Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

I think, even if these items weren’t on a menu, I would find a way to bring them into the fold. The smells of the kitchen are individually unique, yet somehow blend to make sense. I have always made sure that these smells are part of the grand design of how a kitchen must operate. These are my memories of cooking for the soul.

Food 415

Food Front of House Back of House Point of Sale 415

Culinary Cues

APRIL 14, 2025

The same is true of chefs and cooks who countless times prepare a menu, a dish; arrange components on a plate, sauce the work, apply an appropriate garnish, wipe the rim and quietly celebrate the story behind it. As examples, any restaurant can, and so many do, offer Caesar Salad as a menu staple. Food for thought.

Fine Dining 343

Fine Dining Seasonal Menu Travel Presentation 343

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2023

Have you experienced the flavors and presentations of the items that may grace your menu? Can you plan a menu focused on total utilization of meat and carcass? Is this the extent of your knowledge of menu planning? Is there breadth to your understanding of cooking, cooking techniques, and ingredients?

Seasonal Menu 520

Seasonal Menu Leadership Training Fine Dining 520

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 17, 2020

In the kitchen – work responsibilities are divided into oversight and action positions – the number depending on the scope of the restaurant menu and the size of the operation, but basically there are chefs, cooks, and support staff. Each have specific duties and all have some shared responsibility. Improvisation that is kept in check.

Back of House 547

Back of House Seasonal Menu Customer Service Front of House 547

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. Yes, it is your reputation on the line, your menu, your job description to be in charge. The article struck a nerve with its focus on A Cook’s Kitchen Laws.

Coaching 447

Coaching Restaurant Law Training Article 447

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 27, 2023

One of the dilemmas restaurateurs’ face is the approach taken with the management and delivery of a restaurant concept and menu. The menu is oftentimes a statement by the chef; a statement of his or her beliefs, likes and dislikes, and experiences. This menu is who I am.”

Hiring 449

Hiring Training Pricing Presentation 449

Culinary Cues

MARCH 16, 2025

Are you developing menu concepts that shy away from typically high-cost ingredients and ones that are sensitive to market fluctuation? What is your menu strategy for crisis situations? Labor cost will continue to escalate and finding good employees will remain a problem whether we are in a crisis or not.

Food Supply 232

Food Supply Customer Service Delivery Recruiting 232

Culinary Cues

JULY 4, 2021

CHANGE #1: The days of the fixed menu for restaurants should come to a halt. Without a clear understanding of where ingredient costs are going tomorrow and next month restaurants cannot afford to be shackled to a menu that is out of control. Smaller menus with changing content are the way to go.

2021 508

2021 Food Supply Seasonal Menu Supplies 508

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2022

How do the rest of us explain the menu with $25 appetizers, $60 entrees, and $20 desserts? From my perspective the answer lies in menu planning, training, and labor efficiency. Training in the current restaurant environment has never been more important or more beneficial to both the operator and the guest.

Pricing 444

Pricing Consumer Goods Training Small Business 444

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 9, 2021

Make them feel as if they are part of your mission – they are! [] FOR THE SERVICE STAFF: Training, teaching, and tasting are all part of the program. Let them kick the tires and take the menu for a spin. Look at every dishwasher as your next cook in training. They can’t sell a product that they don’t know.

Front of House 474

Front of House Customer Experience Dine-in Workshop 474

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Why not list your employees on the menu or on your website and their role in the organization. Why not highlight them on your social media pages or in your restaurant blog. Assign cooks the responsibility to design menu features and then celebrate their work. Invest in their excellence and they just might invest more in yours.

Seminar 444

Seminar Front of House Back of House Workshop 444

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 270

Hotels Back of House Customer Service Entertainment 270

Culinary Cues

APRIL 23, 2022

The buck seems to always stop with the chef; it’s the chef’s kitchen, the chef’s food cost, and the chef’s menu that drives marginal profit at best. When you know what the cost of a menu item truly is then you are able to build proper selling prices that lead to profitability. Train to these standards and manage them.

