Women's History Month: 5 Pioneering Female Chefs

In celebration for Women's History Month, we will be spotlighting key female figures of the hospitality industry. These female chefs have not only changed how people see food, but also the way women are viewed in the industry that is dominated by men.

#1: Julia Child

A name that should never be left out of the discussion is none other than the legendary Julia Child. The world-famous chef attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she developed her love and talent for French cuisine. She went on to write over a handful of cookbooks and star in TV cooking shows, including the highly successful, The French Chef. Child, one of the first females chefs to be appear on television, paved the way for other women to create and produce their own cooking programs. In 1993, Child was inducted in the Culinary Institute of America's Hall of Fame, being the first woman to receive the honor.

#2: Lidia Bastianich

Another female chef that needs to be acknowledged for her culinary prowess is Lidia Bastianich. Young Lidia and her family immigrated to the United States, and opened up their own Italian restaurant in 1971 called Buonovia. It was a huge hit, so soon after they opened a second called Villa Secondo. Ten years later in 1981, Bastianich opened her own restaurant called Felidia, which earned a three star review from the New York Times. Bastianich was the first woman chef to gain such recognition. Like Child, Bastianich has been active in TV cooking shows throughout her career. She continues to run multiple NYC dining establishments with her son, Joe, and Mario Batali, under Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group.

#3: Alice Waters

Alice Waters is famously known for pioneering  and founding California cuisine. Waters started her culinary journey with a trip to France in 1964. There she fell in love with cooking with fresh, local and organic ingredients. She then returned back to the States and opened Chez Panisse in 1971. In 1992, Waters received two awards, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef (a first for a female) and the Best Restaurant Award for Chez Panisse. 

#4: Cat Cora

Coming from a family of restauranteurs, Cat Cora had a lot to live up to. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America to refine her culinary skills. In 2005, she made history for becoming the first female and only, Iron Chef champion. In addition to TV appearances, Cora has opened several high-profile restaurants, such as Ocean by Cat Cora in Singapore and Cora's Kitchen at airport terminals in Houston, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. Cora continues to be involved with Chefs of Humanity, which raises money for causes like nutrition education, hunger relief and humanitarian aid to reduce hunger worldwide.

#5: Cristeta Comerford

Filipino-born Cristeta Comerford achieved the American Dream, much like Bastianich and her family. At 23, she moved to United States for better opportunities. Her first job was at the Sheraton Hotel near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. She also held positions at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and as a chef in two Washington, D.C. restaurants. In 1995, Comerford was recruited by Walter Scheib, the White House executive chef, to work under Bill Clinton's presidency. He left in 2005, and she went on to assume his role, becoming the first female executive chef of the White House, and the first of Asian descent.

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Ways to Reduce Restaurant Turnover

Retaining and keeping employees happy has always been a challenge in any industry. It's both time-consuming and costly to keep hiring, so it's in your best interest to retain staff for longer periods of time. Here are some ways you can reduce the rate of turnover at your business: 

#1: Establish specific goals for new hires.

Refresh your new hires of their responsibilities on their first work day. Make sure they understand their duties and that they are able to accomplish them. Create goals for them to achieve, so they stay on task and are motivated. During the first week, sit down to discuss what you want to see from them after 30, 60, 90 days and beyond.

#2: Assign mentors to junior-level staff.

Mentorship is key across all fields, but especially so in the restaurant industry. Assign a mentor to a each new hire. The senior staff will have more experience and will be able to guide juniors around the restaurant, answer questions that they may have and provide moral support. 

#3: Allow time for team bonding.

Set aside time for the entire team to meet each other and interact during non-working hours. Consider breakfast or dinner outings as a group once a quarter, so staff can build relationships. Employees that develop workplace friendships feel happier with that they are doing, which definitely helps retention.

#4: Encourage and praise great work.

Take notice of the exceptional work done by your employees. By providing positive feedback, staff will feel a sense of achievement. Also, they will know that they are appreciated and able to contribute greatly to the business. Employees like feeling they are valued, or else, they will feel like they are not needed and thus, try to find a new job.

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5 Reasons The Restaurant Industry Is In Good Shape

The restaurant industry started the year off weak, at least based on sales indices. Black Box Intelligence said same-store sales fell 0.8 percent for the month. According to MillerPulse, same-store sales increased 1 percent. Both were the weakest figures in years.

