Harvest America CUES BLOG

restaurants

  • AH…..BREAD AND BREAD BAKERS

    “The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” – M.F.K. Fischer If line cooks are the heart of a kitchen then bread bakers must certainly be… Continue reading

  • FOOD ART – LOOK TO NATURE

    There is no question that people eat with their eyes. Chefs are, for the most part, tuned into this reality and oftentimes invest countless hours developing and defining their signature presentations for various dishes. To some it may be creating… Continue reading

  • LIFE LESSONS FROM A LINE COOK

    I may be a showing a bit of bias, but I do believe that there are many lessons that anyone can learn from observing the daily activities and mindset of a typical restaurant line cook. These seasoned disciples of the… Continue reading

  • THE SOCIETAL IMPORTANCE OF COOKS AND COOKING

    I believe it was Julia Child who pointed out that every significant change in society has always been accompanied by a change in how we grow, select, distribute, prepare, serve and consume food. Whether food drove societal change or if… Continue reading

  • ARE LINE COOKS REALLY REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE?

    Many people reflect back on the 1950’s as a unique time in American history when the concept of the role of youth was being seriously questioned. James Dean personified the challenges of a younger generation in the cult classic 1955… Continue reading

  • SORRY – THE CHEF CAN’T MOTIVATE YOU

    “The chef really needs to motivate me today”. How often have you heard this type of interplay in the kitchen? People have a tendency to relegate their performance, attitude, and outlook on their job to someone else. A restaurant employee… Continue reading

  • JIRO ONO– THIS CHEF DEFINES PASSION AND COMMITMENT

    I just finished watching an incredible documentary movie for the second time: Jiro – Dreams of Sushi is a story not to be missed by serious cooks, chefs, restaurateurs, artists, musicians, teachers and all who are seeking a calling in… Continue reading

  • THE FOUNDATIONS OF COOKING WILL ALWAYS SERVE YOU WELL

    There is no question that dining is a sensual experience. A perfect meal will always address the full gamut of senses as it is prepared and presented: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Chefs who focus on just a few… Continue reading

  • A CHEF’S FEET – THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR BODY

    Ten hours each day, six days per week (or more), 48-50 weeks per year, 40 years of a career in the kitchen. Each professional cook or chef will likely spend at least 120,000 hours on his or her feet during… Continue reading

  • CHEF’S NEED TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

    In 1996, Richard Carlson wrote a very successful book on stress relief entitled: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. His approach was to de-emphasize those tasks and issues in our lives that drive us crazy and are, from his perspective, not… Continue reading

  • THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WORK ETHIC IN RESTAURANTS

    Work ethic is one of those concepts that has been frequently thrown around when discussing the foundations for individual and group success. There are likely as many books written on the topic as there are styles of management but that… Continue reading

  • EATALY – A BUSINESS THAT “GETS IT”

    OK, so I like, no I love to write. I am far from a perfect technical writer and any teacher of English would probably cringe at the number of grammatical and structural issues in any one of my posts, but… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT BUSINESS ACUMEN OR CREATIVITY – WHICH COMES FIRST?

    Some would promote one vs. the other when in reality you can’t have one without the other. With the Superbowl behind us (a rather painful one to watch) you could easily compare Creativity to a solid offense and Business Acumen… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT PROFIT IS IN THE PEELS AND SHELLS

    I believe that there are very few businesses more challenging when it comes to profit, than restaurants. As I have previously pointed out, there are numerous reasons for this; however, one of the most significant is the management of perishable… Continue reading

  • THE ADVANTAGE OF AGE

    After watching the Grammy Awards last night I was impressed with something that many might not have seen through all of the glitz and glamour of an entertainment spectacle. What impressed me the most was the “advantage of age” and… Continue reading

  • THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE IN RESTAURANTS

    There are numerous ways to look at the debate over raising the minimum wage in the United States. First, there is no question that low-end wages have not kept up with the cost of living and that, of course, is… Continue reading

  • GREAT FOOTBALL – GREAT RESTAURANTS: ONE & THE SAME

    As we recover from an exciting weekend of playoff football and prepare mentally and emotionally for the biggest sporting event of the year, I began to reflect on the similarities between the game of football and the game of restaurant… Continue reading

  • AN UNLIKELY BUT PERFECT MARKET SEGMENT FOR GREAT CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS AWAITS YOU!

    We all realize how important restaurants are to those who have a need to celebrate. Anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, and holidays or simply because it is Friday: our guests are looking for a reason to celebrate in restaurants of all types.… Continue reading

  • IN RESTAURANTS – LABOR MANAGEMENT IS A KEY TO SUCCESS

    Let’s face it: restaurant work is labor intensive. The terms hospitality and service typically include people in their definition. Although many other industries have spent considerable time determining how to automate non-skilled and skilled tasks, it would be hard to… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANTS MUST CREATE VALUE BEFORE SELLING PRICES

    Why should people spend their hard earned money in your restaurant? How many chefs and restaurateurs have ever stopped to seriously ask this question? Build it and they will come may work in “Field of Dreams” but has little merit… Continue reading

  • WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT FOR RESTAURANTS TO MAKE MONEY?

    This is the most important question for operators or would be operators of restaurants. This is the defining question that separates those who will be successful vs. those who are destined to fail. Unfortunately, far too many in the restaurant… Continue reading

  • WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CHEF-PURVEYOR RELATIONSHIP

    I remember a fantastic television ad years ago for a company that escapes me at the moment. The owner of the company assembled his key sales people together and said that they had a problem: many of their old, established… Continue reading

  • Setting the Record Straight About Restaurant Profitability

    I am on a mission today to set the record straight. There is a terrible misconception on the part of the media, restaurant customers and even many restaurant employees that food establishments make gobs of profit. “I can purchase those… Continue reading

  • YOUR BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS FOR 2014

    Well, 2013 is nearly over. Time certainly does fly by both professionally and personally. I hope that this year has worked out well for your restaurant, resort, culinary school or hotel and that you are looking forward to an even… Continue reading

  • Looking for a Holiday Gift?

    This is an admitted, somewhat shameful self-promotion, but “tis the season”. If you are looking for one of those last minute gifts, a light read that is focused on sharing some stories associated with the first four decades of my… Continue reading

  • Chef Jody Winfield – THE CHEF FOUND HIS CALLING

    I can’t remember who said it originally, however I have stated for years that individuals do not find a career in the kitchen, it finds them. There are hundreds of examples of chefs who when asked about how they decided… Continue reading

  • SETTING THE HOLIDAY TABLE – A New Role for Restaurants

    Good, bad or indifferent, the reality for the holidays is that they mark some of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. To our guests it may simply reflect their desire to truly relax and avoid the hustle of… Continue reading

  • EAMON LEE – A CHEF WHO INFLUENCES HUNDREDS OF OTHERS

    There is a distinct difference between those who work in kitchens and those who choose to pursue a life-long career in food. Chefs tend to move in a variety of directions with their careers but typically all start out with… Continue reading

  • SHARPEN YOUR CONTROL PENCILS – EVERYONE IS GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT

    Most of you are probably thinking: “what an awful statement to make”. The American mantra is always the opposite and has become the basis for our legal system, yet from experience, I would state that the best approach is to… Continue reading

  • THE COMPLETE CHEF

    The restaurant industry in the United States is enormous with 2012 sales in excess of $450 billion. There are, among the 960,000 plus operations, varying degrees of quality and commitment to excellence. There are those that disappoint, many that meet… Continue reading