Food 449

Food Seasonal Menu Waste Consumer Goods 449

The Restaurant Group

DECEMBER 1, 2024

Introducing new menu items is more than just adding dishes to your offerings—it’s about crafting an experience that captivates your guests and keeps them coming back for more. A well-planned new menu launch not only boosts customer engagement but also reinforces your restaurant’s brand identity.

Menu 88

Menu Social Media Loyalty Program Seasonal Menu 88

Culinary Cues

MAY 13, 2023

Training is paramount to attracting and retaining great employees, so these properties typically invest heavily in teaching and training. [] A NETWORK FOR GROWTH And finally, the next step in a cook’s career might not be at the club where he or she is learning. Know what you want and chart a path.

Hotels 505

Hotels Point of Sale Cash Management Training 505

Culinary Cues

MARCH 26, 2022

Again, turn to the National Restaurant Association for guidance. [] PRICING YOUR MENU BY COMPARISON. These are the restaurateurs who call me up and ask: “My dining room is full, why am I not making any money?”. [] NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW TO PLAN EFFECTIVE MENUS. Training ALWAYS pays back in dividends. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Cash Management 464

Cash Management Social Media Restaurant Law Communication 464

Goliath Consulting

DECEMBER 1, 2022

In this blog, we’re here to help you plan out the best and wholesome meals for the winter your guests will love. Winter Menu Trends. Offer guests a gingerbread espresso martini to pair with braised meat or a roast or offer hot apple cider and ginger tea in your holiday menu. Restaurant Winter Promotion Ideas. Loyalty ideas.

2022 221

2022 Menu Seasonal Menu Coupons 221

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 29, 2020

You know that every chef has wrestled with this – should the menu reflect a personal philosophy to move the bar or stick with time-tested standards? You have all experienced the menu pundit (sometimes the restaurant owner) who asks where the shrimp cocktail is. That is in our DNA, we can’t really help ourselves.

Fine Dining 522

Fine Dining Café Customer Experience Menu 522

Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

As if that weren’t enough, the menu and each morsel of food presented represents the chef’s life of experiences, his or her family history, the cuisine of their forefathers, every chef who contributed to their training, and everything that they believe in – as it pertains to food. Make your restaurant a destination for celebration.

Guest Recovery 419

Guest Recovery Seasonal Menu Presentation Customer Experience 419

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 8, 2021

Chefs who are able to develop systems of production that work with fewer people will find a gold star on their resume. [] STREAMLINED MENU PLANNING. Chefs who are able to generate, assess, and use analytical data in their decision-making (menu trends, cost trends, daily labor analysis, market prices, etc.) PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

2021 474

2021 Social Media Kitchen Safety Restaurant Law 474

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

This is defined in articles from local newspapers to the New York Times, from industry magazines and websites to social media, and from industry blogs to podcasts by the dozens – everyone states the problem, points a finger, and portrays the issue as someone else’s doing. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

Culinary Cues

MARCH 15, 2021

If you teach in a live restaurant environment on your campus is it operated with five times as many cooks in training as would be possible in a real restaurant? If so, what are students learning about cost effectiveness, efficiency, speed, and effective menu execution? PLAN BETTER –TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Education 587

Education Food Supply Communication Training 587

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2020

This is what brings a team together and firing on all cylinders. [] LACK OF TRAINING. When you hire a person you own the responsibility to inform, train, teach, and improve their abilities. Training will create a business brand that attracts the very best. [] POOR DELEGATION. “I PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Leadership 472

Leadership Point of Sale Training Coaching 472

Modern Restaurant Management

DECEMBER 10, 2021

While your restaurant may feature a diverse menu, delicious food, a great ambiance, and excellent customer service, you will still struggle to build a customer base without promoting it. Others tend to emphasize their cheaper menu options. A quick look at your POS data will identify the top three selling items on your menu.

Marketing 567

Marketing SEO Front of House Website Management 567

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 12, 2021

Finding the right concept, building in the right location, finding, and training the best staff, nurturing the team, and creating a menu that reflects the needs of the guest and the passion of the cook is only the beginning. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Harvest America Ventures, LLC.

