The Best Line Cooks Have These ‘Set Shifting’ Traits

The Best Line Cooks Have These ‘Set Shifting’ Traits

by | Jan 18, 2017 | Career

Multitasking… there are a few people in the world who seem to thrive on it, but those people probably mastered the art of rapid set shifting, something a little different from multitasking. Set shifting “… means consciously and completely shifting…attention from one task to the next, focusing on the task at hand.” Giving full attention to a task in the moment improves productivity and creativity and causes fewer mistakes. “Set shifting is a sign of brain fitness and agility…”

If there is any life that requires this ability for rapid set shifting, it’s the life of a line cook. The best line cooks work quickly and with absolute focus. Receiving instructions and requests from multiple directions at once and with several different mini-events happening on different schedules under their watch, a line cook requires this rare ability for rapid set shifting.

If line cooks didn’t have this ability but instead multitasked in the way most of us think about it, order fulfillment would suffer; orders would slow and be filled with mistakes. Unanticipated problems occur in any commercial dining scenario, and line cooks, without this rapid set shifting ability, cannot create solutions.

Beyond set shifting, line cooks require a few other specific skills and lifestyle preferences. Let’s take a look.

“Set shifting is a sign of brain fitness and agility…”

Sharp and sharply focused

“Set shifting is a sign of brain fitness and agility…” A line cook is the person in the room who catches subtle cues quickly and whose responses are quick, intelligent and on target. Issues don’t sit on their mind while they weigh alternatives — they don’t have time for that. A line cook resolves issues instinctively and immediately and moves on to the next mini-event with complete focus.

Nimble

Sometimes the most intelligent people in the world move slowly or clumsily. The best line order cooks move quickly and gracefully, positioning their bodies and hands effortlessly and instinctively exactly where they need to be. The objective is to preserve every ounce of mental and physical capacity for the food prep task at hand without distraction.

Health-oriented

Seriously. Sounds crazy, but if a line order cook is conventionally multitasking instead of rapidly set shifting, they accumulate stress, contributing to a poor health profile. Add to this proximity to sweets and processed foods with little time to stop and focus on eating, and you are on the way to poor health. Poor health chips away at mental capacity, reduces focus and invites sluggishness. In contrast, someone who eats the right foods, drinks plenty of water and is active is more alert, focused and energetic.

A line cook who loves the taste and appearance of food knows instinctively when something isn’t quite right.

Love food and food preparation

If you don’t love good food and have some artistic sensibility about it, you cannot prepare a tasty, visually appealing dish. A line cook who loves the taste and appearance of food knows instinctively when something isn’t quite right and makes adjustments. Someone with no feeling for it or passion about it? Not so much. And there’s no time to check a recipe. While it’s true that line cooks don’t make the menu choices or have final responsibility for dishes that go out, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and in establishments with fixed menus, a line cook is often the only person preparing food.

Strive for excellence

Of course, we should all strive for excellence in whatever we do, no matter how great or small the task. The story is in the details, and a good line cook takes pride in every item they prepare, in its taste, aroma and appearance. Serving good food with flair and attention to detail ensures customers return.

A natural and trained awareness of food sanitation best practices

Of course you want your line cook to have sanitation training and certification, but hopefully that line cook reaches a level of ease and naturalness with best practices. Interrupting focused rapid set shifting to remember whether you should turn off hand-washing water before drying your hands or after adds unnecessary distraction to the work.

A line order cook is someone with a natural gift honed by training and experience. A good one is a rare find, and restauranteurs who find great line cooks are smart to show their appreciation to these employees.

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How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle While Working in Restaurants

How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle While Working in Restaurants

by | Jan 13, 2017 | Career

Late night shifts. Changing shifts and irregular hours. Constantly on your feet. No time to sit down and eat. Slips, trips, falls. Chemical exposure. Stress. Parties… restaurants aren’t exactly health clubs. Perhaps that’s why researchers found the rate of heart disease and stroke was highest among people in two industries, one of them “Accommodation and Food Service,” which includes people who work in traveler accommodations, restaurants and bars.

