was adopted by those early settlers as something new, but something familiar. Quite possibly this comfort food found its way onto American restaurant menus as a familiar dish that was prepared well and reminded people of their family heritage. As the profession of cooking was raised to a new level – that same dish evolved into something more refined and elegant, paired with great wine and served on fine china, presented with finesse and revealed as something new and fresh.

me at dinner

The chef and the cook who prepared that dish is now representing the farmer who grew the crop, the rancher who raised the animal, the fisherman who spent treacherous hours out at sea trying to bring home a reasonable catch, the history and traditions that went back to those early days in a peasant European home and brought to America for a few generations of transition, and the respect that the chef or cook has for all other cooks who took part in the evolution of that dish. It’s not just food – it is all of this and more.

The cook or chef who stands tall in front of a range, proud in a uniform that draws its energy from hundreds of years of hard work and tradition; the cook or chef who has spent years developing those unique skills that allow he or she to wield a knife with precision, multi-task while keeping the five senses tuned in to a variety of preparations and timings, exercises that database of preparation techniques that result in consistently delicious food, and works in a highly stressful environment that relies of teamwork to bring everything together at the right moment – can’t accept that “it’s just food”.

Think about it for a moment: that bowl of pasta that graces your place setting in a restaurant came about from ancient preparations in Asia that date back thousands of years ago and even though many believe that it was Marco Polo during his world travels who brought noodles from China to Italy, that can be disputed through historical references that show the combination of flour, egg, water, and salt to make pasta was present in Italy before Marco Polo undertook his travels. Noodles, in some form, are present in almost every culture and with its preparation promote tradition and loads of stories to support its importance to a population. In Poland we find pierogi, Germany promotes spaetzle, Orzo in Greece, Dumplings in Vietnam, Wontons in China, and pasta in all its forms is by far one of the most important comfort foods in Italy and the U.S. So, that simple plate of pasta that is rolled and mounted on your restaurant plate is quite historical and as simple as the ingredients are, the perfect preparation through technique and understanding can be quite difficult. It takes skill to make great pasta and it takes understanding to build it into a memorable dish. It is, after all, not just food.

That professional cook or chef is much more than a preparer of food, far more significant than someone who deals with “just food”, he or she is:

A HISTORIAN who has an opportunity to protect and promote the background of a dish or an ingredient
AN AMBASSADOR for the cultural influences that brought a dish to the public
AN ADVOCATE for the farmer, the rancher, the fisherman, and the producer who provides the ingredients that allow a dish to come together
AN ARTIST who views the ingredients and the history behind them as paints to create a feeling or portray that history on the plate – the chef’s canvas
A PROTECTOR of time tested methods that took a simple dish to a new level of excellence
A SCIENTIST who understands the methods used in cooking that extract or change the flavor of an ingredient through the application of chemistry
A CONDUCTOR who orchestrates the symphony of collaboration that takes place on a kitchen line as all of the above factors come together to replicate what a dish means – time and again.

It’s not just food to many and as long as this is true there will be restaurants, there will be chefs and cooks bringing a dish to life, there will be a connection between the consumer and all of those stakeholders in the process, and history and tradition will continue to flourish through the hands of those who know just how important food is and how significant the process of cooking can be.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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WHAT RESTAURANTS HAVE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC

03 Monday Aug 2020

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chefs, cooks, culinary, restaurants, restaurants and the pandemic

Painted in Waterlogue

As restaurants rally to try and meet the requirements of the new protocol for operation – distancing tables, reducing customer volume, enforcing mask wearing, deep sanitizing of surfaces, moving to on-line menus or single use documents, removing anything from table tops that could carry the virus, and trying to calm the fear that both customers and employees share – they are even more concerned with the inability to convince employees to return to the job. From coast to coast restaurants that are open at some level are paralyzed by a lack of staff. This might seem counter-intuitive when one considers that unemployment rates have skyrocketed – but it is the reality.

As restaurant owners and chefs scratch their heads trying to figure out what’s going on – it might be helpful to look at the lessons that are before us. Restaurants have been struggling to attract and retain employees for years, but never at this level. Typically, when unemployment is high – people line up to find those open positions, but not now. So here are some thoughts:

TEN LESSONS LEARNED:

[] PASSION FOR COOKING IS FRAGILE: Those of us who cook because of a love of the craft, the pride in the history of the profession, the joy of creating, and the energy derived from working with a team of like-minded people may not fully understand this – but there are many others who enjoy cooking, but discovered that their enjoyment was dampened by the reality that the work conditions, commitment of hours, and meager wages and benefits are hard to ignore. Passion is not blind forever.

[] THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS IS EVEN HARDER THAN WE THOUGHT: The pandemic has demonstrated to owners/operators just how very fragile their business is. Obviously, revenue is critical to any business, but most others have the capacity to ride a storm for a period of time. Restaurants, like the employees who work for them, cannot survive more than a handful of weeks without sufficient revenue. Four months of lockdown is the end of the road for most restaurants, in fact one month was all that it took for the grim reaper to knock on their door.

