Must go viral to stop stingy Big 5 Sporting Goods

Time for a menu roll out, something new, or fresh...maybe not; What you might need is a fresh new YOU!

We're always on the search for the next big thing or special or fad, what have you, to raise the bar on Gastronomic engineering up a notch. When in reality to move forward we just need to get out of our own ways, rethink, refresh, regroup and recharge our own mind set and get back onto planning the work and working the plan to our heart felt goal. 1. Retreats, workshops and seminars for culinary management 2. Motivational and informational spokespersons 3. Self improvement courses, online or campus 4. Creativity and new idea empowerment from CEO down 5. Embrace change, risks and mistakes to go forward MANAGE AND GROW YOUR PEOPLE NOT THE PROPERTY, that will take care of itself.

What about the Food Truck Revolution?

Oh, the hot food catering trucks graphically wrapped...Yeah, that's here to stay. Its only going to evolve, more graphically designed, alternative fuel options and foods that don't even have names for. Going and soon gone are the days of the taco truck st least in the professional commercial circuit. L.A. is the food truck capital of the world with many having owner operators under the age of 30. Koji's now a household name is predominately credited with taking street food vendor to the all time high level it enjoys today. Lines averaging 40 people deep with a check average of $15 and $300,000 per month...per truck. Of course like any biz, not everyone is a winner, many fail. But those with a passion, food love and business smart and a iron-will back will succeed. I'd love to have my truck rolling down the strip. I can see it now, bright lights, neon bling, plasma menu DJ sound system and crazy food working up.

My Dining Out Service Expectations-Whats real to expect and what should I just accept?

When its comes to dining out nowadays, we all have different levels of expectations from venue concepts, price points, product quality and service standards. But what can we realistically expect in terms of service versus what is just wishful thinking... Well, for one, you can rest assure that you're not the only customer or guest and the establishment you're patronizing is serving you just like they served their other thousand if not million customers. You are not alone, there other customers and you might have to wait-this is about the only thing you have to accept. Other than that, you should be able to expect personal, individualized service to make your visit enjoyable as well as memorable in the sense you are: 1. You should be warmly and sincerely welcomed! A great 'Good Morning' and a smile goes a long way to welcome you. 2. You are promptly seated or given a time line expectation of the wait. And if you are waiting, it should be in some orderly fashion with a system in place. Too often I see a sardine packed waiting area of a few seats for a crowd of people. Now, then some place use all their resources to take advantage of a wait crowd; they control how many seated guest they have as not to overburden the kitchen and get food out in a timely, quality manner. They might take pre-orders from guest as they are waiting or perhaps pass out menus so people can get familiarized with the menu. Sometimes customers are seated in the lounge to be offered drinks and appetizers and then have their guest check transferred to their dining table when it becomes open. And I even seen sample pass out to the waiting area to woo and awe the guest. and once I seen a stand up, in house, comic-manager do his own monologue to kill time. Whatever it takes, but do not throw the wait into a corner, engage them and expedite the seating process. 3. You should be promptly greeted at the table upon being seated. And if the place is super busy, you are promptly greeted to let you know that soon you will be promptly greeted. Nothing turns me off than seeing workers dash by, run by my table looking too busy to even make eye contact with me to let me know 'I know you're here and I will be right with you'. But then again, maybe even worse is the guy who casually, nonchalantly walks by my table without a clue that I am there or the person who says 'its not my area-I'll get your server'. Then along comes the Pro, who in the midst of being peaks busy while carrying a drink order of 8 beverages to another table stops over at your table within your 2 minutes of being seated and says 'Hello, Welcome, My name is Cory, Susan will be your server tonight but I will be happy to start you off. Just let me drop off these drinks and I will be right back. Is this ok?'. Smart move, he just bought time, acknowledge your presence and made you feel noticed. 4. You should have the order taken just as you want it. I know this sounds like a no-brainer but it really isn't. Too often the server just doesn't have knowledge of the menu and has to 'check on it' or go see if its ok to do. I believe great servers are empowered to make decisions at the table on your order request. Things like not too spicy, leave out the cheese, add extra shrimp, no salt, ect. Its called food modifying and today its probably a standard service at any quality establishment. Yes, I know it can be a pain for the kitchen but out of a hundred guest, really only a handful or so or going to modify something. 5. to be continued...

A mind is like a Parachute, it doesn't work unless its Open...