So what can restaurant workers do to beat the statistics and maintain a healthy lifestyle in the restaurant industry? Here are 10 steps to take toward protecting yourself:

1. Meet with your employer

It’s a good idea to talk with a potential employer before accepting a job to find out about things like shift management, the physical environment, smoking policies, breaks and personal food prep policies. If you didn’t do this before starting work, and you experience particular things that interfere with best practices for health, bringing them tactfully to your employer’s attention might help.

Sometimes modifications work to everyone’s advantage. These days more employers understand the cost-benefit equation surrounding health and employee sickness, injury and absenteeism.

2. Keep “regular” sleep hours

Yes, restaurant shifts are a potential cause of health problems. To the extent you can, aim for regularity, approximately the same time frame each day that you work. Then adjust your sleep schedule accordingly so that you can get in most of your sleep at the same time every night (or day). If you can’t get in 7-8 hours of sleep in one block, schedule a regular short nap time each day. Keep to your schedule even on days you don’t work. Your goal is to let your body adjust to a rhythm, whatever it is.

A hearty breakfast will provide extended energy, which restaurant employees most definitely need!

3. Eat a great breakfast

What if you work a breakfast shift? Schedule time before you go in to sit down and eat a healthy, hearty breakfast. Eat your breakfast at the same time each day whether you’re working that day or not. A healthy, hearty breakfast doesn’t mean commercial cereals, sweet rolls or bagels. Better are walnuts and almonds, chia, flax and hemp seeds, fresh and frozen fruits, topped with milk, unsweetened yogurt or unsweetened soy milk. This will provide extended energy, which restaurant employees most definitely need!

4. Focus on these foods

Maybe your workplace serves up healthy food and soups and lets its employees enjoy them. If not, you need to prepare. Drfuhrman.com offers a guide to healthy eating based on four principles: nutrient density, comprehensive nutrient adequacy, favorable hormone levels and avoiding toxins. This plant-rich diet aims for maximum nutrient density in minimum calories. Salad is your main dish each day.

“For at least one meal a day, have a big salad that includes plenty of leafy greens, plus beans, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, bell peppers and more, topped by a nut/seed-based dressing.” Limit animal products. Eliminate all sweeteners and refined grains. Since most of your diet consists of plant foods, and only 1 in 10 Americans eats enough of them, it’s easy to see where you need to focus: on those fruits and veggies! Keep it simple, and prepare ahead.

5. Find a space and a time to eat

Oddly enough, most eateries offer limited space for restaurant workers to eat. If your shift is long enough that you need a meal, find a corner where you can sit quietly and enjoy your fruits and veggies or made-ahead salad.

The food service world don’t always go quite the way you expect…so be sure you plan ahead.

6. Prepare an emergency food kit

Things in the food service world don’t always go quite the way you expect…so be sure you plan ahead for those times when you’re starving and don’t want to grab the first thing that pops into your line of vision. Chances are good that thing will be sweet and refined. Good things for an emergency food kit are carrot sticks, nuts, pumpkin seeds, canned sardines and apples.

7. Move

In a way, you’re lucky. As a restaurant worker, you’re probably on your feet all the time. Why? Because sitting for extended periods of time increases your chance of heart attack. In fact, Women who sit more than 6 hours a day are 96% more likely to die of a heart attack than women who sit for less than 3 hours a day — and men who sit more than 6 hours a day are 48% more likely than their standing counterparts to die of a heart attack.

But too much of a good thing also causes problems. Take advantage of moments to sit — and while you’re on your feet, watch your posture, and keep moving. Many chefs shift side to side as they work in position on their feet.

8. Focus

Restaurant work seems to demand multi-tasking, but many recent studies show that multi-tasking is not only ineffective but has a negative health impact. Instead, work on mastering the art of rapid set shifting, “…consciously and completely shifting…attention from one task to the next, focusing on the task at hand.”

9. Don’t smoke

You know the statistics. Hopefully, you work in a smoke-free environment, but if not, you have to deal with second-hand smoke, and this is not good for your health. Don’t add to the problem by smoking yourself.

