Welcome

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our Newsletter.  Prompted by various chefs, club manager friends and my Master Club Advisor partners to create a circular of timely topics related to Culinary and F&B operations, I took the first decade of my firm’s practice to hone its perspective.  I am truly excited that this media will prove uniquely focused and beneficial to club chefs, their subordinates and entire foodservice operations.

 

The ultimate goal of this Newsletter is to inform Culinary and F&B management teams with relevant information about Culinary and Food Industry Trends, Culinary Leadership, Teambuilding, Best Management Practices, upcoming events, competitions and more tidbits certain to keep you and staff keenly aware of news and approaches enhancing your operation’s performance. These mailing are intended to be engaging, educational, entertaining and a bit provocative, prodding you to employ new methods and approaches building the best team possible while consistently delivering the best food and service in your community.  Upon review, feel free to share with industry fellows, managers and aspiring subordinates.

 

Before getting to the highlight of each issue, the “Chefs At Work” interview, I wanted to share brief perspective about club Food & Beverage operations in this new decade. Over the past few months I have sensed a cautiously growing optimism – at least a mindedness that we have hit bottom – with a modest bounce within reach.  Building upon past approaches delivering value and diversity for the purpose of sustained loyal and member retention, this shall be the continued march well into the future. More than ever, club chefs need to be more business minded and market attuned, delivering a menu mix that is Market Focused with broad-based appeal, menu engineered with all cost, production & labor efficiencies realizing budgeted objectives while infused with very best seasonal and regional ingredients. 

 

Since banquet sales and associated check averages have waned during the past 18 months, more than ever chefs are dependent on F&B Managers and Catering Directors to drive sales in the year ahead.  General opinion suggests there’s a bit more willingness for members and businesses to loosen the purse strings and, with the right service approach and sales strategies, additional usages and revenue gains will be realized in 2010.  As most club operators report current labor budgets are as lean as feasible, spearing sales and service initiatives coupled with more profitable menu offering are the remaining few options towards maximizing net F&B result.  This is of course largely dependent on overall consumer confidence and job growth. Surely this will be another interesting year, to say the least.  Best of luck to all of us.

 

In our inaugural “Chefs At Work” interview, I asked Jerry Schreck, Executive Chef at Merion Golf Club, Philadelphia, to sum-up how his previous industry experiences perfectly prepared him for a successful career in a private club setting.  I also asked Jerry to share how his duties as editor of Club and Resort Business Magazine’s “Chef  to Chef” column has enhanced member satisfaction and his overall culinary management abilities as a result.  Jerry is also the co-producer of the publications’ Chef to Chef Conference, a wonderful educational opportunity for chefs and food & beverage professionals while will be held this year in Palm Beach, FL, March 7- 9.   I am certain you will find this interview of real interest.  Click here to read our interview with Jerry Schreck …

In our next edition, Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC, ACF “Chef of the Year” 2007, et al, and Executive Chef with Cherokee Town & Country Club, Atlanta, will discuss his recent experiences influencing a major kitchen renovation, its trials & tribulations and how business has dramatically increased upon the Clubhouse reopening.  We will also touch on the constantly advancing practice and practical application of Sous Vide in a club setting.  Be certain to share these articles with your subordinate staff and industry fellows by forwarding this mailing.

A Bit About Food Trends

Keeping up with food and beverage trends is crucial to develop the right menu mix. Hotel OnLine reported on December 29, 2009, a study the National Restaurant Association developed to help operators stay abreast of the hottest menu trends. The Association each year surveys professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation for this purpose. The latest survey, conducted in 2009, was based on the input of more than 1,800 chefs. Respondents ranked 214 items by how trendy they would be in 2010.   Click here to read the article.

A Bit About Management

Managers struggle to keep employees moving forward

Managers are using everything from gift cards to personal thank-you notes to motivate workers to keep working hard during a time of few or no pay raises and increasing workloads. Employees appreciate "the fact that someone walked up to them and said, 'Thank you, you did a good job,'" said Steve Nieuwsma, a Rockwell Collins division vice president. The Wall Street Journal (1/4). Click here to read the article.

 

A Bit About Leadership

The most effective message isn't always full of roses

While leaders might not want to communicate less-than-upbeat messages, it's worse to ignore existing problems, and doing so can further demoralize employees, Peter Bregman writes. "Painting a picture of the present we know can be far more valuable and comforting than painting a picture of the future we don't. We don't always need the answers. Sometimes we just need to know that we're not alone and we're understood," he writes. Harvard Business Review online (1/5). Click here to read the article.

 

Make your MARK!

- David