Montaluce Winery and Estates in Dahlonega, GA, is a truly unique concept that offers everything from private homes to a boutique hotel, wine tastings and cooking classes at the winery and restaurant, and a full-service spa. In a perfect pairing, Chef Steve Hewins, Executive Chef of the winery’s Le Vigne Ristorante, has a culinary background as equally diverse as the offerings on Montaluce’s 400-acre grounds.
Chef Hewins grew up in the North Atlanta suburb of Dunwoody and discovered a passion for cooking while in college. He took his first major restaurant position at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead under Chef Gunther Seeger. His time there motivated him to pursue a formal culinary education, and he chose to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Upon graduating, Chef Hewins pursued his passion and took a position at the famed Stars Restaurant in San Francisco. For four years, Chef Hewins worked under the tutelage of Chef Jeremiah Tower (James Beard award winner and one of the credited innovators of “California cuisine”), to whom he credits much of his culinary foundation. During those four years, Chef Hewins helped Chef Tower open four restaurants, giving him a skill set that proved invaluable as his career continued.
EUROPE CALLS
On a flight back to San Francisco after visiting his family in Atlanta, Chef Hewins met a young Italian lady sitting in the seat next to him, and despite the fact that she spoke no English, and he in turn spoke no Italian, the two hit it off. Their wordless chemistry was enough to prompt the pair to learn the other’s language and keep in touch over the phone. A year later, Chef Hewins went to Italy, and they were wed. Chef Hewins stayed in Italy with his new bride, but was unable to find a paying restaurant job. However, he used the time to his advantage, working several self-created “internships” where he learned the ins and outs of the Italian way of cooking and dining. Soon, Chef Hewins heard about an executive chef position at Belgium’s Hotel Stephanie Bristol in Brussels. Unable to speak any French, Chef Hewins hired a tutor with whom he sat for several hours a day for three weeks in hopes of acing an interview. And ace it he did. With the novelty of being an American working in his favor, Chef Hewins quickly gained a reputation for himself in Belgium, being named one of the city’s 25 best chefs by Paris Match magazine, and he often had the honor of cooking for the country’s Queen Paola.
Soon, he was courted by a hotel group in Munich, Germany, to work as their corporate executive chef, and Chef Hewins jumped at the unique opportunity. Although a major company, it had never seen a profit in its history until Chef Hewins joined the team. He shares, “Once I started, I began building them a culinary kingdom. We partnered with U.S. culinary schools and began tapping into those resources and creating a relationship that would be mutually beneficial: students were given a chance of a lifetime to come to Europe expense free and work in a kitchen for three weeks, and I basically replaced our team with them. I took the students on all sorts of local excursions. We went to local slaughterhouses and on mushroom hunts. It was an incomparable experience for them, and wonderful for me as well.”
A PLACE OF HIS OWN
During his three years in Germany, Chef Hewins and his wife casually talked about owning their own restaurant in Italy. Much to their surprise, they discovered they could make this dream a reality. “Once we inquired, we found out we had the means to buy our own restaurant,” shares Chef Hewins. “It was a real option, not just a romantic idea.” The couple found the perfect place in Formia, a sea town of 40,000 on the Mediterranean coast, halfway between Rome and Naples. Although no one had set a foot in the door for years, Chef Hewins worked diligently to turn the space around, and La Piazza was open before the busy summer season began.
As is customary in Italy, the 55-seat restaurant operated with no fixed menu; everything was served prix fixe style, and the cuisine changed daily. Chef Hewins recalls the experience thus: “The fact that I was an American was initially a negative, but I turned it into a positive. The people in the town began calling me ‘la Mericano,’ which is ‘our American.’ The restaurant had two doors: one opened onto the Mediterranean and the other opened up to the main market of the town. Everything worked out so well.” Soon, the couple expanded their enterprise and bought a thriving Pizzeria Des Porta, or a “pizza-to-go” business, from its aging owner. “I put everything I had into my business,” Chef Hewins says. “I worked from 7 a.m. to 4 a.m., but never saw my wife and brand-new baby. I had to make a decision, but it was easy because quality of life has always been most important for my wife and me.”
