Culinary Cues

MARCH 10, 2022

If you doubt my belief – think about this: If a line cook calls out – we simply spread the work out among those who are present. A server doesn’t show up, we adjust the station chart and maybe change the timing at the door, but we figure it out. I rest my case.

Front of House 447

Front of House Back of House Uniforms Hiring 447

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2021

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). BEAUTIFUL FOOD PRESENTATIONS. Check out CAFÉ Talks Podcast. Simply stated it is what a menu item contributes to the financial success of a restaurant. REAL SERVICE.

Point of Sale 450

Point of Sale Front of House Back of House Customer Experience 450

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 18, 2020

They might be checking out recommendations from people they follow and trust, but they’re probably going to check out the restaurant’s page before they actually go. People won’t go out of their way to promote your restaurant, so it’s up to you to make it easy for them. If you do, that will be reason enough for people to visit!

Social Media 397

Social Media Customer Service Take-out Seasonal Menu 397

Social Hospitality

MARCH 27, 2020

Let’s focus on steps you can take to market your hotel or restaurant during the coronavirus crisis. There’s still an audience out there that will eventually re-engage with your brand; the key is to connect with them. With so many employees out of work, now would be the perfect time to reward their loyalty.

Hospitality 454

Hospitality Marketing Travel Hotels 454

Culinary Cues

MAY 13, 2023

Those who are serious about holding the chef title some day; the ones who are “in it, to win it”, are always wondering what’s the best path to take. Remember that being “the chef” will take you away from much of the day-to-day cooking, the adrenaline rush, and the team excitement that drew you to the kitchen in the first place.

Hotels 426

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 426

Culinary Cues

JULY 12, 2020

Sure, the restaurant has been offering take-out options for the past six weeks, but it’s not the same experience for the cook. They are pointed to their table and reminded to wear their mask until fully seated, told that the menu is on line (no more physical menus here), and that the server will take their order shortly.

Front of House 403

Front of House Back of House Dine-in Food Truck 403

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

The quick fix may just be a dramatic change in how we plan and present our menus. Without a clear understanding of where ingredient costs are going tomorrow and next month restaurants cannot afford to be shackled to a menu that is out of control. The important reality is that we MUST MAKE CHANGES NOW!

2021 495

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 495

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

When we sign our work, we take full responsibility for it. “I Think about it for a moment – would you be willing to put yourself out there and take ownership for work that is less than stellar, less than the best you can do? Are you proud to present this to your teammates, manager, or guest?” I did this, this is my work”!

Seminar 354

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 354

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

If we see the challenge as something that has an answer if we take the time to really push our problem-solving skills, then a solution will eventually present itself. Let’s take one possible cause that is not on everyone’s radar: nurturing real interest in a restaurant career early on. Challenges solved. We can do this.

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 22, 2021

It also requires money to open a restaurant and build it out, buy equipment and finance the operation until it reaches break-even. Competitive Analysis : document local competitors and show how you will be able to carve out a niche in your market. Starting a successful restaurant requires passion, hard work and persistence.

Document 393

Document Cash Management Small Business Take-out 393

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

Pointing out what an employee does incorrectly can be positive if it is reinforced with training to correct the problem. When an employee feels that the opportunity for expression is present – then they will feel engaged and appreciated. The chef must also seek out those “teaching moments” whenever they arise.

Loyalty Program 582

Loyalty Program Communication Training Coaching 582

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

A better description might be a balancing act that presents new and unique challenges every day. The best restaurant managers take customer service a step further, recognizing regulars and personalizing service for a more memorable guest experience. Managing a restaurant is a delicate routine—if we can even call it a routine.

Management 397

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 397

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Fifteen minutes early is not just being present its being ready to make a difference. [] IF YOU CAN LEAN YOU CAN CLEAN Yes, time is money, and the original intent of this often-used statement may relate to the cost of labor, but most importantly it relates to how you approach life. When team exists, then trust is present.

