The 'BEST FOOD & SERVICE' in the area starts out as the best food & service in 'THE AREA!'

I love engaging with others, my customers, co-workers, staff, bosses, ect., just anyone who wants to talk shop. You know, through this, you can share ideas, understand differences, capture similarities and just learn a great deal about ourselves. I had the pleasure to share some visions of an uncoming event with corporate staff. Each of us came from a different area of the business; myself Food & Beverage, the others were more Marketing and Administration. But the beauty was that we leveled the playing field by discussing what it would take to have the best food and service in the area.
Each of us had an input. Now for a lot of hard headed Chefs with egos, they can't see themselves listening to 'non-food people' because they believe that non-foodies know nothing of the business. Not necessarily true!

Everyone at least knows what they would like out of an event, what would make it great. Thats where great chefing begins, doing what it takes to make it great. There are Chefs that can't see beyond the kitchen rail and believe that they have the greatest food and service in their kitchen. And that may be true; they have the greatest food and service in their kitchens-ONLY IN THEIR KITCHEN-and no place else. You see unless the word gets out then it goes no where. Like the old saying that you may have the world's greatest idea but unless you do something with it, then all you got is the world greatest idea to yourself. Nothing.
Then you have the Chef who can see beyond their four walls, can see out into the parking lot and beyond. This is where great food and service begins-outside from beyond your parking lots on into your building, into your restaurant and finally into your kitchen. This is where you have the worlds greatest food and service begining in "The Area". Follow me now on this; I am solid on F&B and feel solid on my surroundings but I need solid expert input on what's further out there and need to consolidate all the great input to produce the "Best Food & Service" in "the area" by knowing my area. Makes sense?
This is how it made sense to me: I listened to what my collegues wanted in the event and how they saw it, both from a customer and a staff member's view point. Everything was discussed from decorations, seating, entry, organization, menu, special requests, venue, ect., and ect. You see it doesn't help I have the world's best but can't share that with the outside world. My collegues informed me, educated me, inspired me, and complemented me. As a whole, we can then produce the 'Best Food & Service' in 'The Area'.
What I am saying is as a group, we feed off one another to exchange ideas, listen, share, and work as a team on a winning plan. This is just we did as a team to be able to have the best in the best. So remember that
great food doesn't start in the kitchen, it starts outside in and finishes in the kitchen. Live outside your four walls and beyond.