Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2020

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? BE PRESENT. YOU NEED TO BE PRESENT! All of this still counts!

Social Media 442

Social Media Communication Loyalty Program Training 442

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?

Seminar 368

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 368

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2020

My intent is always to present my opinions, as my opinions and never assume that they are or should be yours. If you want your cooks to sweat the details in cooking and food presentation, then be that example whenever you hold a knife, a pan, or a plate ready for the pass. Take pride in the chef’s uniform. Be a proud cook.

Uniforms 325

Uniforms 2000 Consumer Goods Small Business 325

Culinary Cues

MARCH 29, 2021

The contradiction of anxiety and peace seems to be present in every kitchen that reaches for the butterfly. Despair is present in the eyes of cooks who are within striking distance of those allusive first orders clicking off the POS printer. Being a professional cook or chef is such a contradiction of the human condition.

Uniforms 432

Uniforms Presentation Take-out Café 432

Culinary Cues

JULY 6, 2020

Your principles, and those of the cooks who proudly wear the uniform of the kitchen, are your stakes in the ground. The professional cook has a passion for the ingredients, the process of cooking, and the history behind a dish, the creation of flavor, and the presentation of a dish.

Kitchen Safety 520

Kitchen Safety Uniforms Presentation Café 520

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 8, 2020

When an employee feels that the opportunity for expression is present – then they will feel engaged and appreciated. “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” ” -Bryant H. BUILD PRIDE. Building pride in team is a foundational requirement of leadership and coaching.

Loyalty Program 582

Loyalty Program Communication Training Coaching 582

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

That they are to present themselves as ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen (The Ritz Carlton Credo).

Training 364

Training Uniforms Customer Service Leadership 364

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

When we compromise on the quality of cooking, taste, and presentation then we suffer trying to win unhappy customers back and you, the chef, must look in a mirror and see the face of compromise. Did they sense that the value was there? Were they wowed into coming back again and again? Will they write a great review on Trip Advisor?

Customer Service 357

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 357

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

We do like to show what we can do through our menus, train our staff how each should be prepared, how they should taste, and how they must be presented on the plate. This is a good thing – roll up your sleeves, the chef won’t always have the cleanest uniform in the kitchen. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. Prepare for the New Reality.

Food Supply 429

Food Supply Employee Relations Kitchen Safety Social Media 429

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Would you take that extra few seconds to make the presentation of ingredients was beautiful? What if you, with your name stitched on the face of your uniform had to deliver that plate of food to the guest and introduce yourself in the process: “May name is Jack Jones, and I prepared this dish”?

Uniforms 378

Uniforms Article Café Small Business 378

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2022

In the right kitchen, led by the right chef, every cook looks in a mirror before starting a shift, adjusts his or her uniform, makes sure that the name tag is positioned properly, maintains his or her knives with real pride, insists on working clean and organized, and approaches every task with enthusiasm. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Uniforms 436

Uniforms Café Training Operations 436

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 12, 2021

Professionalism was expected from the starched chef uniforms that were maintained by the on-site laundry, the cleaning regiment that everyone participated in, the adherence to classical techniques, and the respect that was shown everyone who became part of the team. What was most impressive to me was the work leading up to service.

Seasonal Menu 472

Seasonal Menu 2005 Hotels Customer Service 472

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 10, 2024

See how many are discounted in your operation. [] Rusted or wilting lettuce in your salads [] Dishwasher water spots on your glassware [] Unlevel dining room tables [] Empty soap or towel containers at hand washing stations. [] Dirty dining room windows [] Burned out light bulbs. [] Server uniforms that are wrinkled. [] Cooks uniforms that are stained. (..)

Uniforms 374

Uniforms Small Business Dine-in Training 374

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 3, 2020

Most cooks are pretty transparent – they tell you more than you really want to know about their past, present, and future; who they like and why, and who is not on their Christmas Card list. Usually, a recent graduate or a current school intern with starched white uniforms, polished shoes, and perfectly sharpened knives.

Uniforms 402

Uniforms Presentation Hiring Book 402

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 3, 2020

Yet tomorrow morning you will wake well before sunrise, put on that starched, white uniform, walk through those kitchen doors and face the challenges of a chef once again. There will always be the missed family events, the 5 a.m. Label us as you may: Type A’s, Obsessive/Compulsive, Driven, or to some observers – Ego Driven.

Seating 572

Seating Uniforms Take-out Communication 572

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 25, 2019

Here are some indicators: YOU KNOW YOU HAVE MOVED BEYOND A PAYCHECK WHEN: You are proud of the uniform that you wear. When you feel that every plate presented in the pass carries your signature. So how do you know that you have moved past the paycheck and into the realm of a professional cook?

Fine Dining 403

Fine Dining Food Order Back of House Uniforms 403

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. Make sure that every part of your system aligns with consistency: purchasing specs, production, flavor profile, presentation, and service. The ambience should support the product.

Fine Dining 405

Fine Dining Front of House Customer Service Customer Experience 405

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 24, 2023

You were taught how to fold your socks, the right way to make a bed, how to polish your boots so they shine like a mirror, the proper way to wear your uniform, the exactness of a salute, marching in step, breaking down your weapon, cleaning it, and reassembling in the right order – everything has a place, and everything is in its place.

Back of House 412

Back of House Front of House Food Order Uniforms 412

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Greater pay and benefits don’t come just because you are present. Look like a professional, wear the uniform with pride, groom like a professional, talk like a professional, learn to write properly like a professional, approach others in a professional manner and build your brand. Exceed expectations! Be professional – ALWAYS!

Workshop 375

Workshop Article Uniforms Take-out 375

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 4, 2022

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.

