I have the advantage of many years of experience in various capacities in the restaurant industry. From high-end Beverly Hills celebrity hangouts to fast food joints. From General Manager down to dishwasher, I have done almost all you can do in this business. However However, the real advantage I have gained has come from being out of…
Never Assume
One thing I have learned during my travels in this business, is that you can never make assumptions about a customer. You never know who out there has money to spend, and who might become a potentially life-long customer for you. I learned this for sure in Los Angeles, where often it is difficult to tell the difference…
Pay Attention!
I’m sure this has never happened to you: You go out to eat at one of your favorite places, you have been thinking about that juicy steak since about three that afternoon (if not in bed the night before, or whenever you found out where you would be eating), your mouth is watering, filled with anticipation of that…
The Inside of your Restaurant
I have written in the past about the importance of keeping the outside of your restaurant presentable. It does seem a bit obvious that this would also pertain to the inside of the place. You would, however, be shocked by how many restaurateurs ignore this. When the customer walks through your front door (and as…
One Minute Manager
One of the lectures in my Labor Costing class focuses on some thoughts by two men named Spencer Johnson and Ken Blanchard. They wrote a book called “The One Minute Manager.” In this book, (lookout, here comes my cliff notes version) the authors discuss the reasons managers are often ineffective, and how that ineffectiveness leads…
Tip Systems
Since I have worked in twelve different restaurants, and most of them as a server, I have had the pleasure of becoming quite familiar with a diverse set of tipping systems. Now, I am not talking about how the customer tips out the various waiters, bartenders, maître d’s who may have helped them, but rather how the…
Front of the House Mise en Place
In the kitchen, in most restaurants, the phrase ‘mise en place’ has been known to come up from time to time. This French term for ‘set in place’ is uber valuable for all of those working in the kitchen. Making sure you have everything you will need for that evening’s festivities is important if you…
Management Presence
Since starting this blog, I now must endure story after story of poor experiences in restaurants by friends and loved ones. My students tell me that I have ruined eating out for them, because they spend all of their time looking around at all of the mistakes taking place. Not my fault! You can’t blame…
Corkage Fees
I know I have beaten this dead horse quite a bit by now, but just let me remind everyone once again, I was a waiter for many years. It is important to me that you know where I am coming from when I post some of these controversial subjects on my blog. This didn’t actually…
Counter ‘Service’?
I’d better be careful here. I have mentioned on more than one occasion that I am a front of the house guy. Yes, I’ve worked in kitchens, but the bulk of my experience has been out in the front. I still believe all of the things that I did during my waiter days. Every customer…
That Mess in Front of Your Restaurant
Customers connect everything they see to your restaurant. They don’t care that they are only walking through your parking lot, or on the street by your place, they will hold you responsible for anything they see that they judge to be messy or unacceptable. Jack-in-the-Box I had a whirlwind three day stint at Jack-in-the-Box when I…
That $1 Tip
This is a tough one. Like I have mentioned before, I am a front of the house guy. I made my bones getting tips at Beverly Hills steak houses and West Hollywood trattorias. The absolute last thing I want is for people to stop being generous with their gratuities. Ahh…New York Lately, I have found myself taking…
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