Setting Goal, Making Action Plans, Getting Results and Finding Solutions... When it comes to problem solving and solutions and achieving goals: Yes, unless you can have an open mind, rethink things, be flexible and listen...listen...and listen to your surrounding-you will never get the answers. Often we spin our wheels searching for that light at the end of the tunnel or the 'great hope' but all along I think we have always had the answers. It is when we open up, shut up and get up is when we start finding solutions to simple things that become big things/problems. I am always amazed at how long it takes for that first word of advice, suggestion, hint or what have you to finally sink in. It sometimes takes a toll before I guess we wake up and make the coffee before we can smell the coffee. What I mean is that we often want to get better, fix things and be the best but unless we can define that in terms of a goal, quantify it, assign it in terms of an action plan, monitor it & evaluate it against a time line; we will never realize the goal. It is quite simple, very academic and it just means doing what we know in our mind and soul to do. Just do it. Step One: Smash It. Throw out all our prejudices and 'whys of why it can't work' or 'I don't knows' and 'We can'ts', ect. Start from ground zero. Rethink it all. Step Two: Define the problem. This is not as easy as it may seem. Define the problem as it relates to what you hope to achieve. What are your goals. Step Three: Create a Plan of Action. What steps do you need to take to accomplish this. Try to quantify your plan, hold it accountable against a timeline with measureable results. Step Four: Evaluate the progress of your plans, action, and if needed adjust. Get & give feedback on the successes, results that are being done. Step Five: Achieve your Goals. Get to mission accomplished. Take a look at your end product, result. Is it right. Is it inline with your goals. Does everything go inline with your Mission Statement, Business Statement. Last Step: Take it and go with it. Continue to evaluate, get feedback and allow for changes. You know things don't have to be done in hard ruled steps but its illustrated here to explain things. The point is to look at things and be willing to grow and give your customer what they want. One of the beauties of our government is our Constitution of the United States. A wonderful document and admired by so many and used as a history and current training/learning tool of creating a government. The founding fathers didn't have all the answers but they were smart enough to know that things would have to change, improve, ect toward the will of the people. So the founding fathers created provisions in the constitution to allow for change, admendments, judicial branch, legislative branch, voting, ect. When you really study this 'piece of paper', you can only marvel at the genious of it. It truly is genious. Its genious because such beautiful work still allow itself to be be progressed over time towards, hopefully one day, perfection. And the founding fathers knew that day if it ever truly can come is so far, far away that they allow room in the constitution for all of this. You see, they knew it then that unless the mind is open to change, it cannot trully work. Never stop growing. Never stop learning. Never stop sharing. And never stop willing to take risks in doing this. Be a true leader. And I say this..."Those who can,Do! Those who can't, Teach! Those who do neither-Do Nothing!"

Rudyard Kipling's THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE

I often seek inspiration from other great Chefs and what others are doing in the wonderful world of Culinary Arts. But also being open to all creative aspects of learning, I seek inspirational mentorship from great people legends from all walks of life. This post was inspired by the great Phil Jackson who spoke on some of his success as the greatest winning basketball coach of all time. Although being a Chef and a Head Basketball coach may be totally different careers-they are strikingly similar in countless ways. And definitely their similarities outweigh their differences. And this is what I look for when I seek winning guidance. Phil commented on some of his past inspiration and credited it to Rudyard Kipling, the infamous author of the Jungle Book. Rudyard attributed the success of a wolf pack to the single act of being a 'pack' versus an individual and the the pack lives while the individual dies. Phil put this philosophy to work in coaching the winning Chicago Bulls & Los Angeles Lakers. He applied it to the 'Team'-Team Building. It is what I believe in also as a Chef that the team and team building is what makes or breaks the operation. Sure I am happy to be blessed with the skills and talents of a Chef and feel totally confident in my ability to rock as a chef. But it is with and through my team that I shine and I know that. Such was with Phil Jackson and his team and he knew that. So a word to the wise and a lesson to the renegade chefs; its all about the team, always was and always will. It is what you can do 'with' them. As I learned from a great teacher: "Tell them what you're going to tell them...Tell them...Tell them what you told them! (the basic principle of teaching, you can apply this to showing, doing, ect.) And now for the famous words from Rudyard Kipling's The Law of the Jungle, that inpired Phil Jackson and in turn inspired myself and hopefully can inpire you as well and then another and another...get the point. Rudyard Kipling The Law of the Jungle (from The Jungle Book) Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back -- For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack. So remember that the strength of the Wolf is the Pack so in that the strength of the individual is the Team

A Food is a Food no matter how Small (a twist on the famous words of Horton hears an Who)

So definitely a food is a food no matter how small. I also have a curious mind when it comes to food, what we eat, why, how and when-you know foodie stuff...Ok, so my dog watches me as I eat, I get it...people food rocks, dog food bites...we use herbs, spice, love and it tantalizes our taste buds. I mean, when was the last time you tasted dog food-see! Heck, we barely taste baby food before serving it, and dog food never. How many times do we taste a savory Bolognese Pasta Italiano before serving it. Dog food should be somewhat on the radar of flavor. Just food for thought. Whats on your palate?