SUPER SHORT SURVEY :
HOW TO RECOVER FROM A BAD REVIEW??
CLICK HERE TO ANSWER (THANK YOU!)
NEWS: HK LEADS THE WAY TO REOPENING RESTAURANTS AND BARS
Wondering what will it be like once restaurants and bars re-open? HK guides the trend:the tl:dr: LOTS less covers, more distance, right to privacy a goner (in case they need to notify you have been exposed to COVID)
Regulations:
- All guests and staff must have their temperatures checked before entering the restaurant.
- Groups of diners limited to four people or fewer.
- Restaurants only allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity or less.
- Tables must be spaced 1.5 meters apart or more.
- Hand sanitizer must be made available to guests and staff.
Wanna know what the general vibe may be? check out Eater, their notes from the field really hit the feels:
NEW RESOURCE! PUBLIC SPEAKING TRAINING
Superstar bartender and spirit expert @christinaVeira is offering seminars on public speaking. Why is this relevant? well, like many of the skills that you learn in hospitality, it’s a transportable skill that can come handy in many ways, many times over. From boardroom to winning customer service, as long as you interact with humans F2F, being able to speak eloquently and carry your point across well will always be useful.
Try it out, see what you think. Even better: PWYC for groups, and sliding scale for 1 on 1 training.
May as well use this time to better ourselves. Not commissioned, not paid to post, helping people help themselves is the goal.
STARTS WEEK MAY 4
SIGN UP HERE https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbs2HDbBmPLCtIE-sfAe4VnX05YfmMQLcSJe1MG2fLoCdWdA/viewform
SHAMELESS PLUG FOR AGARU ( 1 minute video)
Zig Ziglar said it best: ‘a 3 piece suit will not make you a professional, but your attitude to the job will’. We think that is a very deep truth, no matter where you go, what you do, the dignity that you carry and how much effort you put into it is what makes someone a professional. You can push papers all day, or sling drinks but the difference is on the quality of your work.
We are all about recognition of excellence in service.
Our mission is to help people in hospitality have proof of their talent and their effort, wherever they may go. Intrigued?
Signup and receive all the benefits of having a record of your talent CLICK HERE
COVID OPERATIONS FROM THE FRONTLINES
SOLUTION: also from Hong Kong, from @blacksheeprestaurants their downloadable solution on how are they handling managing reopening, guests and staff.
Very well done, love their A/B crew (split your crew in case they get sick the other can cover well), life hacks, and in general open approach to tackling a complex issue. Thank you for sharing with the world your approach team Black sheep. Well done, will visit them when I’m in Hong Kong again!
https://blacksheeprestaurants.com/
DOWNLOAD FROM THEIR PAGE: https://blacksheeprestaurants.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/black-sheep-restaurants-sop-covid19.pdf
OR DOWNLOAD RIGHT HERE :
STRESS MANAGEMENT FROM THE GREATEST MINDS: MARCUS AURELIUS, ROMAN EMPEROR
This is a real treat, a true blast from the past. Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor that lived through one of the worst pandemics history has known. Yet he remained ICE COLD and held the empire together. . . so he knew a thing or two about stress management.
HOW DID HE DO IT? Well, this is when philosophy comes handy. He was mentored by the finest minds of the time (you may have heard of Socrates) and shown by example what keeping your wits together can do to keep you level headed.
You can lookup #stoicism but the tl;dr: life will happen, how do you think about it is what determines your outlook and outcomes.
Don’t let these trying times get to you, perspective is everything in life. All these bland meals we are cooking at home, all those wines we are missing out on will be all the more delicious when we finally get to enjoy them!
We highly suggest listening to what Marcus Aurelius (AKA Marc Anthony) has to say in his book. These were the notes he would write to himself, as reminders. Think of it as the crib notes that Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos would make. Although they are old AF, the content is PURE, 100% PURE WIN. Fresh and still relevant. If you feel you are having it bad, give it a listen. it’s not preachy, not judgy, super well thought of, you’ll find many jewels of wisdom. And even better : FREE.
Some choice quotes you may have seen elsewhere:
“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love”.
“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
MORE FREE WINE TRAINING ! So you are not a novice but not full on Sommelier. Fear not, I think this course will do you well. Put on by some of the biggest names in the business, including a Master Sommelier, Tim Gaiser, for 7 hours of training. 7 hours of a Master Sommelier, are NOT cheap, so this is quite a bargain. Course includes (from their site):
- The attitude, demeanor, and professional behavior of the Sommelier
- Communication skills – speaking and listening with confidence
- Service basics, mise-en-place, and more
- Still wine service
- Champagne service
- Decanting red wine
- Dealing with customer service challenges
Use coupon code ” covidsucks ” and watch the list price of $69 USD drop to $0 like magic! (not affiliated, no commission, no sales)
Shoutout to @napavalleywineacademy for sharing this great resource with the industry.
