Focus F&B Coaching

Every restaurant will have some negative reviews; it’s just the business that we are in. I am sure that you speak to many happy guests every day. However, when someone is looking for somewhere to eat, either passing through on a road-trip or maybe even one of your neighbors, with information at our fingertips these days, they tend to look to the voice of the people [the new word of mouth] to find out what people really think and if they would go back. How does this work? It is imperative that you read, respond, and take action to correct any on-going and repetitive comments. You can’t just ignore these, and here is the reason: People look at your overall rating first and will consider which restaurant to choose starting at the top down, usually by price category and general location first.  Then they take a look at the next 1-2 pages of comments and decide if they want to visit. Real people understand that not everybody will love you, and so t...

People often struggle with how to create an environment in this industry where creativity flows, the culture of teamwork between the front and back-of-the-house is tight, and everyone is working together. This is when the restaurant is clicking on all cylinders, is at its peak, and really has great opportunity to excel.   It can be hard to get the best out of the team, but working hand-in-hand with the culinary team and the Executive Chef is key. How do you establish an environment where creativity is celebrated, consistency is a large focus, and the customer is always the first priority?   Having been an Executive Chef for many years, I must admit that there were definitely times when my ego got in the way! However, I did learn a few things over the years. Here are some of them: Encourage Creativity Many operators end up shutting down the Chefs by not allowing creativity and freedom, either out of fear of what will happen or a loss of control...