F & B
AIMING FOR ‘ HAPPY-ISH ’
Staffing a well-run kitchen — and keeping it staffed — is hard . “ The labor market struggle is real ,” says Dean Wendel , vice president of F & B at Concord Hospitality . “ There is a war on talent , and that ’ s what it is . That ’ s what everyone in the business refers to it so when you get someone ( on board who is talented ), you have to take care of them . You can ’ t just say ‘ We ’ ve got them , let ’ s move on .’”
Which brings Wendel to his first principle for keeping everyone happy — or happy-ish , given the high intensity and fast pace of even the most organized and efficient kitchens : “ You have to continue the dialogue ,” he says . “ You have to visit your hotel , see what you can do to help them make it better .” At Concord , corporate directors do monthly phone calls with every chef and bar manager .
Another way to keep staff happy is to make sure they have educational opportunities that help them advance . Fernando Salazar , senior vice president of food and beverage for Interstate Hotels & Resorts , says his company is testing an online culinary training program created by the Culinary Institute of America . “ We are also working on a service education module in wine training that goes beyond the basics for our managers and line staff ,” he says .
At Hotel Deco in Omaha , Nebraska , cooks work with senior chefs on monthly mentoring projects . One chef , says Drew Statz , executive chef of the hotel ( part of Aparium Hotels ), was interested in vinaigrettes , so she and her mentor developed an almond oil emulsified with almond milk dressing that was drizzled over steak tartare . Another sous chef wanted to learn about butchering . “ After the month was over , he still does , I would say , half our butchering ,” Statz says .
Giving people ownership — pieces of the menu — has been helpful , but Statz is taking it a step further by putting every staff member ’ s name onto the menu itself . “ My baker gets here as soon as the sun goes up , and my dishwasher is here at midnight when we leave . It is too big of an operation for one person to get all the credit for .”
Dane Blom , executive chef for the Citizen Hotel , Sacramento , California , says having the right tools and the right ingredients goes a long way to keeping his staff happy . “ I ’ ve worked really hard to get my cooks all the necessary tools to do their jobs ,” he says .
Blom also says chefs have to take the time to get to know their staff . “ The first thing I do in the morning is say hello and shake everyone ’ s hand in the kitchen ,” he says . “ I ’ m in my street clothes , saying hi to everyone and making them feel appreciated and wanted before I put on my chef ’ s coat .”
Conflicts do happen , and “ recognizing conflict when it happens and working to resolve the situation immediately goes a long way ” to keeping people happy , says Marianna Alfa , vice president of concept development for Hospitality House . “ Chefs and managers are more successful when they show they care by getting their hands dirty and working alongside their team ,” she says . “ Employees stay longer and are inclined to perform better because someone showed them they matter .”
“ I COME FROM THE OLD SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT , WHEN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST WAS THE NORM . I ’ VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN GET THE SAME RESULT SIMPLY BY TALKING TO PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SCREAMING AT THEM .”
DANE BLOM , EXECUTIVE CHEF , CITIZEN HOTEL
A key component of retention is education , training and opportunity , says Interstate ’ s Salazar . The company holds an annual food and bar summit for its top 15 executive chefs to participate in educational experiences and a competition . Three winners travel to Spain , representing the United States in global competitions . The opportunities “ create a spirit of creativity and inspire a desire in top culinary leaders to excel in all they do .” That excitement , in turn , gets passed on to other staff in the kitchen , Salazar says .
‘ THOUGHTFUL CUISINE ’ “ I come from the old school environment , when ruling with an iron fist was the norm ,” says Blom , who won Interstate ’ s chef summit held in mid-August . “ I ’ ve come
38 hotelsmag . com October 2019