Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The margins are very tight, in fact they are so tight that most business savvy people would wonder why anyone would ever want to own a restaurant. So, if the cost of goods is not the chef’s responsibility, then where does the buck stop? The answer is simple, yet profoundly challenging: food cost is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

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Food Seasonal Menu Waste Point of Sale 381

Culinary Cues

JUNE 13, 2023

I have to work (said with a frown)” in response to another person’s request for your time means that you would rather be with them than spend time at your place of employment. It’s a job” is a common response to “How are things at your place of employment”, generally meaning that it is what it is – a means to a paycheck and that’s it.

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Article Social Media Blog Café 308

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2024

Certainly, the restaurant and the chef have a responsibility to train, but the individual cook can take that training to a new level if they are willing to seek out every opportunity to learn and grow. These skills will take time and dedication to master – start today!

Kitchen Safety 381

Kitchen Safety Guest Recovery Uniforms Food Safety 381

Restaurant365

MARCH 5, 2020

From cloud-based POS systems to mobile apps designed to improve employee satisfaction and streamline scheduling, technology is bettering business and changing the landscape of restaurant management. So why is it that alcohol management is lagging? The problem with outdated alcohol management.

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Blog Management Management Cash Management 146

Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

Most restaurant owners, managers, family members of cooks, friends of cooks and chefs, those in other professions, service staff, and restaurant patrons, don’t get it. It is a juxtaposition that is nearly impossible to manage. Most people don’t get it. Chefs put their name on every dish that leaves the kitchen.

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Guest Recovery Seasonal Menu Presentation Customer Experience 404

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

It is the chef’s responsibility to set the standard for others to follow. [] A Team Builder. THE LAW: The person in the role of “chef” is responsible for the image of the kitchen through his or her actions – BOTH ON AND OFF THE JOB. [] The Person Who Establishes the Direction for the Kitchen. Restaurant Consulting.

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Restaurant Law Coaching Café Sourcing 409

Restaurant365

AUGUST 21, 2020

Successful restaurant owners and operators don’t just provide great food. The people piece of the puzzle can be challenging for restaurants. Because of the complicated nature of human resources (HR) and the sprawling regulations surrounding payroll, HR and payroll can be a recurring headache for restaurant owners and operators.

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Blog Restaurant Law Recruiting Employee Relations 78

Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2024

We do know that there were countless days when we thought we wouldn’t pull it off, when being in the weeds was all too common, and at any moment everything was doomed to collapse – yet we managed to soldier through. In line with my usual response, I said: “Yes, Chef – what’s up?” Organized chaos would be the right phrase to use.

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Back of House Kitchen Safety Hotels Front of House 318

Culinary Cues

MARCH 10, 2022

I’m not sure who decided that this declaration be made, but for those of us in the restaurant business – it is so appropriate. Why do we sometimes treat dish washers as commodities – interchangeable and easily replaceable parts, when their role is so critical to the success of the restaurant (front and back of the house)?

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Front of House Back of House Uniforms Hiring 447

Culinary Cues

JUNE 7, 2023

Time to evaluate your life and find a way to either minimize that stress or learn how to manage it. What you really need to do is find a way to push some of that stress aside, look at the cause differently, and rather than manage it superficially, look at some lifestyle adjustments. You’re a chef – stress goes with the job – right!

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Training Article Café Take-out 326

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2020

Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. When you hire a person you own the responsibility to inform, train, teach, and improve their abilities.

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Leadership Point of Sale Training Coaching 398

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN”T KNOW ABOUT A RESTAURANT. There is a long history of how kitchens and restaurants are structured. Although executed at different levels – this structure is something that all those whom work in restaurants can depend and lean on. Each have specific duties and all have some shared responsibility.

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Seasonal Menu Back of House Customer Service Front of House 517

Restaurant365

JUNE 26, 2020

While many American businesses have been impacted by COVID-19, the restaurant industry is among those hit hardest. In response, many restaurants adapted to shutdowns across the country by offering drive-through or curbside pick-up, allowing them to remain partially open and serve customers who were sheltering in place.

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Blog Audits Employee Relations Restaurant Law 78

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2022

This is meant to be a chat with all the stakeholders: cooks, chefs, servers, bartenders, managers, owners, dishwashers, and customers. The end IS NOT near, in fact, restaurants have never been more important than they are right now. For the Chef and Manager: Are you willing to look at menus differently?

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Food Supply Training Supplies Café 392

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2022

The opportunities are limitless if you take responsibility for your own upward mobility. NETWORK: Make your list of accomplished cooks, chefs, managers, entrepreneurs whom you would like to emulate. Trust me – when this occurs, great opportunities will come your way, but not before. Your future is in your hands. DON’T STAY IDLE!

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Workshop Article Uniforms Take-out 361

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2023

After absorbing all the negative press and glamorized abusive behavior it’s no wonder restaurants are having a tough time recruiting employees. There is always a need for standards in kitchens just like in any other business and it is the responsibility of the chef to set the example and ensure that these standards are met.

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Entertainment Back of House Consumer Goods Recruiting 363

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. Such is the case in 2021.

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2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 462

7 Shifts

AUGUST 15, 2022

Are you a restaurant owner looking for question to ask potential candidates? Check out this blog and video on the top 9 interview questions to ask as an owner. There are a lot of jobs available in the restaurant industry. Restaurant Interview Questions and Answers [PDF]. Table of Contents. Common Interview Questions.