So Chef Hewins decided to sell his Italian eateries and pursue his next culinary opportunity, one that took him to yet another country: Puerto Rico. Here, Chef Hewins was once again called to utilize his “startup” skills as the culinary development designer, and then executive chef of restaurant Acqua Pazza, the flagship Italian restaurant of the Costa Caribe Golf and Country Club opened by the owner of Reebok. Within only one year of the restaurant’s opening, it was rated as the No. 2 restaurant in the entire country, and Chef Hewins was featured in “Great Chefs of Puerto Rico.”
HOMEWARD BOUND
After two years at Costa Caribe, Chef Hewins decided it was time to move closer to his family in Georgia, but was torn by his love for his new home (Puerto Rico) and his wife’s native Italy. While visiting his father in Dahlonega, GA, Chef Hewins learned about the new Tuscan-inspired winery being built there. He met with the owners and was struck by the authenticity of the project and the fact that it was family owned and operated. They, in turn, were thrilled with Chef Hewins’ vast experience and genuine understanding of Italian cuisine and operations. Chef Hewins was hired for the concept design and the Executive Chef position at Montaluce’s Le Vigne Ristorante, which officially opened in April 2008.
“Montaluce really reminds me of Italy,” shares Chef Hewins. “And everything I missed about Italy, I have again here. The idea of using local farmers and producers and eating by the calendar – it’s all here. I have developed a concept of seasonality and regionality for our kitchen; we don’t eat raspberries in December, because it’s just not right. I get delicious heirloom tomatoes from a nearby farm, and I actually have the best rosemary I’ve ever tasted growing right here on the property.” Chef Hewins has also plotted a 2-acre organic garden at the end of the property, which will be planted in the fall. “I love that we will become more and more self sufficient as we continue,” he shares. Chef Hewins also loves simplicity in his kitchen. “If it’s outside the box to keep things simple, then so be it,” he says. “I don’t complicate things; I use the best ingredients available and serve delicious cuisine.” He’s also developed a method of taking Southern foods, such as fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits, and adapting them into a more Italian dish through his ingredients and cooking methods. And in Montaluce, Chef Hewins has found himself “home” again on two counts. He laughs, “I’m back in Georgia, but I feel like I’m in Italy!” â–
Atalaya Capital Management and Bennigan’s Franchising Company, L.P. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, has approved the acquisition of Bennigan’s Franchising Company by affiliates of Atalaya Capital, including the company’s equity, trademarks and other assets, including the Tavern and Steak & Ale brands. Atalaya Capital expects to close on the acquisition on or before October 31, 2008.Bennigan’s is currently working with both existing and new franchisees to re-open up to 60 previously closed company-owned restaurants as well as open new franchisee-owned locations both domestically and internationally. Despite the market turmoil and circumstances facing BFC’s former parent, four company-owned locations have been re-opened in the last several months. In addition, four new locations have opened domestically and three have opened internationally.
“Throughout these past few months, we’ve greatly appreciated the support and hard work of our franchisees and vendors,” said Vince Runco, interim President and CEO of Bennigan’s Franchising Company. “We continue to build the franchisor’s infrastructure to support our franchisees and grow the system. A rejuvenated Bennigan’s will continue to offer the same great food and fun atmosphere that our patrons love while improving upon their overall dining experience.”
Chef Ward has been a member of the faculty at The Art Institute of Atlanta since March, and was also on the faculty from July 2004 to June 2005 and from October 1995 to July 1996. He is currently the owner of Leapfrog Restaurant Solutions and chef/owner of Hungry Monkey Catering. For ten years, he was the chef/owner of the Harvest Restaurant in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta. He earned his associate degree in occupational studies at The Culinary Institute of America.
by Charles Y. Hoff, Esq., Taylor Busch, Slipakoff & Duma, and David Mathews, CPCU, Pritchard & Jerden, Inc.
Restaurants hire contractors for various reasons including maintenance, cleaning, landscaping and entertainment. Obtaining certificates of insurance from contractors is critical in protecting your assets.