10. Drink water

One of the major causes of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other chronic diseases is high sugar drinks. This includes not only soda but unsweetened fruit juices. When you’re thirsty, drink water — and eat the whole fruit.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult when working in a restaurant. So, remember, that even if you do just a few of these or work up to checking off the entire list, it’s still a win. Here’s to your health, restaurant professionals!

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Robotics and Automation in the Restaurant Industry

Robotics and Automation in the Restaurant Industry

by | Jan 11, 2017 | IndiNews

Since the dawn of time, innovators replaced bare-handed human activity first with tools, then with machines. Today’s industry influencers are those ready to take next steps, harnessing robotics to operate businesses with greater precision and efficiency, further reducing human input.

The first automat, called appropriately enough, Automat, opened in New York July 2, 1912, in Times Square. The innovative dining idea was successfully marketed with, “gleaming, newfangled gadgets that dispensed fresh food barely touched by human hands.” At the height of this fast food trend centered in New York, there were 40 Automats. The last one, at East 42nd Street and Third Avenue, closed in 1991.

If you’re old enough to remember the glory days of the Automat, you’ll be happy to know they’re back…in a 21st-century incarnation.

If you’re old enough to remember the glory days of the Automat, you’ll be happy to know they’re back…in a 21st-century incarnation. One new automated dining experience comes to us under the brand Eatsa, currently in San Francisco and Los Angeles and preparing to expand to 10 additional locations.

Like the Horn & Hardart Automats of the early 20th century, the concept behind Eatsa is to serve low-cost fast fresh food without human interaction. And like the Horn & Hardart Automat, Eatsa also features “gleaming, newfangled gadgets that dispense fresh food…”

The key to this brave new world is to find the most effective cooperative relationship between us and our machines.

Eatsa isn’t fully automated, though. Human hands put together quinoa bowls behind a cubby wall where customers pick up their orders. But actually, that human-machine partnership is also trending these days. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, “proposes that human qualities like creativity and empathy, paired with the raw computational power of A.I. can help solve some of society’s greatest problems.” The key to this brave new world is to find the most effective cooperative relationship between us and our machines. Eatsa seems to have a combo that works for its customers.

Co-founders Tim Young and Scott Drummond, “looking to create a convenient, low-cost health food concept, fused advanced technology with the long-abandoned automat format.” Same purpose…different technology. In the older incarnation, nickles and quarters activated delivery, and ultimately that mode of delivery caused its demise since the patented mechanical dispensers accepted only nickels and quarters in their slots.

“We’re using data science to drive the whole Eatsa experience,” chief strategy officer and co-founder Scott Drummond said to Fast Company. “Cashiers won’t be a limitation.” Apparently, neither will coin-operated dispensers.

Many of us crave speed and low-cost, but many of us still enjoy an evening out for fine dining.

Momentum Machines takes a different approach than Eatsa, going for the back of the house instead of the front. “In 2014, the company released a device that essentially worked like a printing press for hamburgers. The robot pressed patties, chopped toppings, and assembled the ingredients into a sumptuous-looking sandwich.” This fall the world’s first robot-powered burger bar opened in San Francisco.

Many of us crave speed and low-cost, but many of us still enjoy an evening out for fine dining. For familiarity if nothing else, we like our humans in the environment. Our objective isn’t speed but a relaxing, elegant evening. While fine dining restaurants probably want to keep workers in the picture for ambiance, even they benefit from robotics. “Maybe they’ll focus still on making the food by hand and focusing on quality ingredients,” says Sarah Smith, a researcher at IFTF’s Food Futures Lab, “but there could be parts of the experience that could have some level of automation.”

Robotics may even enter into some home dining experiences. “The future is served” with Moley Kitchen Robotics. It’s easy to imagine versions of these automated chefs replacing line cooks even in fine dining environments.

The best estimates find that up to 50% of jobs could be automated by the late 2030s, with restaurant workers among the most vulnerable to displacement.

Not only smaller fast food businesses are exploring robotics. McDonald’s, which started with Ray Kroc’s idea of “uniformity in service and quality among all of the McDonald’s locations,” also took next steps toward the future. During the last two years, the company opened the beta version of a fully automated McDonald’s in Phoenix in the hope of opening 25,000 more of them if the test succeeds. The new robots work in harmony at a speed 50 times faster than the average McDonald’s employee, with no chance of error. There, too, robots cooperate with humans who supervise them to make certain all is well.

