Harvest America Cues

As I find myself glued to the news that attacks everyone’s central nervous system, I am beginning to envision the chaos that the corona virus pandemic is about to inflict on the restaurant business. This is not the aftermath of 9/11, nor is it the same as the market crash in 2008 – this is […] More

There was a time when the restaurant owner/operator was the center of the hospitality universe. When a guest thought about a particular restaurant – the connection was with the person who shook their hand upon arrival, made sure that their meal was perfect, orchestrated the service experience, and always remembered something about each and every […] More

It seems as though more and more businesses are letting the temptation of the holidays drive operating hours. If there is a buck to be made, then concerns the impact on employees can be ignored. I get this – we all know that, in many cases, a business (especially retail) depends on a window of […] More

What does it take to get ahead? Maybe the more appropriate question is what does it take to feel good about what you do? Self-Esteem is important, maybe one of the most important motivational tools available – tools that are always within your grasp, are personal, and truly beyond anyone else’s interference. The answer to […] More

Is it too far fetched to consider professional cooking – a sport? Are there enough similarities to view how a restaurant line operates and interject many of the facets of a winning sporting team’s development and performance? I think that the comparisons are obvious. []         TALENT Restaurant or team locker room – every successful performance […] More

I miss the full experience of working days in a busy restaurant kitchen. When that kitchen is the hub of activity in a hotel or resort then the experience is even more pronounced. From the moment that a chef walks into the hustle and bustle environment of the hotel kitchen, his or her senses are […] More

Do we take for granted the most basic advantage that we share? As chefs and cooks, we spend our day’s planning, ordering, storing and preparing dishes of delicious, beautiful food for our paying customers. We are good at this – it is a craft that we have fine-tuned over a period of years, or maybe […] More

I just watched Bruce Springsteen on Broadway and was deeply moved by one of my generation’s great storytellers. Unless you were fortunate enough to be able to afford a ticket when he was live on Broadway, watching it on Netflix is a must. Springsteen was real, sincere, honest, reflective, and authentic. His stories of life […] More

Chefs are acutely aware of the importance of their line crew and care is typically taken to hire those who have a complementary chemistry and skill set – the team is critical to success. But, how much similar effort is placed on defining the role and investing the time to hire right and support the […] More

I imagine that every night that the cast of a Broadway play watches the curtains open, there is a feeling that the performance will either be great or terrible. When the most organized and well-seasoned band hits the stage for a sold-out concert – there is an uneasiness that has each musician in its grip. […] More

There are cooks and there are cooks – such a profound statement. My experience has shown me that there is a place for numerous levels of skill and commitment to our profession. People do need to eat, and in this regard, all restaurant cooks provide a valuable and important service. On the other hand, there […] More