A local restaurant had a fire start in the ductwork of their kitchen. The fire caused $15,000 worth of damage and closed the restaurant for two weeks for cleaning and replacement of damaged property. Upon investigation, it was determined that the oven hood cleaning company did not properly clean the hood and the built-up grease caught fire, causing the damage. Because the restaurant hired an insured contractor (and received a valid certificate of insurance), the restaurant was reimbursed by the subcontractor’s insurance company.
Another restaurant wasn’t so fortunate. They hired a jazz band to entertain its guests on the weekends. The restaurant did not ask the band for a certificate of insurance and assumed they had insurance coverage. One night, the lead singer stepped off the stage during a break and tripped over an instrument stand, which caused the stand to fall onto a patron who was sitting at a nearby table. The stand fell on the patron’s head, and he blacked out and cut his head. During the investigation, it was determined that the band had no insurance coverage. The restaurant’s insurance company is paying the claim with minimal chance of recovery from the band.
Any time a contractor is hired, a certificate of insurance should be required and include evidence of workers’ compensation, general liability, auto liability and other insurance based on the type of work the contractor will be performing. Furthermore, work with your attorney to draft a contract between yourself and the subcontractor for additional protection.
Keep in mind, requiring certificates of insurance from all contractors and having appropriate contract language in place will protect your restaurant, its assets and your insurance program from potential loss.
Taylor, Busch, Slipakoff & Duma LLP (www.taylor-busch.com) is a full-service business law firm in Atlanta. Charles Hoff serves as the GRA general counsel and manages the Taylor Busch hospitality team. Charles can be reached at (678) 336-7135 or choff@taylor-busch.com. Pritchard & Jerden is a risk management and insurance services company in Atlanta and a member of the GRA. Dave Mathews can be reached at (404) 949-1075. â–
Many sommeliers and wine directors will agree that wines sold by the glass in a restaurant or at a bar generate a more profitable margin. Usually, bottles of wine are marked up two to three times the cost, depending upon the type of restaurant. Wines sold by the glass can generate a three-to- four-times cost markup. There is an interesting financial aspect of buying wines for the by-the-glass list. The buyer should always negotiate the best prices from the wholesaler in exchange for their marketing support based on the quantity moved from the program. A high-volume restaurant or wine bar can even deal directly with the winery or importer to get a private label or exclusivity on a wine for which the markup may rise to four to six times the regular price, making it very profitable for the restaurant. This high markup will help in buying other limited-production wines to attract the attention of wine aficionados who will come more often.
Wines sold by the glass help broaden guests’ perspective by offering wines from regions all over the world without having to order a full bottle. However, some drawbacks may occur with this approach. A wine program with a large list of wines sold by the glass may not be as successful in a restaurant or wine bar if there are no marketing promotions, server training or customer volume.
The chef and general manager should work together in selecting the wines by the glass and incorporate them with appropriate food pairings. This harmonious collaboration provides the chef so much flexibility in his/her creativity over bottled wines. Needless to say, those who do not have the level of knowledge to develop a decent wine program should use the services of an experienced wine consultant.
Be careful in choosing the right fit for your establishment, and study cautiously your wine program. In the end, an updated wine-by-the-glass program could meet your customers’ needs and help you with your bottom line. â–
by Nancy Caldarola, MBA, MA, RD, Consultant, Hospitality Management & Organization Development, Concept Associates, Inc.
You've heard it before: a great new program to help improve customer service in your operation. Well, no matter how many new programs are rolled out, there are still unhappy customers who leave our restaurants and never return. They tell their friends and co-workers. They tell their family. They tell everyone but you - the person who can fix the service problem.Well, why should we care if we lose a customer here or there? Because businesses need customers and every customer counts! Â And, every customer deserves our best during their dining experience in our restaurants, on the phone calling for directions and at the counter ordering and picking up their meal.
There is a variety of programs with titles like "Putting Customers First!" and "Customers are Everything!" Customer service training has been a focus for improvement since the early 1980s, and no matter how many programs or new ways to train staff were used, we ended up with the same result: a spectacular rise of guest focus for a couple of weeks, then a slow fizzle to prior levels of performance. All the excitement waned with the day-to-day pressures in a restaurant. What went wrong?
