tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640470443420164863.post5149638606579133421..comments2024-03-26T10:26:51.288-04:00Comments on Jim Leff's Slog: What Makes Restaurants Go Downhill?Jim Leffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007232702717055047noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640470443420164863.post-54502297473673521492023-08-19T11:22:12.035-04:002023-08-19T11:22:12.035-04:00If restaurant has been around 50 year there a re...If restaurant has been around 50 year there a reason they been in business that long<br /><br />The owner decides he going to retire so new management takes over and thinks they have a better way of doing thing before you know the business is closingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640470443420164863.post-3394136083738902782019-02-12T13:39:35.954-05:002019-02-12T13:39:35.954-05:00A really really really carefully developed and mai...A really really really carefully developed and maintained platform can mitigate the turbulence of worker churn, and almost (not really but almost) compensate for a mediocre top chef. Granted.<br /><br />But if the platform were the thing, Burger King would be awesome. The fact that no chain has ever cracked the deliciousness problem proves my point: that it’s all about touch, the person caring, right now, in the moment, about your food. And that crucial crux is deprecated at the owner’s peril. Jim Leffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00007232702717055047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640470443420164863.post-6403065539083917722019-02-12T11:34:49.809-05:002019-02-12T11:34:49.809-05:00I worked in a number of restaurants through colleg...I worked in a number of restaurants through college and a masters degree. The most successful of the bunch created a codified, reusable platform consisting of processes, processes, and tools. The platform allowed them to weather changes in every part of the staff though in practice, the place was so well run, there was little turnover. <br /><br />What do I mean by a platform? During my 6-week probationary period as a waiter I had to memorize the contents and price of over 50 drinks. I had to shadow a different person in their three-role waiter teams for six weeks. I tasted and learned to describe every wine on their wine list and every dish on the menu. I received health benefits that included a gym club membership. And while I didn't work in the kitchen, we went out with kitchen staff after our shift and learned every recipe was recorded and their was a similar process for line cooks and chefs.<br /><br />sounds like a factory but we had two-hour waits thurs-sat (no reservations), the food was great and given how we were treated (and the opportunity for very high tips), we all strived to create the best experience for our customers.<br /><br />contrast that approach to a small, artisanal seafood restaurant. No training, no oversight, no feedback and when they closed 6 months after losing their chef of many years.<br /><br />best,jeff davidsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10183430493202551493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640470443420164863.post-77155729370069954602019-02-11T04:05:08.471-05:002019-02-11T04:05:08.471-05:00Interesting, I've worked in a restaurant befor...Interesting, I've worked in a restaurant before and I am a little confused at the idea of one chef as in singular. At the restaurant I worked in there was three chefs, the line chef, fry cook, and prep. <br /><br />The owner wanted the prep person, this is the person who cuts the meat and mixes the sauces to be put in the refrigerator for later, to do exactly what the owner told him to do and not to change the ingredients/formula in anyway. When the prep person protested saying that he/she just got out of school and wanted to try some things this was considered attitude and the person was fired shortly afterwards for said attitude. <br /><br />Also, do to the business being open more than 40 hours a week, and the owner refusing to pay any overtime, the manager took over the line chef after a certain time. I guess what I am saying is there can be more than one chef at a restaurant, especially one open a lot of hours. <br /><br />Final note, you may value quality the most, but customers seemed to get the angriest when a person forgot a side which is the waiter/delivery person's job. Would be lots of yelling and cursing and usually a chef would get fired. The chef(s) position was like a revolving door. For example an order of wings was supposed to be half with sauce and the other half dry. The order went out all special sauce, the customer went into a wild frenzy which made the extremely drunk owner ditto the customer, a whole bunch of yelling and cursing, and the fry cook got fired. <br /><br />The owner implemented a zero tolerance policy for missed up orders after that. If the order was not exactly as the customer ordered at least one person was getting fired, usually the chef. Your post is interesting, since the chef was considered the most expendable. Anonymous cowardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10735960620188022682noreply@blogger.com