When I was much younger, my mom got a couple of hostess gigs at some upscale restaurants. Yeah, it’s her fault. She ended up marrying the owner of one of these places, and sometime during that period she invented a game about restaurants. To win this game, you had to make your way around the…
Tag: Mise en place
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…
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…
Tell the Kitchen
I have worked in my share of restaurants. 10 to be exact. One thing I have often noticed is that the kitchen can feel left out from time to time. It’s no wonder that so many places end up with front-of-the-house vs. back-of-the-house conflicts. Include them The front-of-the-house folks get to see the look on…
Anticipate
This whole business, like most businesses, is all about anticipation. I have worked for way too many bosses who just sit back and react as things unfold. You are not going to be successful if you spend all of your time putting out fires. You don’t have the luxury of sitting in the office and…
Everything Matters
Every single thing that goes on inside and outside of your restaurant matters. Yes, even outside. When customers walk up to your front door, I promise you they have already made a couple of observations and judgments about your place. Is there a pile of something left by some dog out in front of the…
How to Hit a Curveball
It’s actually not that hard. It starts with a lot of preparation. In the restaurant business, we call that mise en place. https://tabletalkpdx.com/2013/08/11 Every single night in the life of your restaurant, and every single day if you are open for lunch, you will be handed a bucketful of curveballs. The toilet in the women’s…
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…
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