NEW RESOURCE: ITALIAN WINE PODCAST (IN ENGLISH)
Do you love Italian wine? OF COURSE you do. What is not to love? Incredible variety and biodiversity, colorful characters making it, stunning locations and what goes best with Italian food than Italian wine?? However. . . learning about it is HARD. So many regions and grapes and names to remember! But here is a great resource. Reading about Italian wine is great, but here is a podcast @italianwinepodcast that teaches you in bite size the lowdown of the land. Made in collaboration with the fine crew of @wine2wine and @vinitaly you know you’ll get top content in bite sizes. Highly recommend !! May as well learn something while we are out furlonged or whatever you wanna call it.
https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/
SLEEP IS KEY! GET A GREAT NATURAL NIGHT OF SLEEP
Another useful resource. Can’t sleep? NO PROBLEM!
The soothing voice of @jasonstephenson will put you out in no time. I know in these times a lot of us are anxious and our sleep patterns are all over the place. Try these meditations out. I seriously rarely make it past the 15 minute mark. Really, really great soothing guided meditations with soft music, no ads, and no drugs needed. You too can be a fluffy little cloud or dip on a magical soothing pond in the forest with your imagination and a little guidance. I’m not a doctor (though I play sometimes one behind doors) but I can tell you that it even helps with pains and aches. The mind is a POWERFUL ally if you can help it to work with you.
This content comes in all formats, youtube, in insta and podcasts. I have downloaded from itunes as well, so I can always have the tracks even if I don’t have internet. There are also live meditations on Wednesday and Friday 9am EST.
So shout out to Jason, THANK YOU for your effort, and we hope you continue to help people with your sweet soothing voice. Namaste.
https://www.youtube.com/user/ILoveJuicyShow
COMING SOON: TALENT POOL OPENING
Exiting news! coming soon we will open registration to talent to reap the benefits of having your own transportable record of talent.
What you learn in hospitality is useful wherever you go, but a resume only tells so much. Stay tuned, exiting developments coming on.
USEFUL PODCAST: MARC GORDON ON BARHACKS
Came across a pretty fun and lively interview with Marc Gordon (@macgordondotca) via @BarHacks. Marc is a wizard marketer that loves hospitality and understands the current challenges quite well. Some highlights:
He says we will definitely see more latitude from customers, but that we shouldn’t get used to it, as it will rarely last. . . so that gives us time to reboot and regroup.
His idea for making a ‘purple cow’ is pretty neat and sounds feasible for most restaurants / bars, think what @civilliberties is doing (love that banner !).
Comfort, both for staff and customers will be very, very important (as it should be your SOP, but even more kid gloves).
Check out the interview and learn some of the interesting and timeless advice, like capture your own audience since you never know when delivery companies will do a funny not funny like @foodora
As always, not affiliated, not endorsed, not paid content, YMMV, I’m not a doctor, etc etc. Marc is also available to consult, his advice is razor sharp, I can testify. (Click here for more)
Thank you to Marc and BarHacks for the quality interview.
DO YOU NEED TO CHEER UP YOUR DAY? YES YOU DO, HOW ABOUT SOME SWEET, SWEET DISCO?
Here is a bright ray of sunshine courtesy of @patchoulibrothers bringing solid happy disco beats from Toronto to the world! Give them a listen, if they don’t wanna make you dance or at least tap your foot there is no helping you. Super cool dudes, if you are ever in Toronto when things settle go check them out, they do throw sweet parties.
How is this related to hospitality? well, it’s all part of giving visitors (AKA you) a little something that may brighten their day, beyond what they would expect.
The album is intended to be a fundraiser for #changeforahundred https://ca.gofundme.com/f/changeforahundred
which feeds families in hard times, so if you have some $ to spare buy the album, help someone in more dire need.
As always, I am not getting paid for this, not affiliated, not commissioned, etc etc. They are friends and I like to help talent rise.
Here is the link to the charity powering album:
https://soundcloud.com/thepatchoulibrothers/spare-change-charity-edits
Here is the link to the FREE, full album. May the power of disco lift your heart.
https://soundcloud.com/thepatchoulibrothers/spare-change-charity-edits
RESOURCE: CASH FOR THOSE IN NEED (CANADA) Opens MAY 6 2020. Another great initiative by local Toronto chefs, helping those in hospitality that greater need. What’s the catch? very straightforward criteria (from their site):
+ Are over the age of 18
+ Have worked in the hospitality industry, including food delivery workers, for at least 90 days in the past year
+ Have their primary source of income in the restaurant or lodging industry
+ Have experienced a decrease in wages or loss of job on or after March 10, 2020
+ Have the ability to accept electronic transfer payments (ie. Interac e-transfers)
Canadian Hospitality Worker Relief Fund (CHWRF) opens May 6
https://chwrf.ca/