Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Here are some that have, in the past, been posted on my office door when I was a chef and later as an educator. They continue to be a resource for me when I need a boost and hopefully may serve you as well. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Consumer Goods 290

Consumer Goods Presentation Leadership Dine-in 290

Culinary Cues

APRIL 15, 2023

My town leaders, bless their hearts, try to figure out ways to strum up cash flow for small businesses. If you are not in the restaurant business, then maybe this sounds reasonable. This is who we are, we are in the service business. A tip of the chef’s toque for the good old college try. We would love that.

Café 518

Café Seasonal Menu Point of Sale Social Media 518

Culinary Cues

MAY 12, 2022

OK, I have been involved in the restaurant business for more than 50 years – I hear what you are saying, but I pose the question again: “Is this meal really worth $100 (or more)?” From my perspective the answer lies in menu planning, training, and labor efficiency. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Pricing 442

Pricing Consumer Goods Training Small Business 442

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

A small step, but one that signifies that if we put our heads together there is a way, or many ways, to move beyond, over, or around those challenges. Possible causes: – People have heard how demanding and unforgiving the business can be. So, first step – let’s refer to it as a challenge. Why is this the case?

Social Media 474

Social Media Cash Management Blog Equipment 474

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 22, 2022

A chef/owner was busy by the stove with an assistant who also washed dishes and bussed tables and out front a single server and maybe, in the busiest of operations, a host/bartender who was likely the spouse of the chef. This business was a reflection of the person, and the person was not a slave to a much larger, more complex beast.

Seating 474

Seating Front of House Back of House Cash Management 474

Harbor Touch

MARCH 18, 2025

From smarter hiring to prepping for busy seasons, were sharing strategies that work across small bistros and bustling chains alike. Our goal is simple: give you tools to streamline operations, cut costs, and grow your business without burning out. Training locks in that potential. Training builds a stronger team.

Management 148

Management Management Seasonal Menu Cash Management 148

Culinary Cues

APRIL 6, 2020

Although our current crisis has brought the restaurant industry to a halt, it is important to remember just how integrated the business of selling and serving food is to society as a whole. This is a very important part of the restaurant business – hospitality. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Travel 539

Travel Back of House Customer Service Small Business 539

Culinary Cues

MARCH 30, 2020

Low profitability, vendor challenges, rising cost of goods, cumbersome regulations, high rents, expensive marketing, and ebbs and flows of business volume have collectively made this enticing business to enter – nearly impossible to maintain. “We What can we do to prepare for a brighter future in the restaurant business?

Small Business 457

Small Business Food Supply Food Truck Healthcare 457

Culinary Cues

MARCH 3, 2021

Down the street – a cadre of small independent restaurants with smaller staff requirements and tasty rustic menus would have been profitable except rents on their space had gone through the roof ever since this high end, 8-course menu, mecca restaurant opened its doors. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. Magazine: [link]. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Dine-in 450

Dine-in Small Business Seasonal Menu Café 450

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 24, 2020

Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business. It is their business after all – right? PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG. Harvest America Ventures, LLC. CAFÉ Talks Podcast.

Menu 482

Menu Seasonal Menu Front of House Café 482

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 3, 2023

I have long embraced this philosophy when it comes to restaurants, but it also can apply to any business. Customers would like up, sometimes around the block, hoping for a seat in her rather small restaurant where she featured, what we called – blue plate specials. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Hospitality 466

Hospitality Customer Experience Customer Service Small Business 466

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

Look around you – identify the companies, businesses, or individuals whom you admire – you know, the ones that seem to win a lot and fit into that category of “successful”. Even more important – these are the companies, businesses, or individuals that seem to enjoy what they are all about. It is your job to SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF.

Uniforms 450

Uniforms Fine Dining Small Business Customer Service 450

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

This may seem like a strange topic for a blog focused on the restaurant industry and the world of food but hear me out. Zoom became our office (for many businesses – not all) and suddenly we had a way to function, at least at some level. How will we work if we can’t interact?” Let’s find ways to work remotely”.

Social Media 441

Social Media Food Safety Small Business Retail 441

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

I am optimistic in the ability of the restaurant business to recover and shine, to bring people together once again, to return to a position of central to the life of neighborhoods, and optimistic that this business of food will provide wonderful careers for cooks, chefs, service staff, bartenders, managers and owners – THIS WILL HAPPEN.

Small Business 445

Small Business Front of House Customer Service Communication 445

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. The model makes sense from a clear business perspective.

Guest Recovery 419

Guest Recovery Seasonal Menu Presentation Customer Experience 419

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Patience – “wax on, wax off”, you are building for a long successful business cycle. [] TEAM. Those who you respect and don’t return that to those who work in your operation will need to move on. [] TEACH AND TRAIN. You are in the driver’s seat and can help them reach their personal best through training, teaching, and mentoring.

Kitchen Safety 94

Kitchen Safety Training Take-out Mobile Ordering 94

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

These are your friends and neighbors; they are cornerstone businesses that support local little league teams, charities, and causes that unite the people around you. They are the businesses that provide gainful employment for all age groups, and in some cases – those jobs for youngsters entering the workforce for the first time.

Pricing 415

Pricing Marketing Insurance Seasonal Menu 415

Culinary Cues

JUNE 1, 2020

We hear of major restaurant companies that struggle, but pay far less attention to the small business, the independent restaurant that represents the largest segment of the industry and the most fragile. That independent operator measures their ability to survive in terms of a few weeks without sufficient business revenue.

Leadership 80

Leadership Supplies Guest Recovery Small Business 80

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2019

I have the privilege of working with many different restaurants and food businesses. Some are owned by individuals who have the knowledge and the wisdom of seasoned business people, while others struggle to find a path to survival. Some are very successful, while others are hanging by a thread.

