Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 21, 2023

We are where we are because of the great people who stood beside us in the heat, on damaged knees and swollen feet, with the relentless ticking of the printer spitting out dupes, the barking of expeditors, sous chefs, and service staff, and because of the skills that we developed through time and repetition. For all of these, I am grateful.

Kitchen Safety 416

Kitchen Safety Food Safety 2024 Inventory 416

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

As complex as the role can be, these responsibilities—both written and unwritten—are easier to manage with the right skills (and the right tools). Accounting & finances Many owners—who take the initiative to fund and start the restaurant —expect you to keep the business open and profitable.

Management 397

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 397

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 5, 2023

In other words – patience and persistence – it takes time to build the skills and knowledge necessary to get to your destination. YOU WILL NEVER BE A CHEF unless you have mastered these foundational skills. So, to be a chef you must have the skills, the experiences, and the willingness to be “all in”. Wax on, wax off.

Kitchen Safety 366

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Back of House Front of House 366

Culinary Cues

APRIL 29, 2022

This is a direct message to all of those young cooks just starting out, dishwashers, culinary students, and seasoned veterans of the kitchen – you can go as far as you want to go in the food business as long as you are willing to put in the work, build a plan, and stick to the plan. Am I exaggerating? Build this into your plan.

Influencer 379

Influencer Book Small Business Take-out 379

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 13, 2022

One way to approach a viable solution is to modify how we do business, what we sell, and the skill set that makes sense for today’s cook. SOLUTIONS and the NEW SKILL SET: [] Smaller Menus. SKILL SET: Too many factors are making it difficult to maintain large, diverse menus.

Compost 437

Compost Fine Dining Waste Café 437

Culinary Cues

APRIL 8, 2020

Am I destined to work in the same career or do I have any real skill sets that can open other doors?” First – we (all of us who have made the restaurant business our life calling) hope that you will bring your skills, passion, and commitment back to the food business and will work diligently to help make us better.

Communication 468

Communication Food Supply Customer Service Small Business 468

Culinary Cues

JULY 5, 2023

This is what draws the very best employees to a restaurant, leads those with the means to invest in the business, and lights up the media who will paint a picture of excellence that builds excitement and anticipation around a dining experience. It isn’t just skill that wins tournaments, it’s experience. So, what does that mean?

Leadership 350

Leadership Sports Article Presentation 350

Culinary Cues

APRIL 10, 2023

To some it may simply seem like the squeaky wheel syndrome (a handful of people with loud voices) as dialogue about exodus from the restaurant business continues to raise eyebrows. However, I know hundreds of cooks and chefs who would agree with me when I proclaim that this is a wonderful business with limitless opportunities.

Employee Relations 472

Employee Relations Restaurant Law Waste Article 472

Culinary Cues

MAY 1, 2023

One fact about the restaurant business stands out to me – something I have always appreciated: the kitchen is the great equalizer. So, no matter what their journey has been like; no matter their heritage, race, gender, education level, or portfolio of beliefs – this is a business of unity in purpose.

Front of House 427

Front of House Back of House Food Order Seasonal Menu 427

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

THE LAW: It may be the responsibility of the cook to constantly enhance his or her skill set, but it is the chef who must create an environment of learning and provide the tools for others to gain knowledge and skill. [] The Ambassador for the Kitchen. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Restaurant Law 409

Restaurant Law Coaching Café Sourcing 409

Culinary Cues

JUNE 4, 2023

Don’t b t people – if you don’t know, then say: “I don’t know”, and then work like crazy to find the answer and or develop the skill that you are lacking. Fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, cookbooks, respectable blogs, menus, etc. Start immediately! You will fail to be good at your job is you are not good at caring for yourself.

Brewery 353

Brewery Equipment Book Blog 353

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 20, 2024

When we look at vegetables as a ’la carte only then we degrade the value of the meal and the skill of the chef. So, why not test the skill of the chef to develop menu items drawn from less expensive ingredients but far more interesting and flavorful than their expensive counterparts?