Employee Relations 315

Employee Relations Presentation Small Business Recruiting 315

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2024

It is human nature to try and push those out of our minds, but given a moments pause, it’s easy to remember them. It takes time for people to push aside tradition, habits, and yes – fear, that accompanies change. Change will happen, in fact it already is, but as we all known – change is not something that is embraced with open arms.

Kitchen Safety 381

Kitchen Safety Guest Recovery Uniforms Food Safety 381

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. Unfortunately, dining out and finding the right place to work is oftentimes a wishful roll of the dice. Find out everything you can about your guests and potential guests. I wonder why this is the case.

Fine Dining 392

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 392

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Unlike other line positions where there is a time allowance for preparation, pacing of courses, and the detail work that equates to a meticulously aligned plate presentation – the breakfast cook must be efficient and fast. call from the restaurant stating that the breakfast cook called out or didn’t show. and start all over again.

Back of House 518

Back of House Dine-in Restaurant Law Ordering 518

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

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. This isn’t the French Laundry” so why even invest the time in plate presentation and cooking it properly – WRONG.

Uniforms 449

Uniforms Fine Dining Small Business Customer Service 449

Culinary Cues

MARCH 15, 2021

Volunteer for a stage at a great local restaurant, take an occasional sabbatical to re-enter the industry, attend conferences and workshops, take a class on a new method of preparation, and belong to professional organizations. Yes, even faculty members need to continue to engage in the learning process. LACK OF DISCIPLINE.

Education 538

Education Food Supply Training Communication 538

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 26, 2020

So, as we close out on 2020 – here are some reflections and outcomes in the past that we might learn from. [] A DRAMATIC EVENT, BEYOND OUR CONTROL HAS SHUT THE DOOR ON RESTAURANT BUSINESS. Our purpose, and our passion have been devastated over the past 9-months and we know that it will still take time before things truly begin to improve.

Fine Dining 474

Fine Dining 2008 Kitchen Safety Customer Experience 474

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

You take time to sanitize your area, firmly place a cutting board on a damp towel to keep it from slipping, draw your knives across a wet stone while honing their edge, and quickly jotting down a prep list for the next hour. You take a deep breath and smile knowing that this is where you belong, this will be a magical day.

Kitchen Safety 423

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 423

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2021

Many of us entered the kitchen as an inexperienced person with a lack of direction in life, and as a result of the work, the people, maybe a solid mentor, and the rush of adrenaline when things went well – came out the other end as an enthusiastic cook. So, let’s take a break from complaining and focus on the WOW again.

Dine-in 445

Dine-in Take-out Customer Experience Café 445

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 21, 2021

The way your menu is presented should also reflect your concept. A fine-dining restaurant with an emphasis on ingredients may present the menu simply, with descriptions of where the ingredients are from. Fast food chains or quick service restaurants prepare mass-produced take-out food and usually follow a franchise model.

Fast Casual 370

Fast Casual Food Truck Casual Customer Service 370

Culinary Cues

JUNE 14, 2022

There are many questions that people ask with regard to the restaurant industry, but two seem to really stand out in the post pandemic world: Why should I spend money in a restaurant? There is a great deal of pent-up demand and restaurants are struggling to figure out how to gear up. Remember only 1.4%

Fine Dining 468

Fine Dining Food Supply Customer Service Presentation 468

Culinary Cues

JULY 22, 2021

Restaurants are open, and customers who have been prisoners of the pandemic are anxiously coming out of their shells and flooding to restaurants that are ill equipped to deal with the surge. As challenged as restaurants are right now, there must be an all-out effort to demonstrate value and to provide a positive experience.

Guest Recovery 448

Guest Recovery Uniforms Point of Sale Customer Experience 448

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Push it out, how many covers, lock, and load, finish strong, over the hump, wrap it up: this the language of the kitchen during service, these are the timestamps like the number of quarters in a football game or innings in baseball. Give your cooks a chance, now and then, to dine out front. Did they sense that the value was there?

