Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

In those early days of European coffee houses, during the 17 th century, politics were the main source of conversation. In the American colonies, public houses, or taverns, followed suit as meeting places for the common man and self-proclaimed intellectuals.

Front of House 334

Front of House Back of House Sourcing Travel 334

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

A better description might be a balancing act that presents new and unique challenges every day. Managing a restaurant is a delicate routine—if we can even call it a routine. Managers are responsible for nearly every aspect of the restaurant and have to cover a variety of duties. This part of the job is arguably the most multi-faceted.

Management 397

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 397

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 20, 2021

The kitchen is a place where those who are successful come to the realization that those later aptitudes are enhanced through experience – the more you do, the better you become. Some talented people are not the best cooks and chefs and quite often the most intelligent (using commonly referred to scales of measurement) are lacking in common sense.

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Front of House Uniforms Back of House Kitchen Safety 421

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

I know you remember the first day that you slid your arms into the sleeves of that chef’s jacket with your name embroidered under the title: executive chef. It was that first time in the lead position – the commander of the kitchen brigade. You are now the conductor of the orchestra that is totally in sync, creating beautiful music together.

Kitchen Safety 423

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 423

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

What if the chef, manager, and owner were required to do the same, in essence proclaiming they approve of the work as presented to the guest? Are you proud to present this to your teammates, manager, or guest?” Would it make a difference in attention to detail? Is there room to improve? Make it important to your organization as well.

Seminar 354

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 354

Embrace the Suck

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Some of the most damaging communication issues come from high up in organizations, so if you work with other managers and owners, stay updated on all issues and policies to ensure you're presenting the same set of instructions across the board. Every great team experiences tension. Are you noticing your restaurant team is arguing?

Front of House 299

Front of House Back of House Communication Hiring 299

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 1, 2024

Presentation also matters. Clear descriptions and appealing photos help customers make informed choices and anticipate the flavors and presentation of their meals. These days, a restaurant's reputation is built on more than the taste of its food. They must also focus on creating memorable experiences for customers at every touchpoint.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience 2024 Customer Service Online Ordering 397

7 Shifts

AUGUST 16, 2021

But it's the good shifts, when the front of house and back of house are flowing like a symphony, when customers are delighted, and the restaurant atmosphere feels effortless—that's the best part about restaurants. A bad shift can lead to unhappy customers and disgruntled staff. The pre-shift meeting ensures that doesn't happen.

Front of House 397

Front of House Back of House Customer Service Coaching 397

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

I came across an old quote from Phylicia Rashad (for those my age – the lead actress in the series “Fame” from many years back) that gave me another opportunity to think about the cooks that I know and have known over the past five (nearly six) decades and why I chose to stand in front of a range. Art is the basis of human expression.”

Food 327

Food Front of House Point of Sale Back of House 327

Culinary Cues

JUNE 23, 2024

Those operations that resemble the caldrons of hell filled with arrogance, bullying, unprofessional behavior, and a lack of respect for people, product, and process is the same as categorizing musicians, athletes, business leaders, and politicians under a unified profile. Not all kitchens are alike. Not all chefs are the same.

Uniforms 374

Uniforms Front of House Back of House Food Supply 374

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Engaged employees are also less likely to turnover. 47% of restaurants were negatively affected by employee turnover in 2019, with less than a third of restaurateurs reporting that turnover had no impact on their business. With an average cost of $3,500 when an employee leaves, it’s something restaurateurs can’t afford. for some of their favorites.

Front of House 370

Front of House Social Media Employee Relations Back of House 370

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2020

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. YES – the menu is that important! Why should it be any different for restaurants and their menus?

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Menu Seasonal Menu Front of House Reference 388

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2024

It can be done without tasting food or even seeing a single plate presented in the pass and it is visible without asking a guest for comments on a meal. So, here’s the thing – when mise en place permeates everything you do, how you work, act, and present yourself, then competence finds a home and confidence leads the charge.