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[] WE ARE THE POSTER CHILDREN FOR ECONOMIC DISASTER: Take note of the amount of press that restaurants have received as economists point to the devastation caused by the pandemic economic disaster. According to ABC news – more than 16,000 U.S. restaurants have permanently closed as a result of the pandemic and the numbers are growing – thousands more are hanging on by a thread. Yes, other businesses in numerous sectors have closed, but none at this rate. Low profitability, inconsistent business volume, and the inability to create an emergency nest egg have been at the root of this problem.

[] THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS TENUOUS: The domino effect became apparent early on as meat processing plants were impacted by Covid outbreaks, farms found it difficult to attract harvesters, transportation systems were cut back as restaurants closed, and consumer hoarding made it difficult for businesses to keep their stock levels where they should have been. Suddenly, those items that were simply a phone call away from supplier to restaurant are faced with inventory shortages. As a result, normal menus have been challenged and restaurant storerooms are looking pretty challenged. All of this happened within a few weeks of a significant bump in the road.

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[] COMFORT AND SERVICE RULE THE DAY: Restaurants and chefs have long portrayed the quality of food, uniqueness of menus, and signature of the chef as being the key to success. The pandemic has shown that the fear of exposure has directed consumer attention to a much simpler formula: good tasting, comfortable food, prepared and served safely, and packaged in a convenient manner so that the guest can minimize exposure to others. This may put a different spin on what restaurants look like in the future.

[] TRAINING REALLY IS IMPORTANT: The pandemic has made it acutely obvious that TRUST is at the core of success for restaurants. Trust must be evident to employees and customers and trust during the pandemic is based on training all involved about the necessary protocol to keep people safe. There has never been a more important time for employee (and management) training than right now.

[] GOVERNMENT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND: It has become abundantly clear that federal, and in some cases, state governments do not fully comprehend what the restaurant industry is facing. They seem to waver on unemployment for employees who typically live paycheck to paycheck, fail to understand that if a restaurant is mandated to be closed – they are unable to pay their landlord, fail to understand that PPP to cover labor cost is great, but if it comes with a mandate to keep everyone employed when protocol limits business capacity to 25 or 50%, there is a disconnect, and seem to believe that throwing money at restaurants is the long-term answer, when what small operators need is expertise on how to weather this storm and prepare for the next.

[] THE NATIONAL ECONOMY DEPENDS ON RESTAURANTS: We knew this all along, but now it is vividly apparent that the number two employer in the U.S., even though many of those jobs are close to minimum wage, has a significant impact on the economic health of the country. The restaurant industry needs serious assistance right now if it is to continue helping the national economy equalize.

[] IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE IN RESTAURANTS: OK, we can open (at some level), but the common sense protocols of masks and 6-feet of social distancing are quite impossible to maintain in a restaurant setting. Either we simply can’t open, or we need some very creative thought on how we can keep everyone safe and do it economically.

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[] WE CAN’T IGNORE THE NEED FOR FAIR PAY: Finally, the pandemic has brought home, even more so, that there needs to be a systemic change in the restaurant business, a change that makes us more efficient, more profitable, and able to pay a fair wage to our employees and offer a basic platform of reasonable benefits that any worker should expect. When the federal government offered expanded unemployment benefits and a $600 per week stipend to all workers – two things occurred: first – these employees were, in some cases for the first time, able to pay their bills and enjoy the comfort that comes from keeping creditors at bay; and these same employees realized that they could make more money not returning to work than if they did in the highly stressful activity of being a restaurant employee. This is a challenging combination for restaurant operators to compete with.

Out of every disaster comes a bit of sunshine, or at least clear vision of what is wrong and what the potential solutions might be. Hopefully this will be the case for restaurants and all of the stakeholders who depend on the restaurant experience.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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STRENGTH, GRACE, AND DIGNITY

23 Thursday Jul 2020

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chefs, cooks, Dignity, Grace, kitchen leadership, kitchen pride, restaurants, Strength

I am in the process of reading Chef Dominique Crenn’s autobiography: Rebel Chef. I have long been a fan of her style and passion for expressive cooking, but it is these three words that solidified, in my mind, how a chef should run his or her kitchen: Strength, Grace, and Dignity. Those of us who are over the age of 40 – probably worked in a kitchen or two where Strength may have always been at the core of a chef’s style, but Grace and Dignity were not part of the formula. It was the way it was, and few ever questioned the methodology.

The problem is that strength without grace and dignity does not inspire, does not rally support, and will never result in long-term positive action. Let there be no question that strength that also demeans, discounts, segregates, disrespects, and undermines others is actually the definition of underlying weakness. Chefs, by the definition of the role, are leaders of a team, the face of a kitchens integrity, and the role model for others to follow. When strength is practiced without grace and dignity, then leadership is in serious question.

