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F & B
KEEP IT COOKING
FAST-EVOLVING MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES , THE WAR FOR TALENT AND A COMPETITIVE FOODIE CULTURE ARE HEATING UP THE KITCHEN : HERE ’ S HOW TO MAKE IT ALL WORK .
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
With low unemployment in an industry that traditionally has had high staff turnover , along with a big and growing emphasis on food culture , well-run hotel kitchens must adapt quickly to change to remain successful .
Traditionally , kitchens hired executive chefs who reported to F & B directors who reported to general managers . But that ’ s changing .
“ Today , we ’ re seeing a lot of executive chefs who oversee the whole food and beverage operation , and that allows us to streamline a couple of things , including the wages , and now , chefs are probably more knowledgeable about the front of the house operations ,” says Dean Thompson , corporate director of culinary operations at Concord Hospitality , Raleigh , North Carolina .
Chefs who report directly to the GM have more responsibility , but decisions affecting the kitchen can be made more quickly , says Evan Sheridan , executive culinary director for Chicago-based Aparium Hotels . “ If they want to argue for additional staffing or work-life balance , it ’ s shortening the chain of communication ,” he says . “ It also establishes that the team is really important to the hotel .”
Fernando Salazar , senior vice president of F & B for Interstate Hotels & Resorts , Arlington , Virginia , says in many hotels the positions of director of rooms and director of F & B have been combined into one role , director of operations . “ We are expecting this trend to continue moving forward ,” he says . “ Guests and associates at larger , more complex properties with multiple outlets and expansive catering and banquets are better served with dedicated F & B director positions , however .” Interstate manages a portfolio of about 500 hotels in the U . S . and Europe .
This change in structure can create
October 2019 hotelsmag . com 35