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Customer Experience Website Management Hiring Back of House 397

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 21, 2023

The once restaurateur-centric restaurant was about to become chef-centric. It was interesting, somewhat absurd, but life changing for those in the profession and for the way people viewed the restaurant experience. Suddenly the chef-owned restaurant not only made sense – it was the approach with the greatest traction.

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Back of House Food Supply Government Dine-in 390

7 Shifts

APRIL 20, 2020

The government of Canada recently released the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which is just the most-recent addition to the robust relief programs Canada is offering to help support individuals and business owners during the time of crisis brought on by COVID-19. Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

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Website Management Government Article 2020 376

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 23, 2023

Measuring how the “carrot rule”, is applied is the job of the coach, manager, or in our case chef. 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%”.

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Coaching Sports Point of Sale Take-out 374

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

There will always be restaurants that fail to see the need to dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s”, and as such, there will always be restaurants where the word mediocrity seems acceptable. This is your most important responsibility. A restaurant without this level of participative control cannot survive.

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Kitchen Safety Back of House Front of House Food Safety 324

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 14, 2020

Study and watch – these are the characteristics of businesses that are supported by loyal customers, able to attract great people, viewed as wonderful places to work, and willing to share the responsibilities of leadership. Support the neighborhood restaurant with owners and employees who work side by side with a smile on their face.

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Small Business Leadership Customer Service Communication 371

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 18, 2022

The workflow of those short order cooks was not an accident, it was not instinctive, and it was not solely the work of the manager or chef who hired them. That mesmerizing workflow was a result of total commitment on the part of the operational management, the chef, and each one of those cooks. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

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Customer Experience Food Order Hiring Café 411

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

So, wouldn’t it be safe to say that if you can manage a kitchen – you can manage any kitchen? Some restaurants can operate efficiently with a staff of 10 or less, while others might require more than 50. An operation with one restaurant outlet is far different than one with several. The answer is emphatically – no.

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Beverage Events Food Order Website Management 487

Culinary Cues

MAY 15, 2021

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. The glory days of the restaurant industry have been laid to rest and they may never return to any semblance of normalcy. What if……happens? How will we react?”

Customer Experience 387

Customer Experience Cash Management Customer Service Front of House 387

Culinary Cues

MAY 27, 2023

TECHNOLOGY AND RESTAURANT CULTURE Learning to live with technology and stay in control is essential. In restaurants we need to bring people together, if not already doing so. The staff meal is so important to the sense of team, the family of the restaurant, and the synergy of work. Try “FOOD” on for size.

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Technology Front of House Social Media Back of House 347

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2022

The list of responsibilities keeps growing: menu planner, budget manager, concept developer, quality controller, purchaser and negotiator, trainer, and of course – accomplished cook – this is the job description for a restaurant chef. Restaurant Consulting. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

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Training Presentation Employee Relations Article 368

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 14, 2019

I managed to sign up for a National Guard Unit and at least felt that after “Basic” I could count on staying away from the jungle. In a nutshell – this training helped me to understand discipline, chain of command, dependability, teamwork, effort, and taking responsibility for your actions. Self discipline is an act of cultivation.

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Training Take-out Blog Management 419

7 Shifts

MARCH 10, 2021

Successful restaurant owners have many traits in common. Here we've outlined seven practices of highly successful restaurant owners. The fact that 60% of restaurants fail in their first year and 80% close within five years of their grand opening is an indication that few have what it takes for long-term success.

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Management Management Small Business Email Marketing 370

Culinary Cues

MARCH 22, 2020

Those of us in the restaurant industry are in shock at the speed and severity of destruction to the core of our businesses. So whether you are an owner/operator, manager, chef, or hourly employee let’s look at this reality and how we might learn from it moving forward. [] SURVIVAL. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

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Operations Guest Recovery Government Communication 361

Culinary Cues

MAY 9, 2022

He was a chef in a nice restaurant downtown and I had been busy raising a family. You could go to culinary school, there are many around, or you could enroll in an apprenticeship, or you could simply start working in a more serious restaurant. The first full-service restaurant chef I worked for was tough. Now, back to work!”.

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Hotels Food Order Café Inventory 361

7 Shifts

APRIL 24, 2020

The outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, and subsequent social distancing and self-isolation protocols have wreaked havoc on restaurant workers everywhere. With most restaurants operating on dine-out only, and many having closed their doors, restaurant staff are left with hours reduced—or out of a job entirely.

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Social Media Insurance Website Management Government 352

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

It was a job and a paycheck, a signal that I wanted to take on some responsibility, and the beginning of a six-decade work ethic, but there were no pats on the back for a choice of careers. I have thanked that manager (in my heart) countless times for that advice over the years.

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Back of House Reference Presentation Mobile Ordering 420

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2019

I have the privilege of working with many different restaurants and food businesses. The following provides some “food for thought”, maybe even a “look in the mirror” checklist for those who are drifting away from those initial goals. [] THINKING THEY CAN MANAGE THROUGH OTHERS.

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Cash Management Point of Sale Leadership Website Management 266

7 Shifts

AUGUST 10, 2020

This is the restaurant back office in its natural state – but not at all at its finest. Even though the practice of restaurant management continues to move digital, the physical space of your restaurant back office still needs to be organized.

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Document Restaurant Law Book Point of Sale 351

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

With the title comes a basket full of new responsibilities and challenges that will likely weigh you down for years to come. These responsibilities come with the job – embrace them. Be an advocate within your restaurant for a benefit package that includes exercise. Congratulations! So.now what?

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Education Consumer Goods Training Back of House 309