Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 23, 2024

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Compromise is a good thing; it helps the world go round. Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAFÉ Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Café 426

Café Pricing Hiring Blog 426

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2024

Miles Davis considered the most prolific improvisational jazz musician of a generation was classically trained. Picasso, from the age of seven, was trained in copying the work of traditional masters. Picasso, from the age of seven, was trained in copying the work of traditional masters. Be excellent!

Training 417

Training Coaching Uniforms Café 417

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 7, 2025

In this article, youll learn simple, practical strategies to make it happenno awkward upselling or overcomplicated tactics required. Train Staff How to Upsell Without Being Pushy Upselling doesnt have to be this awkward thing if you just frame it differently in your mind. Increase Your Restaurants Average Order Volume (AOV) 1.

Ordering 349

Ordering Online Ordering Loyalty Program Customer Experience 349

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Remember how risky it was to take those training wheels off your bike at the age of seven or eight? If you never took a chance, then you’d still be depending on those training wheels and look silly when tooling down the sidewalk. [] ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY YOUR DUES Patience is a virtue that too many people lack.

Coaching 415

Coaching Employee Relations Take-out Training 415

Modern Restaurant Management

MAY 27, 2025

This article explores how restaurants can better prepare for cyber incidents, understand third-party vendor risks, respond effectively when breaches occur and leverage their cyber insurance policies for optimal protection. Regular cybersecurity awareness training for restaurant staff is essential to counter social engineering schemes.

Insurance 282

Insurance Document Employee Relations 2023 282

Culinary Cues

APRIL 7, 2025

PLAN BETTER TRAIN HARDER Work Hard and be Kind Dick Cattani Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAF Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Kitchen Safety 302

Kitchen Safety Food Supply 2030 Healthcare 302

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2024

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAFÉ Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Front of House 433

Front of House Back of House Sourcing Travel 433

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Commissaries for some restaurant chains have reduced the need for kitchens and trained cooks in individual units and the drive-thru has influenced Detroit to view your car as a dining space with added cup holders and space for holding food. Where theres a will there is a way.

Fine Dining 242

Fine Dining Food Supply Customer Service Recruiting 242

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAFÉ Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food These are my memories of cooking for the soul.

Food 414

Food Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 414

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 20, 2025

It’s like training a pilot to fly but not teaching them how to fuel the plane or maintain it. Sysco, US Foods, and similar distributors have multiple revenue streams, but in this article, we’ll focus on one of their biggest sources of income: margins. They can get off the ground, but staying airborne? billion for yourself.

Operations 418

Operations Beverage Point of Sale Pricing 418

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2025

PLAN BETTER TRAIN HARDER Work Hard and be Kind Dick Cattani Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAF Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Fine Dining 348

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Front of House Customer Experience 348

Culinary Cues

JULY 15, 2024

A training investment in your people is an investment in the success of the business. A training investment in your people is an investment in the success of the business. So, you must train and then trust your employees to represent your best effort. This is your role as a leader.

Leadership 472

Leadership Food Truck Employee Relations Training 472

Culinary Cues

MARCH 31, 2025

PLAN BETTER TRAIN HARDER Work Hard and be Kind Dick Cattani Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAF Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food Make more music.

Consumer Goods 448

Consumer Goods Transportation Small Business Take-out 448

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 3, 2024

Nearly nine years ago, during the first twelve months of Harvest America Cues blog, one of my articles went viral attracting almost 40,000 views in one day. The article struck a nerve with its focus on A Cook’s Kitchen Laws. Since then, more than 100,000 people have read and shared that article.

Coaching 447

Coaching Restaurant Law Article Training 447

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAFÉ Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food Happy Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for?

Food Supply 409

Food Supply Uniforms Café Take-out 409

ChowNow

APRIL 11, 2025

To really get the most out of your tablets, you need to be strategic about how you choose them, use them, and train your staff. To learn more about order aggregation, read our article How Food Delivery Aggregators Help Restaurants Grow and Streamline Operations. Lets discuss the most efficient way to get your team up to speed.

Front of House 195

Front of House Allergens Online Ordering Back of House 195

Culinary Cues

APRIL 14, 2025

When prepared tableside, the well-trained server or matre d would crush garlic between sister table forks, rub the interior of the bowl, use finesse to pour the right amount of olive oil, a coddled egg yolk, fresh lemon, salt and cracked pepper, and freshly grated parmigiana cheese. Food for thought.

Fine Dining 339

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Travel Presentation 339

Modern Restaurant Management

JANUARY 24, 2025

Additionally, attending live demonstrations, industry trade shows, or EcoChef-certified training sessions can provide deeper insights. I have personally experienced kitchens exceeding 130F and a New York Times article from August 2023 talked about just this issue and the dangers it poses. Induction also keeps kitchens cooler.

Sustainability 448

Sustainability Food Equipment Design 448

Modern Restaurant Management

JULY 5, 2022

In my last article I discussed how robots will transform our industry in a big way, but that is a few years off. In this article I will discuss the strategies that I have implemented with my clients across the country. Gradually, states let operations resume, but no matter where you are, we are all now in the same boat: no staff!

Seating 468

Seating Training Customer Service Point of Sale 468

Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 25, 2020

Before ramping up operations, conduct training meetings with staff to discuss your restaurant’s protocol for reporting injuries and symptoms. During the training, encourage employees to document physically demanding job duties such as heavy lifting to help identify and plan around potential injury risks. Foster Good Hygiene.