Data-driven robotics is an area of technology with a big future. Indeed, a lot of what happens in restaurants these days is automated. The best estimates find that up to 50% of jobs could be automated by the late 2030s, with restaurant workers among the most vulnerable to displacement.

Of course, those lower staffing costs will eventually present Americans with a different set of challenges as machines replace the jobs of many people.

The advantages of robotics in the restaurant industry are obvious; robotics mean lower labor costs, uniformity and easy customization to name a few of the benefits often stated.

Of course, those lower staffing costs will eventually present Americans with a different set of challenges as machines replace the jobs of many people. Hopefully, American creativity and innovation will address these issues as effectively as they have the healthy, cost-effective, fast meal or efficient food production in fine dining environments.

In the meantime, coming soon to a location near you…fast casual healthy fresh dining where you can focus on your dining experience and companions, not the waiter or cashier — and even fine dining where unbeknownst to you, robots work swiftly and skillfully to prepare your elegant meal.

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Training Hacks: Building Your Team

Training Hacks: Building Your Team

by | Jan 9, 2017 | Business Toolkit, IndiTips, Management

Having a solid training program will provide benefits every time your employees work a shift. The best training programs begin by hiring the best employees. This can be the difference between immediate success and possible failure.

Here are the first steps to take to put the right people in the right places.

1. Determining Staffing Needs

Every establishment is different but the theories behind determining staffing levels are similar all around.

Think about the flow of your business and every step a customer will take on their way to an excellent experience, from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they leave. To ensure service, you’ll need employees who’ll engage the customer at each step, and then you’ll need a support staff. The support staff are employees who the customer may not deal with directly, but still affect the final customer experience. Examples of support staff are barbacks, busboys, prep cooks, and housekeepers.

Based on the size of your establishment and the level of service you plan on providing you’ll want to have at least two (if not more) of each position during your peak hours.

Of course, you’ll want to employ more than two people for each position to account for day and night shifts, for days off, for extra coverage when needed, and as backups in case of emergencies.

2. How To Hire

Now that you’ve determined your staffing needs, it’s time to put the word out.

There are many ways to let potential employees know you’re hiring. The best way is to post your open positions to a job site specific to the hospitality industry, preferably one that partners with the big job search engines as well as with local sites and with trade associations. This ensures you’ll connect with the most enthusiastic and professional candidates.

The best way is to post your open positions to a job site specific to the hospitality industry.

Of course, there are always the traditional ways such as word of mouth, employee referrals, and the trusty old “Help Wanted” sign.

It’s a good idea to tell any and all applicants you’re always accepting applications, even when you think you may be fully staffed. By doing so you’ll always have possible employees in the pipeline ready to begin training at a moment’s notice. Don’t wait until an employee resigns or until you involuntarily lose an employee before hiring their replacement. This gives you peace of mind knowing all possibilities are covered.

3. Who To Hire

If you’re always accepting applications and interviewing potential employees, you’ll find the person you spend valuable training dollars on will be of a higher quality.

Unfortunately, it’s common in the industry to hire out of necessity. This can affect customer service and employee morale in the long run. Try to avoid backing yourself into this corner at all costs.

Before you begin interviewing potential employees, take the time to list the personality traits and skills you’d like your perfect employee to have.

Each position requires a certain type of person. Before you begin interviewing potential employees, take the time to list the personality traits and skills you’d like your perfect employee to have.

After you form a profile of your superstar employee(s), you’ll want to tailor your interview questions accordingly. Always remember to ask open-ended questions to keep the candidate talking as much as possible. This allows you to get an idea of how they’ll deal with service as well as how they’ll fit into the team. Of course, you’ll want to include a few skill questions to make sure they can meet your skill level requirements, too.