Restaurant Law 471

Restaurant Law Education Definition Social Media 471

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

Here are some thoughts: PRODUCT: Take a hard look at your menu. Assign the task to your chef to create a menu that is exciting, innovative, delicious, accessible, and financially tolerable. Reverse engineer your menu from this perspective. Start by looking at the economics of producing and selling what you THINK must be there.

Pricing 415

Pricing Marketing Insurance Seasonal Menu 415

Modern Restaurant Management

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Whether it’s providing in-store entertainment, activating social media promotions or implementing QR-code menu options, the digital initiative among restaurateurs is clearly present, but it’s not enough. In the digital age, restaurants must put some focus on digital media, too.

Entertainment 485

Entertainment Social Media Customer Service Technology 485

Culinary Cues

APRIL 3, 2020

As you move through IDEATION that will help to define what your restaurant concept, menu, systems, and staffing will look like as we eventually move out of this crisis, it is just as important to discuss and plan for the things that can go wrong. The pool of potential employees will be substantial and so will be the need for training.

Guest Recovery 386

Guest Recovery Social Media Kitchen Safety Food Safety 386

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 26, 2024

Each has its place, but don’t confuse them within your menu and your concept. 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

Dine-in 445

Dine-in Training Sports Seasonal Menu 445

Harbor Touch

MARCH 18, 2025

Hire the Right People and Train Them Well Finding top talent is like casting a winning team. Training locks in that potential. Give them a week of shadowing seasoned staff, clear checklists like Greet tables in 2 minutes or Check orders before they leave the pass, and a full menu rundownspecials included. Staff Management 1.

Management 148

Management Management Seasonal Menu Cash Management 148

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 20, 2024

There has always been a commonsense way to build a menu knowing that in the end it is the beverage, and the bookends (appetizers and desserts) that hold the greatest opportunity for profit. A menu should thus be designed and priced to make those items seem essential. Do it right!

Fine Dining 449

Fine Dining Food Truck Back of House Pricing 449

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 6, 2021

Talk with the service staff and inquire about their knowledge of those contextual factors associated with items on the menu. He was certainly in his mid to late 70’s, maybe even older, but he knew as much about the food, the source of ingredients, the way it was prepared, and the historical significance of each menu item as Soltner.

Influencer 446

Influencer Customer Experience Dine-in Training 446

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 31, 2024

When properly developed and integrated into your operation, the mission statement will impact who you hire, how you train, the products you develop and sell, the way you lead and manage, how employees interact, the way that guests are approached, and how the world perceives you (the business) to be. Choose wisely.

Customer Service 414

Customer Service Social Media Customer Experience Reference 414

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 28, 2021

When you sit down with the sommelier with your first menu as chef you can offer reasonable comments on the selection of wines to accompany each item. As you pan your eyes through the kitchen you are able to take in the magic that had taken place before your arrival and know how important it will be for you to continue to teach and train.

Kitchen Safety 474

Kitchen Safety Front of House Fine Dining Back of House 474

Culinary Cues

JULY 19, 2024

The attention to detail at every workstation is a perfect indication of the training and unity of purpose that every cook shares, and the sense of calm that this organization brings is a strong indicator of how the unit works towards plate perfection and a great customer experience. Mise en place is a way of life. “A

Front of House 358

Front of House Food Order Customer Service Customer Experience 358

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

I feel like I’m not doing my job and staying true to myself if I put anything on my menu, or use an ingredient that doesn’t have a story behind it.” Great restaurants, great menus, and great chefs bring memorable stories to their tables. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Know your source.

Small Business 446

Small Business Front of House Customer Service Communication 446

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

I’m not a big fan of quick service restaurants, but I would be willing to bet that the menu items originally created by their corporate culinary team doesn’t translate to what is served in restaurant number 953. You set the tone for others to emulate. [] TEACH AND TRAIN. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. Harvest America Ventures, LLC.

Customer Service 441

Customer Service Customer Experience Point of Sale Presentation 441