Having lived in the same house for fifteen years now has afforded me an interesting perspective on some of the restaurants that have come and gone in the neighborhood over those years. It kind of cracks me up when I see a place close, and then open up as something else in a very short period of time….
Keep Portland Restaurants Sanctimonious
Ok, I stole this one from a bumper sticker. I don’t usually get much out of bumper stickers, but this one caught me off guard and really cracked me up (fortunately, it didn’t really crack me up because I was on my bike and that would have been bad). The actual bumper sticker reads: “Keep…
Table Touches
Every time you stop by a table it is called a touch. That’s what we call it in the restaurant business. Actually, we don’t, but those teaching hospitality at various schools tell us it is, so we believe them. Anyway, it is important to touch the table as often as possible. Maybe not too much…
A Positive Experience
A proper greeting My wife and I went out the other day to one of the many restaurants within walking distance of our house. We were greeted immediately by someone, with a smile, who actually said ‘Hi’ to us, before we said ‘Hi’ to him. Not easy to do, since both of us try to…
Manage the Door
I went out to dinner the other night with my daughter. At least I tried to. My wife was having an event at the house, and it was suggested that I leave the premises. My first mistake was making my poor daughter walk to the restaurant. Let me check We are lucky to live in…
The (Big) Three Culprits
Restaurants are complicated businesses. There are many moving parts that operators need to keep their eyes on. As a consultant, I am reminded of this with every client I meet. Many of whom are very successful businessmen (and women). They have all managed to be very good at what they do, running their small business,…
Write it Down
Please When I was younger (much younger), and a bit more tolerant of the unseasoned diner (yes there was a time–although my kids would never believe that), I worked at a posh, (that word was used at one time), Beverly Hills steak house. Tableside service. Salad tossing. Beef carving. Desserts flambe. I could memorize a party of eights’…
Get Out on the Floor!
There was this customer who used to come in for lunch and dinner from time to time, until one day he announced to me that he would not be back. “Why?” I asked incredulously. Turns out that he was mad because the chef never went out to his table to say hello. “He used to…
Portion Control
After a long career in the restaurant business, I have now been teaching about it for four years. I owe much of what I share with my students to Chef Maxine Borcherding. In addition to being my absolute reference for just about everything, she is also a certified sommelier. She has a great business (Taste…
St. Valentine’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day is probably the busiest day of the entire year in the restaurant business. If you are not busy on this day, you definitely are doing something wrong. It is busier than New Year’s Eve, busier than Easter brunch, yes even busier than Mother’s Day. Since we know that, and since you want to…
Urgency
One thing customers need to see at most of the restaurants they eat at is a sense of urgency by those helping them. When people go out, they want to at least feel that the staff is actually there to lend a hand. It’s not my problem Now I never liked waiting on customers who feel the need…
Controlling Costs
Back In May, I published a post titled: “10 Reasons Why Restaurants Fail.” https://tabletalkpdx.com/2013/05/11/10-reasons-why-restaurants-fail/ One of those reasons is not controlling costs. It is about time that I re-visit this. One thing great chefs know is that if you want to play this restaurant game, you have to treat it as a business. Yes, it is…
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