Front of House 340

Front of House Back of House Coaching Uniforms 340

Culinary Cues

APRIL 30, 2023

Maybe a different cut of meat or cooking method will result in a dish that is equality gratifying in terms of flavor and plate presentation and at a price that demonstrates a commitment to value. [] PLAN MENUS FROM A VALUE PERSPECTIVE. Think about what inspires both the cook and the guest: technique, flavor, execution, and visual impact.

Employee Relations 415

Employee Relations Sports Pricing Hiring 415

Culinary Cues

JULY 14, 2023

That weekly performance report that you submit to the owner – make sure it is spelled correctly, points well made, numbers accurate, and presented as if it were a thesis for a graduate degree. People will notice and great opportunities will come your way if you always strive for greatness.

Cash Management 311

Cash Management Uniforms Food Supply Café 311

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 14, 2024

The media went from bowing their heads when a chef walked into a room to seeking out the angry and disgruntled, the outliers and the pundits, the cooks who are unworthy of the uniform and the tattered and worn who are simply burned out from aligning with the wrong operations. We need to encourage the positive to drown out the naysayers.

Uniforms 307

Uniforms Book Article Café 307

Culinary Cues

MAY 20, 2024

How is your kitchen organized, how much time are you willing to invest in training, how do you (the chef and owner) present yourself as a leader and mentor, how serious are you about the right way to cook, how open are you to sharing, and how effective are you at building a team of professionals who look and act the part?

Hotels 282

Hotels Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 282

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

As the restaurant moves from the simplicity and uniformity of breakfast to dinner where preparations are more complex and presentations more precise. In all cases there is an intensity of purpose, the pressure of time, the exactness that consistency demands, and the passion for the plate of food presented to the guest.

Fine Dining 395

Fine Dining Uniforms Dine-in Food Order 395

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2019

Owners and operators expect it, peers expect it, staff demand it, and customers just have a feeling that the chef is always present. He always gave the job his all, spent time studying and practicing the techniques that gave him confidence, following the lead of the executive chef, and wearing his uniform with pride.

Reference 345

Reference Uniforms Take-out Social Media 345

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2019

Even when the owner is present – he or she must depend on the consistent interactions between customers and the restaurant’s employees. Even the most loyal guest will start to drift away if they can’t depend on the service, the product, or the hours of operation. Budget cautiously for donations and stick to the budget.

Cash Management 274

Cash Management Point of Sale Leadership Website Management 274

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2022

Tom quickly washed his hands, tied on an apron, adjusted his uniform and set-up his workstation. If he wanted to move up to a more demanding station he would need to “discover” how each player worked, how they set-up their stations, the flavor profile of each dish, timing, and plate presentations.

Café 358

Café Front of House Point of Sale Back of House 358

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

They fear the look of disappointment or an abrasive comment; they fear the plate of untouched food, the half-eaten entrée they wrestled through heat and intensity of the kitchen to prepare and present, and they fear the role they may play in the success or failure of the restaurant. Fear is limiting and all-consuming.

Employee Relations 396

Employee Relations Training Fine Dining Take-out 396

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 28, 2023

What you experience in our kitchens is a mix of what life has presented us – some not so great, but mostly wonderful and even remarkable. You know this voice is present the minute you walk into a dining room or step foot in the kitchen – there is an energy hard to deny; an energy that permeates every part of the operation.

Food Supply 375

Food Supply Dine-in Uniforms Presentation 375

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

That's why we're presenting you with all you need to know about inventory's essential steps, best practices, and helpful resources below. You should take physical inventory on everything from edible ingredients and cleaning supplies to dinnerware, uniforms, and tabletop items - anything you need to order more of. Table of Contents.

Inventory 370

Inventory Management Management Point of Sale 370

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Whether the task is washing pots, cutting vegetables, or setting up the most intricate plate presentation – that commitment to excellence should prevail. Writing a memo? Do it with excellence in mind. Preparing a menu? Excellence is the standard that you must follow.

2021 410

2021 Point of Sale Reference Take-out 410

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Here’s an example of an onboarding overview: Day One Orientation: Learning about the restaurant’s culture and history, meeting coworkers, and receiving a uniform. During orientation, share a presentation or video that reviews the key principles of your restaurant's culture. Onboarding is your opportunity to reinforce these values.

FOH 307

FOH BOH Food Safety Customer Service 307

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 5, 2019

And others may be content to present their food with great realism as Norman Rockwell might if he had been a chef. When I see a cook in a clean uniform taking a quick break from his or her work – I feel his or her condition and appreciate whom they are. I have immense appreciation for all cooks who are simply dedicated to what they do.

Uniforms 179

Uniforms Presentation Food Order Fine Dining 179

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 1, 2024

Communication Silos in Restaurants A few communication silos that commonly present themselves in restaurant operations include: Waitstaff : The most common communication silo in restaurants is the waitstaff who bear the brunt of the customer-facing operations of the restaurant, since they are the ones who get to see the customer experience up close.

Communication 197

Communication Operations Leadership Employee Relations 197

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Have you established a uniform and grooming standard in your restaurant and is it equitably enforced? The bottle of wine that a guest felt was “the best I ever had” will never taste the same in your home purchased from a local wine shop because the people who gathered and raised a glass are not present.

Fine Dining 328

Fine Dining Dine-in Front of House Design 328

Culinary Cues

JUNE 16, 2020

Be present every day on these platforms. [] LIFT UP THE BRAND. Do it all and do it often. Your regular customers were your ambassadors and your raving fans. They remember you, your people, your name, and your image – talk it up. Make sure that your name and what you stand for is prominent in every communication you send out.

Social Media 292

Social Media Entertainment Email Marketing Customer Experience 292