Front of House 263

Front of House Food Order Customer Service Customer Experience 263

Culinary Cues

JULY 9, 2022

It’s the start of another day in the kitchen. Seven in the morning and aside from the baker and breakfast cook, I am alone with clip board in hand and my roll bag of knives placed strategically at a workstation. Having held the position of chef for nearly 20 years, this routine was very familiar and always enjoyed.

Front of House 366

Front of House Back of House Presentation Café 366

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 18, 2019

With proper plating and presentation, just about any meal can be Instagrammable! Offering a discount for college students who present their student IDs provides extra incentive to take a lunchtime study break at your restaurant. It’s December, and the air is seasoned with the scent of cinnamon, spice, and everything nice.

Specials 362

Specials Food Truck Seasonal Menu Social Media 362

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 26, 2021

These conditions present an evolving challenge for restaurants when it comes to providing a safe dining experience for customers and employees, especially when it’s often unknown whether patrons are vaccinated or not. And a technology many restaurants have leveraged over the past year ? A New Way for QR Codes to Help.

Technology 227

Technology Ordering Front of House Customer Experience 227

Modern Restaurant Management

AUGUST 26, 2022

In the back of the house, rampant inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions are cutting into margins. Simultaneously, staffing is an urgent and ongoing front-of-house concern. It is even more so for independent restaurants, which usually have one manager for all front- and back-of-house duties.

Front of House 208

Front of House Back of House Food Supply Supplies 208

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 6, 2020

Those who are proponents of systemic thinking know that even the smallest decision, especially one made in a vacuum, will domino and cause havoc on numerous fronts. White tower decisions without a grasp on the systemic impact of those decisions is a common flaw of leaders who are out of touch with reality. A short while back the U.S.

Government 244

Government Front of House Small Business Back of House 244

Modern Restaurant Management

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

Today’s restaurants face obstacles on many fronts. Simplify Front of House Processes. Many of these processes will remain even after the pandemic, presenting opportunities to deploy automation technologies to simplify front of house processes. Optimize Food Safety Protocols. trillion each year.

Training 195

Training Front of House Food Safety Back of House 195

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

This is a topic I have presented numerous times and it seems as though whenever I travel it rises to the top of my thinking. Ironically, there is always room to be great and there is plenty of room to be mediocre. The choice to be great or not so great is in the hands of the restaurateur and the folks who make a living with food.

Fine Dining 392

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 392

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

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. Every year, a significant number of new restaurants open and almost as many close their doors for good.

Fine Dining 433

Fine Dining Employee Relations Front of House Small Business 433

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 24, 2023

Everything has a place, and everything is in its place, is a mantra that becomes an obsession with cooks and chefs. It is the very act that allows cooks to push through the chaos of a restaurant kitchen day with military precision and awareness of looming uncertainty. Cooks seem to willingly drink the Kool-Aid”.

Back of House 407

Back of House Front of House Food Order Definition 407

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 27, 2019

The average restaurant employee, however, change jobs every 56 days ! It’s a miracle that restaurants remain a significant part of the economy despite this major staffing problem. How does this revolving door affect the restaurant industry? Turnover creates more than just financial repercussions. So what’s to blame for the high turnover? Here’s how.

Hiring 360

Hiring Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 360

7 Shifts

SEPTEMBER 20, 2021

Not to mention, that's before you send it out to your team (a process unto itself) and have to make those always-present adjustments. You know the mix of front-of-house and back-of-house roles you require for every shift. Here are 5 signs you need to switch from excel to scheduling software. Try 7shifts for Free.

Restaurant Law 370

Restaurant Law Point of Sale Back of House Front of House 370

Culinary Cues

MAY 20, 2024

It’s been 89 years since Escoffier stood in front of a range for the last time, yet his presence is still felt by professional cooks and chefs. In every office where I sat over the past 30 some odd years, has hung this picture of the master craftsman, leader, and ambassador of proper cooking and kitchen organization.