In Capturing Customer Hearts (2000), a book by Brian Clegg, four problems are noted as the barriers to customer service training success: consumer expectations, a checklist mentality, paying lip service and industry growth. If these areas are addressed, we may be able to overcome past mistakes and finally get to the heart of customer service that connects to our targeted guests.
Consumer expectations. Customers and their expectations are constantly evolving because of the media, the Internet and other information sources. Past service stars are now seen as service failures because they are stuck in paradigms that are no longer appropriate. Restaurateurs need to go beyond the old ways of customer service and establish true customer relationships. To begin, your employees must have a relationship with your brand, the managers and the company. Staff members should feel they are part of a special team, management cares about them, and they are respected and rewarded for the work they do. They must identify with the brand they are representing, be proud to create a memorable dining experience and ensure that every customer visit exceeds the customers' expectations.
Checklist mentality. Customer service needs to be tended to every day to keep up with the competition. It can run down as fast as a windup toy. Staff turnover, cost-cutting measures in training and other areas all hinder the service levels and guest attention. When you reward positive staff behaviors surrounding customer service, there is a measurable change in how your service staff treats guests.
Paying lip service. The worst cases of customer service failure involve lip service, yet it is the most common. Management tells the staff that they should provide better service. They write it into employee handbooks and training manuals. They may even make sure that trainers talk about it and show employees how to do it. But they don't see the need to change the culture of the organization. They can't let go and allow employees to do what's right for customers. They don't trust employees with any authority to change the way a menu item is served or handle a guest complaint without resorting to procedures and chains of authority. The result? Customers do not get good service; they get bureaucracy.
Industry growth. How many restaurants have opened in your immediate area since your restaurant has been in business? Probably too many to count on two hands, yet there will be more. Customers collect at new restaurants like lemmings to the sea. Customers are looking for an elusive set of expectations from the restaurants they frequent. However, since all of us are customers, too, we know that reality does not always meet expectation. This gap between expectations and reality is not entirely bad news. If you are prepared to handle customer service right, and you continue to empower your service staff, you can overtake customer expectations. Cease living in the past and do something about this gap - customer service remains a stunningly powerful opportunity for differentiation on the street.
WHAT BUSINESS ARE WE IN ANYWAY?
Jim Sullivan, a recognized expert trainer in the hospitality business, reminds his clients that "we are not in the food and beverage business serving people; we are in the people business serving food and beverages." It is time to step back and survey what's happening in your restaurant. All staff behaviors are the result of management oversight and reinforcement. If you like what you see - great! You get the staff performance that you cultivate, encourage and reward.
This vision of outstanding service can be integrated into any operation by focusing consistently on four areas: communication, empowerment, feedback and recovery. As managers and owners, you must dedicate your organization's human resources to customer satisfaction - be in the people business!
Communication. The entire restaurant team must continually recognize and fully meet the needs of every customer through constant solicitation at every level of the organization. The staff must connect with customers on an emotional level to be able to determine, meet and exceed customer expectations. Only then can your staff correctly anticipate customer needs. As Jim Sullivan states, "Outstanding service means never having to ask for anything. Every staff member needs to obsess about the little things each customer values."
For managers, remember that outstanding service doesn't just happen - it must be managed, measured, rewarded and celebrated. Make meaningful dining room rounds, no matter the venue, and make sure your staff is getting every service detail right for the customer's dining experience.
Empowerment. Clearly and convincingly build and sustain every employee's belief that they are enabled to do whatever it takes to exceed customer's expectations. Service staff should not need to get written approvals to do what's right for our customers. If you hire the right people, train them in your style of service, and encourage and support their growth in the job, then you must trust their judgment to make appropriate decisions to anticipate and serve customer expectations.
Famed local hotelier, Horst Shultz, tells how his Ritz-Carlton employees at all levels were empowered to ensure that every hotel guest need was satisfied. "I'd be delighted" is not just a meaningless phrase, but rather a way of life and the reason for every person's job. The culture at every hotel in the chain is people centered - employees and guests are all special and deserve attention and service without cumbersome rules or approval processes.