Employee Relations 547

Employee Relations Customer Experience Communication Training 547

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Employees must be properly trained and then given the responsibility and authority to make those decisions that fit their position. [] SERVE: Respect means that everyone involved in the restaurant is in the service business. Every day should be an opportunity for each employee to grow, learn, and improve through teaching and training.

Training 442

Training Customer Service Uniforms Leadership 442

Culinary Cues

MAY 22, 2025

Twelve years have come and gone, the blog has topped 2 million views through 975 articles on every culinary/management topic imaginable, and I have had the honor of working with more than fifty different clients from coast-to-coast restaurants, hotels, resorts, culinary colleges, and commodity boards.

2025 238

2025 Food 2013 Education 238

ChowNow

MAY 23, 2025

Try renaming them with a more enticing menu description, giving them better placement in your menu layout, or training your staff to recommend them more consistently. Keep leaning into the practice, and use the techniques from this article to spark your creativity, enhance your guests experience, and grow your profits over time.

Menu 195

Menu Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Online Ordering 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 8, 2023

It sounded like an appropriate title for an article about life in the kitchen. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 800 articles about the business and people of food) CAFÉ Talks Podcast [link] More than 70 interviews with the most influential people in food

Kitchen Safety 492

Kitchen Safety Food Safety Coaching Training 492

Culinary Cues

MAY 1, 2025

PLAN BETTER TRAIN HARDER Work Hard and be Kind Dick Cattani Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAF Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Innovation 352

Innovation Fine Dining Consumer Goods Customer Service 352

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2023

Chefs have the experience to do this or the network of professionals who can serve as a planning resource. [] HAVE YOU EVER DEVELOPED, STANDARDIZED, AND THEN TRAINED STAFF TO PREPARE A NEW MENU ITEM: Start to finish, the right way to bring an item to the menu is to go through this process until all the “I’s” are dotted and the “T’s” are crossed.

Seasonal Menu 520

Seasonal Menu Leadership Training Fine Dining 520

7 Shifts

OCTOBER 28, 2024

In this article: How to calculate your profit margin for your bar What is the average profit margin for bars? Regular training and spot-checks also help maintain consistency, leading to better control over pour costs and higher profitability for your bar. Use pour spouts or jiggers to measure each drink accurately.

Point of Sale 195

Point of Sale Merchandise Seasonal Menu Bar 195

ChowNow

MAY 9, 2025

In this article, you will learn: The five most important restaurant costs to track and manage Easy strategies for controlling food costs and labor costs Tactics to save money without hurting your guest experience Lets start with the big picture and learn where your money is actually going. Are you overstaffed on slow days?

Operations 195

Operations Email Marketing Food Supply Seasonal Menu 195

ChowNow

JANUARY 23, 2025

In this article, youre going to learn five restaurant customer retention strategies that will not only keep your current regulars happy but will also help you grow your repeat customer base. Does every cook prepare each dish exactly the same as the chef trained them to? Does front of house greet every customer the same?

2025 195

2025 Loyalty Program Operations Email Marketing 195

ChowNow

MARCH 14, 2025

The best-run restaurants dont leave things to chancethey rely on clear processes, well-trained teams, and smart decision-making to avoid costly mistakes. Effective labor management means hiring the right people, providing thorough training , creating efficient schedules, and building a culture that keeps employees engaged.

Operations 195

Operations Management Management Front of House 195

Culinary Cues

MARCH 21, 2025

Each idea finds itself in a file folder until the right location is discovered -then he jumps into action by bringing the story to life through menu, dcor, team building, training, and marketing. Some of those ideas never find a home but continue to exist as incentive to drive the dreaming process.

Hotels 267

Hotels Back of House Customer Service Entertainment 267

Culinary Cues

APRIL 22, 2025

PLAN BETTER TRAIN HARDER Work Hard and be Kind Dick Cattani Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) CAF Talks Podcast [link] More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food

Employee Relations 355

Employee Relations Reference Influencer Education 355

ChowNow

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

In this article, well show you how to consolidate your delivery apps into one system so you can end tablet chaos, improve takeout operation, and ensure customers get their food fast, hot, and, most importantly, accurate. Staff training and inconsistent efficiency. Train every staff member on the new system.

Delivery 195

Delivery Online Ordering Customer Service POS 195

Culinary Cues

MAY 6, 2025

We have an opportunity and maybe a responsibility to pass it forward, to preserve the traditions, teach the technique, train for competence, build confidence, and pass on what we know to the next generation of professional cooks. How will you do that?

Consumer Goods 249

Consumer Goods Education Sourcing Training 249

7 Shifts

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

In this article: What strategies do you use to motivate and engage your restaurant employees? Can you provide an example of how you’ve improved employee performance through training? Can you provide an example of how you’ve improved employee performance through training?

Leadership 195

Leadership Management Management Operations 195

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 2, 2024

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER Harvest America Ventures, LLC Restaurant Consulting www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG (Over 900 articles about the business and people of food) You know that the work is hard and unforgiving at times, but as the NFL coach Marv Levy always asked: “Where would you rather be than right here, right now.”

Coaching 409

Coaching Take-out Food Order Inventory 409

Culinary Cues

MARCH 16, 2025

By now you should have a way to compensate for this through in-service training of less qualified hires, bonuses for exceptional employees, profit sharing, non-traditional recruiting methods, or even the use of technology and automation. The supply chain is fragile and now with imposed tariffs this may become an even greater concern.

Food Supply 232

Food Supply Customer Service Delivery Recruiting 232