How did it happen? What was that special moment that made your decision clear? When did a job turn into your passion? Why is it that you continue to do this thing called cooking? Or remain engaged in a restaurant career?
It may well have been way back when you were five or six years old, sitting on a stool watching your grandmother cook your favorite Bolognese, or kneading dough into what would become a delicious loaf of crusty bread that you would watch her slice and slather with sweet butter while this wonderful treat was still warm from the oven. Quite possibly, it was that first job at the age of 15 during a summer of your youth when you first learned how to earn a paycheck. Sleeves rolled up, apron on, and sweat dripping off your forehead as you washed dishes in a local diner. When the breakfast cook was getting overwhelmed with orders, he may have called you over to flip pancakes, set-up plates with a rasher of bacon or maple sausages while learning to shout out: “pick-up” to a waiting server. Or it may have taken longer, maybe your second or third gig in a busy kitchen in your early twenties when you suddenly “got it” – everything seemed to make sense, and you realized that you were quite good at what you did as a line cook. The point is, many cooks who were destined to become chefs, had that moment or point in time when they realized this was their calling. When this occurs, a professional is born.
Now you have grown, over a period of years, into a person who commands a kitchen – the chef whose reputation is defined by the consistent quality of food produced, the uniqueness of their signature on the plate, and their ability to lead a team of young cooks who may yet have experienced their moment of enlightenment.
A kitchen led by a person who has experienced their moment is evident in its efficiency, in the reputation of its product, and the relationship that the team members have with the community of food lovers. It is a secret ingredient that defines success and separates the great from the good. Individuals who are where they are because of that moment of realization view what they do not as a job, but rather a calling. When a customer walks into a restaurant led by this type of individual and a team of cooks and servers hoping to find their moment, you can smell, feel, see, and taste the difference. The details are not simply addressed – they are part of the culture of the operation. The passion of the enlightened is evident in the cleanliness of the operation, the reverence with which food is approached, the enthusiasm for great wines and distilled beverages, the sincerity of the service staff, and the warmth of the greeting when guests pass through the threshold.
Granted, this doesn’t happen in every operation but when it does – guests become raving fans, enthusiastic ambassadors, and excited consumers of whatever the chef and operation are planning next.
Building your team in a successful restaurant begins with two critical individuals – the chef and the host. Both need to approach their craft from their moment of enlightenment. I would go so far as to suggest that the approach towards finding and hiring these individuals stem from one simple question: “Why do you cook”, or “Why do you serve?” Everything else is a check on the box on an application. Sure, where they have worked, if they have a culinary or hospitality education, how well they control costs, what kind of problem-solver they might be are all important, but why they choose to do what they do is that one question that makes them want to jump out of bed in the morning and approach their work with passion and enthusiasm. These qualities are what will attract the best employees, allow them to build a cohesive team, plan the most exciting menus, greet guests as part of the operation’s purpose and culture, and work hard at ensuring profitability. Without this spark – the team may never gel as it should.
Find out what makes your key players tick. Feed that enlightenment, support their thirst to continually learn, provide the resources to spread that enthusiasm to the rest of the team, and celebrate the passion for food and beverage and an understanding of the role that restaurants play in a community. Restaurants matter, and even more so when you build a team of people who understand this.
PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER – HIRE PURPOSE
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