I went to a food cart in my neighborhood this past weekend with my darling (but a little spoiled in the food department), daughter. There is a new ‘pod’ in our part of town with about 20 or so various options. I had been to this particular cart before, when it was previously parked in…
Category: Portland Restaurants
What’s the Competition Doing?
Right now, I am in the middle of the restaurant management program that I teach. My poor wife could tell you on any given day what I happen to be teaching at the time because my enthusiasm level jumps from one subject to another based on what happens to be going on currently in the…
Your Menu
You probably think this post is going to be about what you should be putting on your menu. It is and it isn’t. It is not about what items you should be putting on your menu, but rather, how they should appear on the menu. Spell everything correctly I know. It seems obvious. You would…
Go Find Out
The answer to any question in the hospitality industry is never simply ‘no’. If a customer asks you about an item on the menu, and you aren’t sure of the answer–go find out the answer! Don’t ever just say, “I don’t know.” If they ask, “…can I get that with this?”, you don’t just answer…
It’s Not Their Fault
It’s not their fault, so don’t hold it against them. It is not the customer’s responsibility to pay attention. Sure, we all wish they would, but we just can’t count on it. And we still have to deal with it. It is not their responsibility to know when to order. It’s not their responsibility to…
Why Did I Bother to Make a Reservation?
Okay, I have never been an owner. I have done everything else, however. I have been a dishwasher, line cook, busser, server, wine steward, dining room manager, maitre ‘d, general manager…. I still do not understand the logic behind over booking the reservations. Counting on no shows? Seriously? Your whole night depends on people not…
#100
Ok. Here it is. #100: A little over a year ago I started this blog. It was my fantasy at the time (my wife’s, actually), that I could make a difference and change the quality of restaurant service in the city of Portland, Oregon. https://tabletalkpdx.com/2013/04/13 Have I made a difference? Well, let’s face it, no….
I Was a Bad Manager
Everyday I am reminded of what a bad manager I was. Well, almost every day. Whenever I sit down to crank out another post on this blog, I sit here typing away (not very fast, I might add), basically retelling all of the mistakes I have made myself, but by using examples of my dining…
Training
I have written over and over again about the importance of training your staff. It is imperative if you want at least a fighting chance to succeed. This goes for every position in the restaurant. Are you the chef? Show your cooks how you expect the dish to look. Some chefs actually draw pictures for…
Nobody said, “Thank you”
Nobody said thank you? Really? What’s up with that? Time after time I sit in restaurants and observe the interactions between guests and employees. Most of the time I watch guests leave without any exchange with the staff at all. Say it The guest leaves without saying it to anyone (they should). The guest leaves…
Cell Phones
What to do…. This is a Pandora’s box that I don’t even want to open, but it is out there and needs to be dealt with. A friend of mine recently shared this link with me on Facebook, and I have to admit, I am at a loss on this one: We are a popular…
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