Customer Service 343

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 343

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 18, 2019

With dinner prep taking place in most restaurants from noon on, you’re open anyway—and the more diners you can attract to buy lunch, the more profitable you become. 33% of Canadians eat out for lunch most-often, not far behind the dinner crowd at 49%. With proper plating and presentation, just about any meal can be Instagrammable!

Specials 362

Specials Food Truck Seasonal Menu Social Media 362

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 19, 2020

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. 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. www.mindtools.com. [] HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGIE.

Restaurant Law 444

Restaurant Law Communication Café Take-out 444

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2020

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.

Menu 388

Menu Seasonal Menu Front of House Reference 388

Social Hospitality

JUNE 22, 2020

The restaurant and food industry is one of the many to take advantage of the marketing opportunities Instagram offers. To start out with any kind of social media for business, planning is key. Take into account the day of the week, and match to the tone of your post. billion, which, in 2019, included $20 billion in ad revenue.

Marketing 440

Marketing Social Media Advertising Influencer 440

Culinary Cues

APRIL 22, 2020

As previously stated – you can take the chef out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the chef. Chefs at home must stay organized – they can’t help themselves. [] EVERY MEAL PRESENTED ON A BEO. This time of displacement is tough on everyone. Thus, more cups succumb to this fate.

Back of House 352

Back of House Point of Sale Take-out Food Order 352

7 Shifts

DECEMBER 1, 2020

Whether they’re checking out your Google reviews, scrolling through Instagram, or browsing your site, high-quality restaurant food photography is essential to how diners experience your business online. Great images can also make your social feeds online listings, and marketing stand out among the crowd. increase in sales.

Food 370

Food Management Management White Paper 370

Culinary Cues

JUNE 7, 2021

You need to seek out the opportunities and prepare to thrive when one is in your sights – success doesn’t simply appear. Be patient – it will take time. [] COMMITMENT: “I am going to do whatever it takes to prepare for the position – I am in it to win it”. Success doesn’t happen on its own – you make it happen.

Social Media 450

Social Media Communication Café Take-out 450

Culinary Cues

JULY 15, 2024

This is a disease that lies dormant in many people just waiting to take over their every being if those in positions of leadership allow it to. It is apparent in the classroom, the local grocery store, your doctor’s office, the gym where you work out, car dealerships, airports, subways, hotels, and yes – restaurants.

Leadership 376

Leadership Food Truck Employee Relations Training 376

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

The labor pool is a true challenge, the pressure to earn a profit is relentless, the fickle nature of guests can be frustrating, the shear number of daily decisions required of the job is mind-numbing, and the need to put yourself out there with each plate of food that leaves the kitchen can be – frightening. Take it for what it’s worth.

Seating 572

Seating Uniforms Take-out Communication 572

Culinary Cues

APRIL 6, 2020

Dating back to Medieval times when cooking was reserved for nobility and later during the Renaissance when merchant travelers relied on local taverns for respite and a chance to break bread – restaurants and restaurant life has always been present. You need to take care of people. You take care of customers above all else.

Travel 438

Travel Back of House Customer Service Small Business 438

Culinary Cues

MARCH 29, 2021

Take the analogies for what they are worth to you. Anger and finesse are evident in the intensity that takes place as a cook attacks a relentless list of preparations for service. The contradiction of anxiety and peace seems to be present in every kitchen that reaches for the butterfly.

Uniforms 422

Uniforms Presentation Take-out Café 422

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

I can’t even count the number of times that the union, representing thousands of steel workers, threatened slowdowns, walk outs or strikes on behalf of their membership. It wouldn’t take very long (measured in months) before there was more dissent among the rank and file and the union was back to the table with managers and operators.

Kitchen Safety 80

Kitchen Safety Training Take-out Mobile Ordering 80