Harvest America CUES BLOG

restaurateurs

  • BRING BACK BLUE PLATE DINERS

    Ah, to those who lived it, the 1950’s were a time of real Americana. World War II had ended, and Americans were clamoring to become homeowners, fill the openings in a robust labor market, President Eisenhower had committed to building… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – ARE YOU READY TO “BE THERE”?

    CHEFS – ARE YOU READY TO “BE THERE”? The Olympics are always inspiring. This year, something very special became evident – we observed that commitment and joy can coexist. Of course, every Olympian must be excited and happy to represent… Continue reading

  • THE WINTER OF A CHEF’S DISCONTENT

    Maybe it’s me, but I can see, taste, feel, and smell it. It permeates the air and clings to operations from the parking lot to the table. It’s a deep, dark feeling of despair and submission that I know leads… Continue reading

  • A RESTAURATEUR’S PLEDGE FOR SUCCESS IN 2026

    A RESTAURATEUR’S PLEDGE FOR SUCCESS IN 2026 It’s tradition – we jot down our well-intentioned New Year’s Resolutions: lose weight, take better care of ourselves, exercise more, save money, think positive, finish those pushed aside projects, etc. Unfortunately, those thoughts… Continue reading

  • A CRYSTAL BALL LOOK AT THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS OF TOMORROW

    Restaurants, in some form, have been around since the days of the Greek and Roman Empires. The modern version had its roots in models built in hotels during the time of Carême to sophisticated free-standing operations under the helm of… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANTS THRIVING IN A COMPETITIVE WORLD

    Operating a restaurant is a brutal undertaking filled with uncertainty, tough reality, highs and lows, and sometimes unwanted reckoning. If you are already running a restaurant, you fully understand this and if you hope to operate a restaurant you have… Continue reading

  • A CHECKLIST TO RESTAURANT EXCELLENCE – Part One

    A friend once told me that operating a restaurant is not rocket science. I’m sure he meant well, although my initial reaction was to get a bit defensive. We all know that running a restaurant is enormously difficult, thus the… Continue reading

  • AMERICAN RESTAURANTS – AN INTERESTING EVOLUTION

    PART ONE: An Immigrant Nation Melting Pot: America was the land of opportunity and tens of thousands came to our shores, through Ellis Island, and stood at the gates of New York ready to become American and bring their ethnic… Continue reading

  • DON’T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY

    It would be difficult to find a more sinister, demoralizing, harmful, or self-destructive word than mediocre.  Mediocre sucks the lifeblood out of an individual or an organization – it is the dark side of the moon, the harbinger of discomfort… Continue reading

  • THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT 2022 (Post Pandemic)

    Ah…now is the time for everyone to start speculating about what the restaurant business will look like when all of this craziness is over.  Let’s start with what we are fairly comfortable saying:  whatever “normal” is will likely not make… Continue reading

  • THE RESTAURANT ECO-SYSTEM NEEDS HELP

    There are a number of reasons why restaurants fail – some are predictable and avoidable, while others can catch a business off guard.  None, however, are as devastatingly out of the operators control as this pandemic.  Even the best operators… Continue reading

  • THE FUTURE OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

    Numerous people have asked me, over the past few months, what I think about the future of restaurants in America.  Of course, this is a question without scientific studies to back up an answer – this is pure speculation.  However,… Continue reading

  • COOK FOR ME

    I have seen the following quote from Anthony Bourdain many times before, but today it really resonated. It is a statement so simple, yet so profound; so foundational, yet so deep and meaningful; so intriguing and so beautiful. This statement… Continue reading

  • FUTURE PERFECT – A RESTAURANTS NEXT CHAPTER

    OK, so here we are: restaurants are beginning to re-open (maybe prematurely, maybe not) and we are all scared to death. We are fearful of a virus that is still out there, still scoping us out, still waiting to strike… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: OPENING RESTAURANTS – WHERE’S THE PLAN, STAN?

    Let’s assume, for a moment, that we actually are all in this together. Let’s put on our restaurant hat and take responsibility for doing what is right for both the health and wellbeing of our families, staff, and customers, and… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: A PHASED IN APPROACH TOWARD RESURRECTING RESTAURANTS

    A cautious approach towards opening is the most prudent rule as we begin to see signs of a virus that might be controlled in the future. There are few certainties at this time except an understanding that this is not… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: HOW WILL WE RE-CREATE THE CULTURE OF DINING OUT?

    There are few things in life that vividly define the culture associated with a group of people more than dining out. Food is connected to nearly every aspect of life, family, and the art of living. A culture is a… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: WHAT RESTAURANTS MEAN TO SOCIETY

    Cooking for others is one of the oldest professions known to humanity. Since fire was first discovered – we have enjoyed and developed the skills to cook, eventually season, and finally plate prepared food to please other people. Cooking is… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: CHEFS ROUTINES – HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY

    We never really understand how much we depend on our routines until we are forced to break them. People are creatures of habit and it is those habits that give us comfort, provide us with direction, and help us to… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS – DON’T WASTE THIS TIME

    Desperation has sunk in for those of us in the restaurant business. We know that closure is a reality for at least 30 more days and likely longer than that. The only adjustment that can be made is the heartbreaking… Continue reading

  • OUR DAILY BREATH: CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS – IT’S A NEW DAY TOMORROW

    The restaurant industry has been plagued with problems for decades – this international crisis has brought everything to a head. How many times have restaurateurs and chefs proclaimed that they couldn’t simply stop their current model and re-invent themselves? The… Continue reading

  • ARE RESTAURANTS FACING EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?

    Is it just another one of those cycles with a few new challenges or is it something else? It seems to me, once you start to connect the dots, you will note that the times they are a changing, and… Continue reading

  • WHAT RESTAURANT OWNERS GET WRONG

    I have the privilege of working with many different restaurants and food businesses. Some are very successful, while others are hanging by a thread. Some are owned by individuals who have the knowledge and the wisdom of seasoned business people,… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT OWNERS – WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?

    The more I travel, experience communities, and try their restaurants – the more I scratch my head and ask the question: “What are they thinking?” The restaurant business is one that is relatively simple in concept, yet enormously complicated to… Continue reading

  • INVENTION, RE-INVENTION, A FRESH LOOK

    There are few examples of businesses that can continue to thrive without change. Not too long ago, the need for change was gradual – giving owners/operators a chance to assess, research, test through trial and error, and slowly take baby… Continue reading

  • ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM – A CHEF’S LAMENT

    (So You Want to Own a Restaurant – PART II) Deep in every chef’s heart is/was a desire to open and own a restaurant. I think that I can say this unequivocally even though many chefs may choose to deny… Continue reading

  • SO – YOU WANT TO OWN A RESTAURANT

    The life of a restaurateur: “Work all day in preparation to work all night.” -Gabrielle Hamilton – Prune Restaurant Every chefs dream is to own a restaurant – this is, after all, everything that a chef works for. Being in… Continue reading

  • DOES THE CHEF HAVE RESTAURANT EYES?

    At some point we tend to stop seeing those things right in front of us, those things that can lead to success or failure. More often than not, those things may seem insignificant, but they add up. “Sweat the details”… Continue reading

  • RESTAURATEURS LINING UP TO FAIL

    There may be conflicting figures about the success/failure rate of restaurants, but the fact remains that it is a fragile business and more operations fail than succeed. So, why is it that there is never a shortage of people lining… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT STAFF MEAL – THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAKING BREAD

    There are very few, if any other businesses that view a staff meal as not just a benefit, but rather a necessity. Labor laws do not mandate that a restaurant provide a meal for its staff, only that time for… Continue reading