I know, I have been there – there are ample opportunities every day for a chef to sense that the only way to get things done is through promotion of fear of the chef’s wrath – the temptation to move in this direction is always present. Yet, the best chefs ask: “Where does this approach get me?” Employees who are less than dependable, those who fail to understand that sense of urgency that is pervasive in a kitchen, people who are too cavalier with the ingredients they work with, cook’s who are not on top of controlling waste, those who drift away from defined cooking methods, sloppy work stations, failure to take that extra few seconds to make sure a plate presentation meets the standards of the operation, or confrontational disregard for the chain of command will also light the fires of anger in a chef. How the chef approaches these instances has everything to do with whether or not there will be a change in attitude as a result. A demeaning comment, an embarrassing quip, a vile word in view of peers, a violent tirade of expletives along with a few idle threats may have an impact in the moment, but at the same time it creates an environment of discontent, anxiety, and isolation rather than team unity.

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“Dignity is one of the most important things to the human spirit. It means being valued and respected for what you are, what you believe in, and how you live your live. Treating other people with dignity means treating them the way we’d like to be treated ourselves.”

-Family Education

Those who promote the integration of grace and dignity in their style of leadership are also those who understand that many, if not all of those listed examples of operational realities are directly related to how the chef approaches them. The solutions rest on the shoulders of training, setting examples, equitable enforcement of operational standards, provision of the tools for employees to be successful, support of their efforts, honest critique, and all done under the umbrella of strength – a 100 percent commitment to excellence without exception.

“Grace in Business. … The dictionary definition of grace is elegance, and yet to me, in business, it is a combination of many qualities, including valuing people, being gracious and respectful, having gratitude and quiet confidence.”

-Association for Talent Development

Strength in business is a combination of power and trust. The power comes from the position, the title – not always the actions of the person who holds that position. When those around can trust the business leader to be honest, do what is right, represent the best interest of the position, the business, and those who work and support that business – then strength is viewed in a very positive light. When the person “in charge” uses power to demonstrate privilege over someone else, use it as a manipulative tool to push another individual in a direction that is contrary to his or her belief or authority – then strength takes on a whole different, contrary role. Far too many chefs in the past leaned on the power of the title vs. the power drawn from consistency and earned trust.

Painted in Waterlogue

Those who exemplify strength, grace, and dignity in appropriate proportions live by these rules:

[] STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE (strength, dignity)

Everything that the chef and his or her team members engage in: from the simplest tasks (vegetable mise en place, organization of storage, station mise en place, cleaning plates or pots) to the most complex (finishing a delicate sauce, perfect plating of dishes even when it is very busy) is done with a commitment to excellence and constant improvement.

[] TRAINING TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS (strength)

Chefs should never assume that excellence will take place – it must be accompanied by a commitment to training and teaching. Strong chefs take the time to explain, demonstrate, and follow-up with those standards of excellence that are clearly defined for the restaurant.

[] CONSISTENCY (strength)

Chefs who are in control know that the importance of excellence lacks strength unless every task, every process, and every plate of food consistently meets those standards. Thus systems and procedures are expressed and solidified throughout the operation.

[] REAL CRITIQUE (Grace and Dignity)

Strong chefs never criticize – they critique. In critique – the notation is not personal but rather procedural and pointing to what is wrong is viewed as shallow unless it is accompanied by showing the person how to improve and why to improve.

[] PROMOTION OF A TEAM INITIATIVE (Strength, Grace, Dignity)

Strong chefs know that they are never able to accomplish the lofty goals of excellence unless every person on the team understands, appreciates, and becomes passionately involved in meeting those goals with an uncompromised commitment to excellence. It is a team effort that counts and the leaders responsibility is to promote this environment.

[] RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT (Grace and Dignity)

Strong chefs give credit where credit is due. Strong chefs applaud (publically) the good work of others and always recognize their focus on meeting and exceeding standards of excellence. One of the chef’s most rewarding moments is when this happens and support is always given so that team members can feel the gratification that comes from a job well done.

[] ASSESSMENT (Grace, Dignity and Strength)

Strong chefs are always giving feedback to team members as they reinforce those standards, point out where there are needs for improvement and how to achieve that, and celebrate even the smallest win. A simple “thanks for such great work” goes a long way toward building pride and confidence.

[] PRIDE IN THE PROCESS AND RESULTS (Strength, Grace, Dignity)

To a strong chef – the pride that comes from his or her team members reaching or exceeding a particular goal is far more important than personal accomplishments. That five minute wrap-up at the end of service when the chef says: “Well done team – customers were thrilled and I am so proud of how well everyone did their job to the best of their ability and did so while supporting each other” – will inspire those team members to replicate that same effort again, and again.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Do so with Strength, Grace, and Dignity

*Thank you Chef Crenn for the inspiration.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

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