But both numbers mask what was, in reality, a good month for the industry and what could be the start of a profitable year. Here’s why:

The two-year trend is still strong. Both MillerPulse and Black Box were comparing themselves to a January 2015 that was the strongest month in recent years thanks to a run of stupid good weather. So sure, January’s sales weren’t quite as good as the previous year, they were still quite good on a two-year basis. MillerPulse’s two-year same-store sales trend of 6.3 percent was the strongest for that index in two years. For Black Box, the two-year trend is 5.3 percent. Two-year trend numbers factor out one-time events like weather that can influence a single year’s same-store sales.

Overall sales were stronger. According to recent federal data, sales at food services and drinking places increased 6.1 percent in January, to $53.5 billion. Federal data tracks all sales, rather than same-store sales, and so it can account for increases in sales from new units as well as independents. Overall retail sales excluding auto sales, by comparison, increased just 2.5 percent. Sales at grocery stores, 2.3 percent.

Restaurant owners are hiring. This is the best indication of an industry still in expansion mode. Restaurateurs hired 46,700 workers in January, or close to one out of every three jobs the economy created in the month. Over the past year, the industry has added more than 380,000 jobs. What’s the point of adding workers if you don’t think your business will need the added labor?

Gas prices are still ridiculously low. Gas prices averaged $1.70 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to AAA. While that’s a bit higher than it was a week ago, it’s still 60 cents per gallon cheaper than a year ago. Gas prices are expected to be low for some time, as long as there remains a glut in oil, putting money in the pockets of more consumers. When consumers get more money, they really want to spend it on dining out.

Food costs are coming down. These additional sales are coming as beef costs finally join other commodities in deflating. Lower prices for beef, pork and chicken should make for a more profitable industry in 2016. Indeed, Texas Roadhouse executives said on the company’s earnings call Monday that they expect higher margins this year thanks to more sales and lower food costs.

None of this is to say that there aren’t challenges in the industry. But barring some major calamity, it appears this could be the best year for restaurants since the start of the Great Recession.

(via Nation's Restaurant News)

Tips on How To Be a Successful Restaurant Owner

Behind every great restaurant is a great restaurant owner. In order for your restaurant to become a success, you'll need to be an effective leader for your team. Here are four key pieces of advice on how to be a successful restaurant owner: 

Listen to your staff.

Your staff, especially the front-of-house team, interact with customers on the daily. They have a first-hand account of what the dining hall is like, and what can be improved so that they can serve guests better. Hear your employees out by holding sessions where they can voice out their concerns. Stay close to them, so they feel comfortable enough to share their ideas.

Your guests are equally as important.

Like your staff, your customers' feelings should not be overlooked. Include a suggestions/comments card along with the bill, so that diners can rate their experience, the service, the food and other items that you want to know more about. Gather the cards and analyze them to see if there are any particular patterns. Publish the results, then have your staff go through them. Review the information as a group, as well, so that everybody understands what needs to be fixed.

Leave room for growth and expansion.

Keep in mind you cannot rush success. It is possible that your restaurant can expand in physical size/scale and you might need to hire more staff. Also, realize that at a certain point, growth and sales will slow down. Be sure to have a back-up plan or ideas on how you can help grow the business. Maybe consider opening a second location, or even relocating. If not, what about reworking your restaurant's concept, menu, etc.?

Remember your role as the leader.

As the restaurant owner, be sure that you lead by example. Conduct yourself as a person that is hard working and dedicated to the restaurant. When your employees see that, they will be encouraged to be so too. You want your staffers to know you as somebody that is strong and dependable.

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5 Ways the Restaurant Workforce is Changing

#1: Driving middle class job growth

The restaurant industry was a driving force behind the nation’s recovery from the Great Recession. Not only are restaurants leaders in total job growth, they’re also adding middle class jobs at a stronger rate than the overall economy. During the Great Recession, that rate was four times more than the overall economy.

#2: Turnover creeps up

The bad news: Restaurant turnover is trending up. The good news: Current turnover is relatively low, compared to record highs before the economic downturn.

#3: Recruiting challenges

The competition for employees intensifies as the economy improves. More than one in four operators say they have difficult-to-fill job openings. The biggest challenge? Finding applicants for back-of-the-house.

#4: Diverse opportunities

Restaurants provide unparalleled opportunities for people of all backgrounds to own their own businesses. The number of women-owned restaurant businesses is growing at a faster rate than the overall economy, as is the number of Hispanic-, African-American-, and Asian-owned operations.

#5: There’s money in the banana stand. And jobs, apparently.

Coffee, doughnut and ice cream shops are fueling more than commuters and snack attacks. The snack-and-nonalcoholic-beverage-bar segment is had the industry's highest job growth last year.

(via National Restaurant Association)