An Ode to Hospitality
There’s something to be said about the overall culture of your team or restaurant. Hospitality is a profession for passionate people, and there is no in-between. Good hospitality can look almost like nothing at all, and bad hospitality will take all of your energy to get away from. I’m not sure if the industry is filled with people who don’t belong, but the past 2 years I've encountered establishments that have been an embarrassment in providing for guests. I’m not just talking about having a good program that is lacking, it has just been rude, unprepared, disgruntled, and uncaring. The dollar is hurting us all right now, but it cannot be the sole factor driving your establishment or character.
The picture linked above was posted to Instagram after the user was having a particularly bad week and instantly went viral. Towards the end of the note he explains that this single meal meant more to him than the establishment could imagine. All of your guests should be VIP. This note instantly inspired me because I have been one of the customers having an awful week, and I've been touched by restaurant employees who went out of their way to make my day even 1% better.
In hospitality:
Your space needs to be welcoming to old and new guests, but once again these two groups shouldn’t be treated differently!
In this space there are many different connections and experiences happening simultaneously. Hospitality is the meeting of all of these shared experiences as a whole. How are you greeted by the host/hostess? How did your server greet you? Did they take too long to come over? Were they disheveled? We don’t realize that all of the small negative mistakes build up tension and will get the guests talking in a negative direction.
Normally people are at a restaurant because it is an experience they can’t have at home, or are willing to pay to be taken care of. Keep it in the back of your mind that even if things aren’t going well, you still need to do your best to take care of the consumer. It’s their hard earned money keeping you afloat.
Generosity is a cornerstone of hospitality. When chef’s eat in each other's spaces they pamper one another. Free courses and snacks, maybe a new wine that just walked in the door from the sommelier, something new they were trying and wanted some quick peer feedback. These bring innovation, conversation, joy and collaboration. We need to be finding and building more with one another!
It isn’t always just chefs receiving this kind of VIP care. We love to share new ideas and information with those walking in our door. Eating cuisine and talking amongst each other are beautiful learning opportunities and opposing viewpoints that are essential to growth
By sharing our thoughts, culture and movements we get the opportunity each day to connect with our local communities. The more your local community knows, the more you can branch out and find opportunities to take care of your guests. Ingredients become less and less mysterious to the public, you build a rapport and get to take many more educated risks.
Hospitality is about shared respect between customer and business. As a customer, I am choosing to give your business my money, and in return also return respect to the individuals taking care of me. In return, I get a fresh cooked meal, a place to sit, a drink that has care given to it, and normally a unique environment. The conversation back and forth between guest and service professional can have as many words or as little as you need, but at the end of the day it’s about having eachothers backs as a society. Neither side can exist without each other, and I am wholeheartedly asking professionals and customers alike to continue to make people feel taken care of and special.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Stephen
Website: Chefstephenhanyzewski.com
Instagram: @chefstephenhanyzewski