Hotels 272

Hotels Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 272

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 4, 2022

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. Well then – what will? Try apathy on for size. 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.

Front of House 328

Front of House Back of House Coaching Customer Service 328

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2022

It is the season of butternut, acorn, delicata, and spaghetti squash roasting with plenty of butter and brown sugar, of roasted walnuts, pecans, and marcona almonds added to your salads, and in-house pickling finding its way onto your appetizer boards. Are you up to it? Winter is, by far my favorite season to plan menus.

Seasonal Menu 308

Seasonal Menu Front of House Presentation Menu 308

Modern Restaurant Management

APRIL 26, 2022

We'll look at what artificial intelligence is and how it's being used in three different areas of the restaurant industry: back of the house, front of the house, and marketing. Let's start with the back of the house.

Front of House 197

Front of House Back of House Customer Experience Food Order 197

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 18, 2020

The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury , released the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application and detailed instructions for the application. Step-by-step instructions on how to perform the calculations required by the CARES Act to confirm eligibility for loan forgiveness.

Front of House 208

Front of House Back of House Online Ordering Kitchen Safety 208

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

Regardless of your career choice – dependability remains a basic assumption and unless you are fully present: physically, mentally, and emotionally, then success will never happen. A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. Anyway – use as you see fit.

Kitchen Safety 323

Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Food Safety 323

7 Shifts

MAY 10, 2021

If you're hiring, look at how you're presenting yourself to potential employees. On the latest episode of the 7shifts Restaurant Management & Growth Podcast, we had the opportunity to sit down with Jensen Cummings. That's not going to build a foundation. So those uninspired job posts have to go.,” says chef Jensen Cummings. says Cummings.

Hiring 370

Hiring Back of House Tip Distribution Insurance 370

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

Even through the most challenging and tragic experiences, when the lessons are quite vivid – we quickly push aside the need to change in favor of a return to what is considered “normal”. The restaurant industry continues to be devastated – not just as a result of the pandemic but because the pandemic brought underlying issues to the surface.

Customer Experience 386

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 386

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Miso Robotics provides intelligent automation solutions for foodservice that solve some critical back-of-house kitchen operations. Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine asked Jake Brewer, Miso's Chief Strategy Officer for his views on the present and future of increased robotics and automation use in restaurants.

2023 188

2023 Front of House Back of House 2022 188

7 Shifts

JUNE 16, 2022

They all prevent franchisors from seeing the day-to-day pains and successes that their franchisees experience. Throw in dozens of locations to manage, and visibility becomes foggy. That's why many franchisors rely on a franchise advisory council (FAC). Table of Contents. Purpose of a Franchise Advisory Council? Who Should be on the FAC?

Franchise 370

Franchise Franchising Communication Front of House 370

7 Shifts

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

The app is useful for both your front- and back-of-house staff, allowing them to check upcoming shifts, submit availability, request shift trades, and more. Restaurants of today are infused with technology in many new ways, and it’s making a difference. Try 7shifts for free.

Management 367

Management Management Operations Mobile Ordering 367

Modern Restaurant Management

OCTOBER 28, 2021

Restaurants produce high concentrations of organic aerosols which are then ventilated and spread into the urban environment. The pollution from the kitchen coupled with the possible presence of COVID-19 particles is not a healthy concoction. However, many potential customers are still not comfortable with the idea of the dining out experience.

Front of House 175

Front of House Back of House Customer Experience Advertising 175

Modern Restaurant Management

MARCH 13, 2020

"The desire for convenience has always been present, coupled with an equally strong desire for delicious food. And communications is front and center, particularly for restaurants that might not be as well known for out of restaurant food. 34 percent of respondents saying they plan to prepare more meals at home. "It's

Front of House 199

Front of House Back of House Restaurant Law Food Safety 199