Managing the Kitchen
Invariably, it will be the quality of your food that will distinguish your operation from the competition. Think of your own conversations with your friends and associates when you discuss your latest adventures in a restaurant. The quality of the food almost always takes precedence. No amount of clever, polished service can make up for lousy food. All the pieces of your catering puzzle must come together to pull off a top-notch banquet, but it will never get off the ground without a quality kitchen operation. We could include hundreds of recipes, menus and themed buffets in this text, but this is not a recipe book. There are more than enough of those around. Instead, let us focus on what it takes to put together a quality kitchen operation and keep it performing at a high level.
1. Staffing and Training
A quality kitchen operation, like the rest of your operation, requires competent and motivated employees in order to run properly. Chefs, kitchen managers and cooks are skilled employees and they are in high demand. This doesn't mean, however, that you must always pay top dollar to attract the finest talent. By establishing and maintaining a professional environment where consistency in management systems are practiced and creativity is encouraged, you will find that great chefs are easier to attract and good chefs can be developed into great ones. If cooking is not your forte, then spend whatever time is needed to learn at least the basics of the craft. Chefs can be notoriously friendly, (when approached with a dash of humility and a dollop of courtesy). Every manager should spend time in the thick of the food preparation process in order to fully understand the demands of the job. In addition, you never know when you will be needed to fill-in when production is behind schedule. You should fully prepared for such an eventuality. As with all management positions, your chefs should be accountable for developing their subordinates and rewarded when their efforts show results.
2. Listen To Your Chef
You're top culinary employees----whether executive chefs, kitchen managers, or simply experienced cooks----should be included in the sales and planning process. Your chefs know the most about your principal product, your food, and they are invaluable when you need to guide the client toward menu items that can be prepared tastily and profitably. Salespeople should never sell any item that is not on the menu without first running it by the chef. It is not only risky, but it shows a lack of respect for the culinary management group.
Involve your kitchen staff in all aspects of the planning process. The culinary staff should be consulted on all large events, VIP clients and service planning meetings. Not only are their suggestions extremely helpful, but involving the kitchen staff in all discussions goes along way towards developing a cohesive team.
3. Keep Your Kitchen Organized
You can never be too organized. The first step in controlling costs (both food and labor), is to organize the storage of your foods, beverages and equipment. Even more important is kitchen sanitation; it is a reflection of your attitude toward your product. At best a dirty kitchen creates a negative image and poor morale. At its worse, it can lead to health hazards, diminishment of your reputation, loss of your business and legal problems. Like staffing, cleaning is an hourly, daily, continuous task. Along those lines, here are a few concepts that should be adopted:
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