Fine Dining 389

Fine Dining Food Truck Back of House Pricing 389

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2021

Sometimes the change curve can be mapped out allowing ample time to gear up with new skills, new products, new methods of production, and a laser focused marketing strategy, while on occasion, something environmental takes place that forces a more immediate response. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Such is the case in 2021.

2021 462

2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 462

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2023

The media is in love with the drama, as confessions of abused cooks find ample press time, and despondent cooks who leave the business trash talk their previous employers. Let us not forget that the restaurant business is one that provides first jobs for a large percentage of the population.

Entertainment 363

Entertainment Back of House Consumer Goods Recruiting 363

Culinary Cues

MAY 18, 2020

Know that the degree or certificate is more than an acknowledgement of the skills and knowledge that you have gained – it represents your level commitment and discipline that will serve you well. Research that goal and establish the skill set those successful individuals in that position must possess, and build that into your strategy.

White Paper 519

White Paper Certification Food Safety Food Supply 519

7 Shifts

AUGUST 15, 2022

Check out this blog and video on the top 9 interview questions to ask as an owner. Be honest and direct , reference something you read on their website or a customer review that you value in a restaurant business. What are the most important skills someone in this role should have? No, this is not a trick question! Don't ramble.

Customer Experience 397

Customer Experience Website Management Hiring Back of House 397

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. Great cooks and chefs are highly intellectual individuals who are challenged to apply those skills and aptitudes every day. Cook’s learn to be masters at this essential skill.

Restaurant Law 444

Restaurant Law Communication Café Take-out 444

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 11, 2022

Don’t wait for someone else to build your skills and knowledge – take charge of your own growth. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Over 800 articles about the business and people of food). People will notice. [] INVEST IN YOURSELF: Self-improvement is the ticket to competence and confidence. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Leadership 381

Leadership Fine Dining Workshop Training 381

Culinary Cues

MAY 13, 2023

If you want to build an understanding and even a level of competence with a variety of specific skill sets then clubs, resorts, and hotels may be the only place where that can happen. [] VOLUME: A very busy, well-branded restaurant might generate 5of 6 million in annual sales, where a club or hotel can easy boast four or five times that volume.

Hotels 426

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 426

Culinary Cues

MAY 8, 2023

If a chef can manage a week or two here or there it will be at that rare time when business is off and even then, chefs are checking their email a few times a day to see what crisis is occurring while they try to relax. Five weeks’ vacation might be nice, although chefs probably wouldn’t know what to do with themselves for that long.

Kitchen Safety 428

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Coaching Training 428

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 12, 2021

The trials and tribulations associated with the restaurant business are many – it is not an endeavor for the faint of heart. This is a profession for those with a need to express, but it is also a business with very slim profit margins so oftentimes the artist and the accountant are part of a tenuous relationship.

Restaurant Law 391

Restaurant Law Education Definition Social Media 391

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2023

In terms of a restaurant, it might be: “We expect to grow our business by 20%, win the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, earn a Michelin Star, or reach a profit after taxes of 9%”. No one – I repeat – NO ONE – will ever be excited about a business (sporting team or restaurant) with lackluster goals, or none at all.

Coaching 374

Coaching Sports Point of Sale Take-out 374

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 3, 2023

I have long embraced this philosophy when it comes to restaurants, but it also can apply to any business. We tend to focus on other essential skills and outcomes while forgetting to acknowledge that people will gravitate to you or your business if hospitality exists. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. _Danny Meyer.

Hospitality 375

Hospitality Customer Experience Customer Service Small Business 375

Restaurant365

JUNE 26, 2020

While many American businesses have been impacted by COVID-19, the restaurant industry is among those hit hardest. Businesses participating in the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) do not qualify for this credit. Excess business loss limitation (EBLL) — The CARES Act has suspended the EBLL through 2020.