Cash Management 359

Cash Management Point of Sale Leadership Website Management 359

Culinary Cues

APRIL 15, 2020

Whether it is the environment, the postal service, senior citizens, global partnerships, healthcare, or restaurants – there is a tendency to set aside or forget just how important these businesses, global responsibilities, and people truly are to our existence. Restaurants are more than places where we can fill our stomachs – so much more.

Travel 463

Travel Small Business Point of Sale Back of House 463

Sling

MARCH 26, 2022

It can also cause ripples throughout your business as a whole. You can avoid this negative impact by making employee retention a cornerstone of your business strategy. Do they exhibit the same ethics that you prize in your business? 7) Offer Training. Some team members may wonder if their job is on the line.

Small Business 148

Small Business Employee Relations Leadership Tip Distribution 148

Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2022

We can’t find any employees, people don’t want to work anymore, restaurants treat employees like crap, the pay sucks and the benefits don’t exist, prices are too high, supplies are impossible to find, and profit is so small that it isn’t worth the sweat and tears. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG.

Food Supply 449

Food Supply Training Supplies Café 449

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Long before the restaurant chains of today, decades prior to the birth of fine dining, experience dining, and molecular gastronomy, there were neighborhood cafes that were part of small communities across the country. In any case, The Blue Gentian was a busy place. Bofinger – what’s your secret ingredient?

White Paper 411

White Paper Hospitality Fine Dining Reference 411

Culinary Cues

APRIL 30, 2023

The same applies to any business, in this case – a restaurant. Involve other team members in the interview process, hire them conditionally for a few weeks and then assess how well they integrate before solidifying the position. [] TEACH, TRAIN, CREATE FEEDBACK OPPORTUNITIES, IMMERSE IN THE TEAM CULTURE, MENTOR, AND MEASURE.

Employee Relations 503

Employee Relations Sports Pricing Hiring 503

Social Hospitality: Restaurants

MAY 18, 2020

If you’re in the middle of a low period, you compete for the small target audience of customers with all other businesses in the region. Making special offers is one of the classic hospitality training tips that works for any type of business. But don’t forget the training needed for each new tool you introduce.

Hospitality 309

Hospitality Marketing Social Media Hotels 309

Culinary Cues

APRIL 8, 2020

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. This has been at the core of the restaurant business forever. If not, I guarantee that you will.

Communication 474

Communication Food Supply Customer Service Small Business 474

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 4, 2022

Restaurants are busy now, much of it is pent up demand from two years of partial lockdown due to the pandemic. It is all very troubling even though these restaurants may be busy at the moment. We need to build enthusiasm among our staff members and create an environment of excellence starting with the small things.

Front of House 429

Front of House Back of House Coaching Customer Service 429

Culinary Cues

JUNE 3, 2024

Are you serious about cooking, creating, coaching a team, and contributing to the success of a business? Be excellent at every task no matter how large or small. [] TRACK YOUR EXPERIENCES You experienced it – write it down. Are you hungry enough to do what you need to do, to build a plan and stick with it? Am I following my roadmap?”

Uniforms 434

Uniforms Coaching Point of Sale Small Business 434

Goliath Consulting

AUGUST 16, 2022

As mentioned in our last blog , digital adoption platforms make it easier for people to personalize and provide the necessary information base on the needs of the business and job roles. In addition, digital training also helps managers tailor the training courses to fit the trainee’s learning style best.

Training 195

Training Website Management Blog Management 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).”. Greatness is realized both in the moment and through strategic planning, but greatness is still greatness no matter how small or how lofty the task. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER.

Communication 450

Communication Coaching Fine Dining Influencer 450

Culinary Cues

MAY 28, 2022

There are the emotional scars from that small percentage of guests who fail to treat the staff with any level of respect, the demands of timing, the challenges in upselling, and the struggle to always keep a smile on their face. A small step, but a giant leap for any restaurant. PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER. Give it a try!

Front of House 421

Front of House Back of House Small Business Employee Relations 421

Culinary Cues

MAY 3, 2023

Sweat the small stuff – it’s bigger than you think. It’s all in the details, folks. No excuses – GET TO WORK!

Food Truck 474

Food Truck Customer Experience Take-out Food Supply 474

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 6, 2020

It happens in business, it happens in education, and it happens most often in government. An example in the restaurant business is a new chef in a property who is determined to radically change a menu to reflect his or her style without paying attention to those who will be affected. PLAN BETTER -TRAIN HARDER.

Government 306

Government Front of House Small Business Back of House 306

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 474

Front of House Back of House Food Order Small Business 474

Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

For the cook or chef – what if every plate leaving the kitchen carried a business card with your name and contact information? I read through countless restaurant names – ones of prominent operations across the country as well as small neighborhood operations in villages and towns within her region. Help them sign their work.

Uniforms 462

Uniforms Article Café Take-out 462

Culinary Cues

JUNE 29, 2024

The service staff members have been well-trained and are enthusiastic about the restaurant concept. The chef invests time in building a signature menu, testing recipes, establishing plate presentations, and making sure the best ingredients are within the teams reach. So, that should be it. Again, create the context and set yourself apart.

Dine-in 345

Dine-in Customer Experience Back of House Customer Service 345

Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2024

We all have our particular missions that do not include small talk. Pushing through the swinging kitchen doors I am engulfed by the smells, sounds, and oh such intense heat from a busy operation. As an evening sous chef for the operation, I expected to be insanely busy trying to juggle all these different events.

Back of House 421

Back of House Kitchen Safety Hotels Front of House 421