Harvest America CUES BLOG

TECHNOLOGY AND RESTAURANT CULTURE

Learning to live with technology and stay in control is essential. We need to embrace the good and understand the bad and the ugly. This is not easy since the access to and use of technology and its influential sidekicks: social media and 24/7 news is so universal that nearly everyone sees them as essential to our way of life, but we need to try.

We cannot change a person’s habits outside of work, but we can set some parameters when they are on the clock. Here are some thoughts on what might be done in this regard.

[]       MAINTAINING FOCUS:

Cellphones off while at work is a reasonable standard if it is equitably enforced. But we need to be cognizant of a primary reason for “being connected”. People are accustomed to leaning on their phones for comfort, information access, and peace of mind.

“But I need to stay connected in case my children, spouse, family are in need?”

The solution is low-tech: Have a dedicated emergency landline installed in the chef’s office for this purpose. Encourage your staff to share the number with key family members and if there is a legitimate “emergency” this is the lifeline, in a semi-private setting where they can communicate.

“I use my phone to research info about ingredients, processes, or technique.”

Install a “staff” computer in the kitchen that can be used for this purpose.

Employees can always catch up on their phones during breaks but during production and service their focus must be on the job in front of them.

[]       BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER:

One of the “bad and ugly” aspects to technology, especially social media, is that people are pulled into their silos and fail to interact and share with others. 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. I can’t stress this enough: make staff meal a celebration of your team. Dedicate the effort to make it special, make the time to allow everyone to sit down TOGETHER and break bread, talk, relax, and laugh together (front and back of the house). Even if it’s only 20 minutes – make this a priority. Make it a cellphone free zone and if possible, integrate service staff and cooks so that it doesn’t end up being another example of “us and them”.

[]       REINFORCE THE COMMON DENOMINATOR:

So, what is it that serves as a common denominator for restaurant folks? Try “FOOD” on for size. There is a connection here, granted at different levels, but a connection all the same. Work with it, carry it forward, invest in it, and help it to grow. Encourage talk about food while on the job, take the time as a chef or manager to make “FOOD FACT” teaching moments throughout the day. It might be a five minute lesson in the kitchen – an order of Alaskan Halibut just arrived – call all of your cooks away from their prep as you talk about the anatomy of the fish, it’s origin, how it is caught, the fact that it is on and off the endangered species list, it’s flavor profile, and maybe even a demo on how to fabricate it and save the bones for a fumet. This is a unifying teaching moment that might just have an impact on a cook’s career. Find these moments and make them part of your daily routine.

In the front of the house – prepare a sample of this beautiful fish, don’t worry about all the accompaniments that might be on the finished plate – just the fish. Pull your service staff together while they are preparing for service and give the same five-minute talk with a bit of tasting as well. The more they know, the more they are engaged, the better prepared they are to sell, and the better connected they will be to the cooks in the back of the house.

[]       BE THE EXAMPLE:

Very simply – what you require and expect of your staff is what you MUST also practice. Leave your cell phone on vibrate and if a call comes in that must be answered, move to your office. Stop walking around with your phone glued to your ear.

[]       TRY THE GOOD, OLD-FASHIONED BOOK CLUB:

This may sound naïve, but one of the travesties of the social media generation is that so many people no longer sit down and read a book. One of the great joys in life is engaging in a great story through the words of an accomplished author. Feed it to your staff members and talk about the book while you are engaging in daily tasks. The book club need not meet in someone’s living room, sitting in a circle, and taking turns giving an evaluation of the authors hidden message – it’s just a tool for discussion. When you find a great book (especially one that focuses on food or the life of a cook, chef, farmer, fisherman, rancher, cheesemaker, etc.) then pass it on to your cooks and follow up with questions about a place or character in that book – show them how much fun it can be to get lost in the story. This is education and one more reason to put down that screen for a period of time.

[]       EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL, NOT A SUBSTITUTE:

Refrain from ignoring the growing presence of technology – you need to step into that world, understand it, and find out where it fits. If tech makes the job of your team more enjoyable, less stressful, more predictable, or more productive, then why wouldn’t you embrace it? If you are in control of where, when, and how it is used, then technology is your friend.

[]       TEAM BUILD OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN:

You know that local bar that sponsors a softball team, pick-up basketball game, or even pool team? They might just be onto something important. Team activity outside of work helps to build strong bonds and will ultimately impact your work team in a very positive way. When you create opportunities for interaction, pulling people out of their technology fueled silos, then great things can happen.

In restaurants, you may not find the time for structured sporting teams, but you can plan an occasional “team day” outside of work. Close the restaurant for a day and bring everyone to the beach for a volleyball tournament. In January, rent a bus and take them to the best snow hill in the area for a day of sledding and tubing with warm cider or hot chocolate. Take them back to their youth and watch them smile and laugh without the stress of the job weighing heavy on their shoulders.

Schedule that “before the holiday” Christmas party and invite their families along. Have the chef and sous chef cook the meal and the managers serve these important guests. Give out a few silly awards – make it memorable and watch how getting people to interact can make a world of difference.

[]       FOR GUESTS – BUILD ON THE STORY OF INTERACTION:

Requiring guests to turn off their phones may be over-the-top, but offering a story about the importance of human interaction is not. Don’t forget the potential good that can come from those positive Instagram photos of your food and drink. Aside from that, when a guest spends more time interacting with their phone than the person across the table from them, then you start to wonder why they came out to dinner in the first place. Teaching your service staff how to engage in conversation around the “common denominator(food)” will help; a quote or two on the menu about the joy of human interaction will help; and having the chef visit the table during service may just start the process of breaking connections with the phone and enjoying who is across the table. It’s so much about the experience of dining and the phone breaks the cycle of that experience.

Ultimately, building a business/social environment that offers a viable alternative; doesn’t demand, but gently offers the other side, is part of your responsibility as a hospitality professional. We can’t directly break the cycle of technology isolation outside of work, but we can start during that short period of time that our employees are with us.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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