Blog 78

Blog Audits Employee Relations Restaurant Law 78

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

Cooks are busy at work with their own preparations as breakfast orders from the dining room arrive at a harrowing pace. This is not an automatic process; it requires a number of skills that are built over time. Over time they developed foundational skills that would allow them to progress up through various brigade positions.

Kitchen Safety 423

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Seasonal Menu 423

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 18, 2022

The difference is a culmination of knowledge, skill, experience, confidence, and preparation. There is a statement that I remember from my early days in kitchens that sums it up: “If your mise en place is right you can handle any amount of business.” www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Customer Experience 411

Customer Experience Food Order Hiring Café 411

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

To those who still doubt that this is true – here are some indications to support my belief: [] THIS IS A JOB THAT REQUIRES INTELLECT AS WELL AS PHYSICAL SKILL. There is a tremendous need for those individuals who have this broad capacity as well as the skill to cook a great meal.

Back of House 420

Back of House Reference Presentation Mobile Ordering 420

Culinary Cues

MAY 9, 2022

I was having a blast and learning a few skills along the way. All through the summer I picked up some basic knife skills, organization, and speed to the point where one morning a week (a slower day) I ran the breakfast and lunch grill by myself. He was a chef in a nice restaurant downtown and I had been busy raising a family.

Hotels 361

Hotels Food Order Café Inventory 361

7 Shifts

JANUARY 31, 2024

As complex as the role can be, these responsibilities—both written and unwritten—are easier to manage with the right skills (and the right tools). Accounting & finances Many owners—who take the initiative to fund and start the restaurant —expect you to keep the business open and profitable.

Management 195

Management Management Kitchen Safety Front of House 195

Culinary Cues

MARCH 25, 2021

There is no greatness without a passion to be great – whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, business owner (or chef).”. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Author unknown. I have spoken oftentimes about the disease of mediocrity and the joy of an attitude of excellence. This is what great chefs do.

Communication 436

Communication Coaching Fine Dining Influencer 436

Culinary Cues

APRIL 6, 2020

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 one of the most admired and appreciated skill that allows the cook to express his or her history, traditions, ethnicity, and skill while engaging guests in a story.

Travel 439

Travel Back of House Customer Service Small Business 439

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

She would bring me over to her station when it was busy to flip pancakes, butter toast, and keep the home fries coming. To Frank Shores who brought me on board at his restaurant in Orchard Park and showed me that to be successful in the restaurant business you have to count all the oranges and watch every penny. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Influencer 486

Influencer Hotels Education Hiring 486

Culinary Cues

MAY 4, 2022

Your chef instructors dedicated themselves to passing on the knowledge and skills that you will need to reach for your goals; knowledge and skills that took them a career to acquire. You need to approach every position, and every day with this realization and then work on building that portfolio of skills and knowledge.

2022 372

2022 Coaching Education Kitchen Safety 372

Culinary Cues

MAY 17, 2023

You can pick this type of person or business out in a crowd – they stand out, they shine, and have magnetism. These individuals and businesses are who we want to be – the only difference is they do the work to get there for no other reason than “this is how you do things”. These “doers” inspire without even knowing they do so.

Small Business 430

Small Business Café Take-out Definition 430

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

The club of today is a business where food and beverage plays a significant role in the financial viability of the operation. At the same time the chef must be a savvy person who has a known history of effective business acumen. The chef’s brand brings prestige to the club. [] SUPERIOR ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.

Beverage 487

Beverage Events Food Order Website Management 487

Culinary Cues

MAY 16, 2021

The ability to build a portfolio of skills, to transfer a vision to a plate, to discover and then control flavor profiles, to experience the joy of replicating your art on a plate even on a very busy night, and the connections made with like-minded cooks was (is) invigorating and incredibly rewarding. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Dine-in 445

Dine-in Take-out Customer Experience Café 445

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 18, 2021

Starting a relationship, a decision to marry, buying a house or an expensive car, opening a business, and enrolling in college are all decisions that would be considered “monumental”. You might start by reading the 650 articles in this blog. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Customer Experience 433

Customer Experience Blog Café Education 433