That’s right. Just be who you are and don’t try to be more than that. It will only lead to trouble. I gave the same advice to my daughter when she left for college. It is in line with the Greek credo: “Know thyself, nothing in excess.” Who are your customers? It starts here. Who…
Category: Portland Restaurants
Work Clean, Work Small
My wife will most likely feel like killing me for writing this post, but seeing how I am forever desperate for material I am going to have to take that chance. When we entertain at the house, which is pretty often (somehow with me working nights), we tend to be a pretty good team. Like…
The Front Door
My wife and I went to Washington D.C. a couple of months ago, and attempted to go to a restaurant on the recommendation of a friend of ours whose opinion we value. “You’ve got to eat there!” Now this guy eats out quite a bit. Travelling for work gives him occasion to eat at some of the…
Revenue Streams
Seeking advice from my parents as I set up this whole consulting business has been extremely helpful. Having mentors who have made a good living can be a very valuable tool. One of the things my mom has shared with me is that she doesn’t do a job unless there are at least three potential…
Who is Our Waiter?
I once waited on a lady who had obviously struggled with this one in the past. When I approached the table for the first time, she asked, “Are you my waiter?” When I responded with “Yes”, she replied, “Good. I don’t want to see anyone else coming to my table.” Yikes Now, let’s face it, this particular…
Restaurant 101
Restaurants are really no different than any other kind of business. You need to drive sales, and control costs. That’s it. Oh, I guess I should say more than that… How How to go about that really is the test, isn’t it? Let’s have a quick lesson in that thing called a restaurant. The prime…
No More Tips?
I would love to see this shift in tipping policies here in the states: http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/real-estate-daily/2015/06/6-beers-15-an-hour-dishwashers-and-zero-tipping.html Let’s face it: It won’t be long before Portland votes in a $15 an hour minimum wage. They have it in Seattle. They have it in Los Angeles. Progressive Portlanders are already upset that those two places beat us to…
A Blessing and a Curse
I love eating out. I am not sure when I received, or where I developed this gene, but I do love eating out. That is probably why I don’t have any money. That’s where the problem starts Somewhere along the line, during the growth of this preference, I have developed a keen sense of what is right,…
You Decide
That’s right, you decide. You are the boss. Whether you are the owner, chef, or the manager, you are in charge and you need to make decisions and set policies, so there can be no confusion by the staff. What is our tip-out policy? This is just one of a million things that your employees need to…
Chat ‘Em Up
There is no question that there is often a front-of-house vs. back-of-house rift in most restaurants. What can be done about it is the big question. Starts with you Yes, I know, I sound like a broken record. Nonetheless, it is true. You are the one who gets to set the tone. You are the one who…
The Host
Let’s break down this most important position. A lot of people in the hospitality industry here in the states like to dismiss this position and unimportant and unnecessary. I used to be one of them. I was wrong Of all of the positions related to the front-of-the-house, this one works most closely with the manager,…
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