Feedback. Actively solicit every customer's impression of your ability to exceed his or her expectations. We're not talking just comment cards here. Managers should visit tables and talk to as many customers as possible. Servers should ask, "How am I doing with your dining experience tonight?" Most customers will tell you how they feel, and some will be more than glad if they have a chance to tell a manager about something not right about the dining experience. This is an excellent opportunity to head off a bad situation before the customer leaves the restaurant and tells friends and family about a lousy meal and service. We should be excited about any customer feedback we receive, both positive and negative. These comments are gifts for behavioral reinforcement as well as for needed improvement in the service process.
Managers should also ask employees if their performance and support have met the employee's expectations of the shift. We all need to know how we're doing. That's why some companies use mystery shop per services, Internet comment screens, comment cards and other information gathering tools.
Recovery. Remedy all customer needs, real or perceived, as urgently and fully as possible. Customers complain when they perceive that they have been slighted, either by the server, the kitchen or the managers. An angry customer can do real damage to your restaurant's image and reputation. If the service staff and managers are truly representing the brand, they must be empowered to correct any and all customer needs. Servers should not have to call in the manager on duty until she or he has exhausted all options to satisfy the customer. Not all customers want a free meal. Most customers come to eat because they want to have a nice meal featuring the foods they like served in a timely manner within an atmosphere that allows them to relax and enjoy the experience. When things go wrong, and they sometimes will, restaurant managers and employees must make things right for the customer. Training in recovery is critical in all operations, no matter the venue.
Is the vision of outstanding customer service possible or a pipe dream in your operation? The answer rests with managers and owners who must create an environment conducive to removing all barriers to customer satisfaction. As an industry, we have to do a better job of treating employees as we want them to treat our customers. â–
Georgia’s 100-mile coastline is home to a number of fisheries. The largest and best known is white shrimp, which has earned a national reputation for taste and quality. Brodie Lang, Director of Purchasing for Concentrics Restaurants and veteran of Alaska’s renowned fisheries, is a believer. “Georgia white shrimp belongs on every menu when it’s in season. You can create amazing dishes with it.”
A good deal of care goes into ensuring that all of Georgia’s wild fisheries are sustainable. Sustainability “primarily means that the fishery will exist for generations to come … to protect what’s there today and enhance it for future generations,” describes Drew Ambos of Ambos Seafoods.
In Georgia, wild-caught seafood is managed as a natural resource by the state government; each year, the fishing season doesn’t open until species counts are sufficient to support long-term survival. That date varies from year to year; in the event of a population collapse, such as Georgia’s blue crabs experienced in 2003, it might be years before counts return to the point where fisherman can put their boats in the water again.
Due to these supply-side controls, all of Georgia’s wild seafood harvest could be considered sustainable. There’s plenty of nibbling around the edges, however, fueled by market pressures that motivate rogue fishermen to fish out of season, and retailers to market farmed fish as wild caught at discount prices. Confides Ambos, “There’s so many tricks played in the fishing industry. Chemicals, antibiotics, lopsided scales, different species mixed together to form another species – we think it’s adulterating the industry when you can modify grouper [with other species] to make it cost $4 a pound when true grouper costs $8 per pound.”
Lang, who works with Ambos, among others, concurs and advises, “You have to know your supplier.” Relationships based on trust are paramount, but it also doesn’t hurt to have verification. Ed Graham, center of the plate specialist with U.S. Foodservice, says they go even farther, using DNA testing on random samples to corroborate species identification and screen for viruses. “A 10- pound box of fish used to contain 7 pounds of fish and 3 pounds of ice. The industry has only recently shifted to where a 10-pound box of fish now contains 10 pounds of fish,” Graham notes.
Because there’s no controlling what a wild fish eats, organic certification for wild species is not in the cards, at least any time soon. The USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) does not encompass seafood, and NOP has since indicated that while they are working on establishing a code for organic certification for farmed fish, there will be no certification program for wild harvests. In the meantime, individual states are allowed to administer their own organic certification standards independently of the USDA and without use of the USDA NOP seal.
