I’ve read enough self help books to know that if you want to develop healthier habits and routines, you need to start granularly. Showing up as a new member of the gym, my immediate goal cannot be to do 10 pull-ups, that’s unrealistic. When I first started teaching yoga I wanted to rush through and gradually over time, I found my pacing. Moving through the gym, I’ve learned moving slowly is actually better for building muscle. Resting through reps is important, taking a pause to drink water. Even working at farmer’s markets has me questioning: why in restaurants are we rushing through everything?

Hello, welcome in, perhaps welcome back. They want a different table. We can’t give them the booth. Greeting within one minute of being seated or eye contact from behind the bar to say I know you’re there, be with you soon. Are you ready to order? Some guests know before they walk in, other guests will hold you hostage. Explain the whole menu. There’s a major allergy. Cross contamination is okay. Rushing through the computer system, we ring in the order wrong. Where is the drink? We speed through the dining room, we crash into a guest. The kitchen misreads the ticket and the meal comes out wrong. Something falls and breaks and needs to be cleaned. Where is the dinner? Don’t forget the two bite rule. A guest wants to sit and enjoy their meal, have an extended dessert, we need the table back. Long waits at the host stand. Someone’s celebrating, someone’s fighting, there’s a child crying. Where is the check? The guest decides they need to leave right now. The credit card is swiped on the wrong table. Oh no. We need a manager. Where is the manager? Thank you, have a great evening, come again soon. I hope they tipped well. Onto the next table.

Hello, welcome in. Have you been here before?

slow down to speed up

I’m not sure I understood it’s true meaning the first time I heard it in a restaurant setting. As I’ve gone deeper into my hospitality career, I get it. I’ve observed how often we make mistakes when we’re not repeating orders back, double checking at the computer before sending, and racing through the restaurant without looking. If we took a pause to make sure the drinks were secure on our tray or double checked the total before finishing a transaction, we could avoid timely mistakes. It can be costly too. As a business manager or owner, encouraging your employees to show up in good health is incredibly important for their ability to preform well throughout the shift. If they are distracted, that’s when mistakes happen. When mistakes do happen, how you choose to react will also influence how the rest of the day goes. I believe giving employees the ability to take a step back and recalibrate is the only way forward.

Perhaps all restaurant workers would benefit from some moments of pause throughout their shift. Gentle reminders to breathe, slow down, drink water. Hospitality starts from within and moving with intention matters.

xo never better heather

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When you walk up to a table as a sommelier people often want to know your credentials. E…

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Jaime and I met at a mutual friend’s birthday party just a little over a year ago. We were all tasked with presenting on a topic and my topic of choice was sparkling wines, how they’re made, and it i…

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It’s been almost a month since my last post and I remind myself daily I should post something and keep going. Readers knowing whether I post once a week, month, year…that matters. I made a goal to post 3-4x a month and I am declaring it for accountability. How does committing to a regular Substack schedule relate to opening a restaurant? It’s setting a standard for readers just as a restaurant should be clear in their vision from the start. Are they fast-food, a bistro, a Michelin-starred dining experience? Consistency in brand execution matters as does consistency in the quality of the products being sold. Most people aren’t willing to spend a monthly fee for a Substack with no posts, just as nobody will be a repeat customer to a business with food that looks and tastes different every time.

When showing up to a restaurant that you’ve been to before you are expecting to get that same exact item and experience as last time. If a restaurant doesn’t deliver on those expectations, they might lose that guest or potential regular. In a world with many dining options, if you show up with a consistent product (whether it’s amazing or an average fast food meal) people will remember and return. Practicing consistency in routine and building the same dish over and over is a skill that can be taught. In creating food or beverage to be served, the person making that item needs to be mindful in creating the same item every time. Your team needs to be on the same page with presentation too. You can usually tell when something was put together with care and a restaurant should take pride in their final product being served.

Here are some real life examples:

• At my current job we do a table side Caesar that is finished with horseradish. I had a coworker once tell me that they didn’t do that step because they “didn’t like it.” I mentioned the salad they’re serving is different than others which compromises the consistency of the space and they agreed. Now when I pass by and they’re completing that final step of grated horseradish, I feel happy. We are giving every guest the same salad presentation.

  

• I used to occasionally cut the 10oz prime rib table side at work until one day a guest left a Google review completely calling out my inability and discomfort in cutting meat (I’m vegetarian). If you are a paid subscriber I will include the review I screenshotted before I had it removed. This was a lesson to our management and chefs that only those able to cut the prime rib comfortably should be doing so. It’s also why another steakhouse up the road has one consistent person on the trolley each night.

• At a former job, Homespun Foods, consistency is something we did quite well. For 18 years we served the same Turkey Avocado sandwich every day and other items like the Mount Beacon Bars. While they were simple, they were delicious and comfort foods for the community. It also helped that there was consistency in employees because high turnover can compromise the food output too.

  ! should I attempt to make the Mount Beacon Bars and drop the recipe?

• When pouring wines for a large group, it’s important to be consistent (and conservative) in pours to ensure everyone has an equal amount and you make it to the end of the table. The last thing you want to do is return to the host to pour from an empty bottle of 1887 Lafite Rothschild.

I want to be part of people’s routines and serving consistent food and beverage is part of the equation. That’s how you build a business, community, and connect. For now you can find me here reflecting on former restaurant experiences and sharing lessons I’ve learned along the way. My goal for this year is to create more educational content around beverage, food, hospitality, and my journey towards restaurant ownership. Making this page is a big step towards that and I appreciate your support!

thank you 🩵 never better heather

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