Here are a few other quick hiring hacks to keep in mind:

  • Don’t be afraid to be creative or out of the box with your questions. You want to force the candidate to think quickly, as they’ll be doing this continuously during shifts.
  • During the interview, don’t just show your amiable side. Remember, it’s their goal to impress you, not the other way around.
  • Also, keep in mind there may be some strict guidelines you’re required to follow when interviewing. Rules and regulations vary from state to state. Click here for more information on the regulations where you’re located.
  • Last, schedule a follow-up interview for a day or two later so you can think about things first. Avoid hiring a candidate “on the spot” if at all possible.

One of the best quotes we’ve heard from a small business owner when asked about their hiring practices was, “Every horse runs a good first lap.”

“Every horse runs a good first lap.”

He meant everyone puts their best foot forward during interviews so take the time to think about how the candidate will fit into the big picture. It’s tough to build a cohesive and successful team when new hires let you down or move on within a few weeks. If you find this happens frequently, you may want to revisit your hiring process.

Finding a good hire is the first step in a successful training program and should not be taken lightly. It’s rare that an employer finds the perfect employee who’s always on time, enthusiastic, and able to handle anything thrown their way…all while providing the best service possible.

Protect your business by establishing and following great hiring practices. That’s the best way to start training off of the right foot.

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How Growing Restaurants Provide Increased Job Opportunities

How Growing Restaurants Provide Increased Job Opportunities

by | Jan 6, 2017 | Career

When a restaurant is first starting out, it runs on a relatively tight budget. That means that there’s not room for a number of opportunities that come along later in the game. As restaurants grow, however, the number of positions available grows along with them. These job opportunities provide openings for savvy workers to leave their current positions and find new ways to influence the company, making more money for themselves and helping to advance the restaurant at the same time.

Human Resources

A human resources department is an obvious choice for a big business, but it’s not necessarily one that you find in a small restaurant. As a restaurant grows, however, that human resources department serves several basic functions.

  • HR takes over the hiring process, selecting new employees that they believe will be a good fit for the growing restaurant.
  • HR is responsible for creating orientation programs that will make it easy for new members of staff to learn their responsibilities and become productive members of the team.
  • HR ensures that the restaurant is in compliance with rules and regulations across the industry, from the hours employees under the age of eighteen can work to the pumping rights of nursing mothers.
  • HR provides training for managers who may have to deal with sensitive issues.

Marketing

A new restaurant often does its marketing based on word of mouth, an ad in the local newspaper, and a few simple ads. As the restaurant expands, however, marketing takes on a whole new level. The marketing team is responsible for:

  • Creating and managing ad campaigns across a variety of channels.
  • Managing a social media presence for the restaurant.
  • Keeping the restaurant high in local search engine rankings.
  • Deciding what marketing opportunities are appropriate for the restaurant and which ones can be passed up.
  • Taking care of local sponsorship of teams, organizations, and charities that are important to individuals in the area.

Accounting

The bigger a restaurant grows, the more involved the finances become. What could be handled by the owner at the end of the night now requires help from a professional. That means someone who is able to:

  • Record sales and receipts at the end of each day.
  • Keeping up with profit and loss statements.
  • Understanding the weekly cost of food and labor.
  • Counting and computing inventory and controlling ordering practices in order to maximize profit without running out of critical items.

Accounting professionals help keep up with all the essential details of running the restaurant. It’s not just about keeping tallies of critical inventory and expenses; it’s also about managing resources effectively in order to get the results the restaurant needs to continue growing.

Payroll

Growing restaurants automatically have growing staff–and that means more employees to manage. Payroll helps cut down on the stress experienced by managers and other members of the team as they:

  • File time sheets and track the hours each member of staff has put in at the restaurant, from servers and hosts to chefs and managers.
  • Ensure that tax is being withheld accurately for every member of staff.
  • Take steps to ensure that every member of the staff is paid on time.

If you’re hoping to make a move within your current restaurant job as these positions begin to open up, having experience with the area you’re hoping to move to is helpful. Having experience in your restaurant, however, can be a serious bonus that will help you attain your employment goals. You already know how the restaurant works: its employees, its patterns, its habits. When you’re able to work with your existing managers or owners in order to fill a new position, you’ll find that your job opportunities soar. And, if you do want to move to a new establishment, check out the great jobs now live on Sirvo!

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