Creating a Flavor Symphony
Whether eating, cooking, or creating a cocktail, the art of learning how to methodically taste all the elements of a dish can be something that lasts a lifetime and can be used daily. Try following this outline taught to me by a renowned Hungarian Chef.
Let me explain. First, you must learn how to interpret what you are tasting and then you can enhance and perfect the taste. This same procedure can be used when creating a dish or a cocktail to make sure that it is well-balanced, full-bodied, and has flair.
Think about it as an artist would create a painting: The background of the picture is the depth or the base of dish, the middle ground is the storyline, or flavor accents, and around the edge (and sprinkled throughout) are the highlights. The highlights give style and personality to the dish while dancing around and giving sizzle to the finished piece. Then lastly, think about tying this all together as an exciting work of art.
Concept creation is such a very important process. One in which you should spend a great deal of time and effort - much more than people generally do. After all, it will be the personality of your restaurant, your labor of love, for years to come. The decisions that you make during this process should not be taken lightly. In this day and age, where there are so many great restaurants, guests will only return to and tell others about, the ones that are truly memorable and that they can connect with on a deeper level.
As your concept creation consultant, I would begin by asking you a series of questions. Basically, interview you and find out all your deepest thoughts about what you want to the restaurant to be: what is your focus, your dream, and vision for your restaurant? Once I get a clear understanding of what’s in your head, I will research - starting with the area restaurants to evaluate what the competition is doing. For instance, what are the top 10 comp-set restaurants doing? Then, I would evaluate all equivalent style concepts in the area to see if there are any missing concepts, which may fit the bill, or help us find any other needs that can be filled. It does not have to be necessarily a specific type of cuisine; it certainly can be, but you do need to have a distinct theme and personality. This persona will set the tone for how the restaurant is run, how it is marketed, and how it is viewed in the public eye. The goal is to create something that is memorable, inspiring, exciting, and unique. A concept that will show creativity, sensuality, style and personality.
The next step will be the Concept Creation. Based on research and your vision, I will draw up three concept boards that depict three separate ideas/possibilities for you. The concept board will show visually, the name and theme outline, all in a quick view format and design look. This helps us narrow down the direction to one concept. From there, I will create the final presentation concept.
The final deliverable will contain a name, style, design elements, décor, music, lighting, menu outline, beverage highlights, events that speak to the concept, the look, and style of the server, as well as, approach and wardrobe.
A light-hearted look at the way we communicate today!
In this day and age of lightning fast communication and the ability to talk to anyone, anywhere, at any time, it seems like many of us have lost the ability, the will, or maybe just the organizational ability to return messages. This is just common courtesy.
It is a growing trend to move food and beverage out into the lobby space, and these are the three reasons why.
Ambiance
I’m sure you have all been to hotels where the lobby is dull, quiet, and uninviting. And I know you realize this does not create a memorable atmosphere. Giving activity and sound to your lobby enhances the ambiance and gives it a feeling of warmth and vibrancy. Many travelers are on the road and find the prospect of sitting alone in a hotel room daunting, but often don’t have too many choices. What’s worse than sitting in a hotel room by yourself in a strange city? By making your lobby inviting, you can add value to the guests and bring them back.
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.
Cultivating Culinary Creativity
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:
Being a great hotel leader requires many skills. There is a lot to learn, little time to learn it, and often no-one to learn it from. Remembering these 7 helpful habits as you enter the daily whirlwind of hotel life, may bring you some respite.
Keep a positive attitude all the time. Your attitude is infectious. Your team will mirror your confidence and attitude.
Bringing in an outside consultant can be a difficult decision. Some the reasons that people do not use one are: personal pride, the expense, and not really understanding what a restaurant consultant does to help the operation. Let’s talk about these three areas.
Personal Pride
The types of people that tend to get into the hotel or restaurant business are usually very creative individuals that are entrepreneurs with a strong passion for creating and delivering great food and beverage. Part of being successful in this business is based on having the pride and determination that is needed to make it happen. Hiring a consultant does not in any way diminish your accomplishments, the success, and the skills that you have. Rather, it brings in an outside opinion, one that is emotionally unattached, can add to your skills, and can help you assess just where you are, and in turn help develop a plan to get you where you want to be.
When I first started in the Hospitality Industry, I really had no idea what I was getting into and what is was all about. This was all back in the UK. I had started helping out at the local hotel, just to make a little extra money for the summer. First, I helped set rooms for meetings, laying dance floor and setting chairs, and then moved into the kitchen. I was fascinated by all of this; it seemed exciting and glamorous. Soon after, my Chef encouraged me to go to school, and “Voila”, I was hooked!
Who has time to really sit back and evaluate and consider what our guests really think about our operation? The one, into which I put some much of my blood, sweat and tears. The one that I spend more time at, more than I do with my family. What are my kid’s names again? All kidding aside, I think we have all fallen into this trap at some time or other.