Virtually every state has provided their fish farms with a stopgap organic certification program. Georgia is one of only two states that have not, putting Georgia’s aquaculture farms at a competitive disadvantage against farmers using the very same practices in neighboring states.
Organic certification for farm-raised fish also puts wild-caught seafood in a quandary, to be sure. “What about farm raised carnivorous fish?” asks Tori Stivers with the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension Service. Presumably, these fish would be eating other fish that are harvested from the ocean where what they’ve eaten isn’t known, controlled or qualified for consideration as certified organic. Additionally, for species that can be farm raised in a confined saltwater environment, the organic moniker could put a halo on cultivation practices that are less healthy than wild habitats. Says Lang, “From a health standpoint, any time you can source wild, the nutrition and flavor is going to go up. You can’t call it organic because you don’t know what it’s been eating, but you can be pretty sure it’s not beta carotene supplements to make the meat orange,” she adds in reference to the feed dyes that are the only way to turn farm-raised salmon’s meat salmon colored.
Georgia’s ocean catch faces additional challenges in moving upstream to restaurants west of the I-95 corridor. The state’s fishing industry is characterized by small, independent, family-owned businesses that find it far more cost effective to sell their harvest to the north-to-south truckers that pull up to the dock instead of developing customers and paying the freight to move the product within Georgia. Consequently, it’s more common to see six- to seven-day-old “fresh” shrimp from Chile in Atlanta’s kitchens in stead of two- to three-day-old shrimp from the nearest shore.
Demanding local and fresh product is the first step in changing this equation. Dubberly’s Seafood is the first commercial fishery to apply for acceptance into the Georgia Grown program administered by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Georgia-grown labeling would differentiate the product in a way that adds value to the end customer.
The “locally grown” labeling couldn’t come too soon. With a price less than one third of the domestic, imports have taken over the U.S. seafood market; 80% of the seafood now sold in the country is imported, much of it cheaply raised on aquaculture farms in Asia. Georgia’s clam harvest is the only local fishery on the increase – all of the others are falling off.
Lang has noticed, “Georgia’s fisheries are starving to death.” Her take on sustainability contains a second dimension: “Sustainability is also about fishermen having reliable and sufficient incomes.” Chef Jeremy Lieb of Concentrics’ Trois couldn’t agree more. “For me, it’s important to support the small guy,” he says, adding, “the flavor’s going to be right because the freshness is there – I’m not going to argue over $0.50 or $0.75.”
Lang finishes, “We like to support the local fisheries because their product presents better, is a lot more healthy and quite frankly, it’s just good business when we can put a producer’s name on our menu. We can get excited about where we got it from and that it’s seasonable – it gets us more in touch with the seafood, and with the people who catch it.” She adds, “But you can’t expect to pay all-you-can-eat for $5.99 prices for it.”
Georgia Organics, is a member-supported nonprofit organization working to integrate healthy, sustainable and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians. www.georgiaorganics.org â–
by Debby Cannon, Ph.D., CHE, Director, School of Hospitality, Georgia State University
Michael Venezia makes many friends instantly. In addition to Michael’s outgoing and likeable personality, people are drawn to him when they learn of his profession as Corporate Director of Education for United Distributors, Inc. Whether at the gym or on an airplane, people are eager to get his advice on wine and his opinion of their “cellars.”
An increasing number of people profess to love wine. According to Venezia, the statistics support this affection. By 2010, it is projected that the United States will bypass Italy, France and Spain – traditional frontrunners – as the largest consumer, per capita, of wine.
In addition, the consumer, the restaurant diner, the hotel guest and the club member know more about wine than ever before. The more wine-savvy consumer presents an exciting challenge to the hospitality industry – from distributors to the frontline server. These professionals, to be considered experts in the consumer’s eye, have to have an exceptional knowledge of wine.
Reflective of the “rising bar” in beverage education is the growing number of certifications available. The Court of Master Sommeliers was established “to encourage improved standards of beverage knowledge and service in hotels and restaurants.” Education has consistently been the Court’s charter.
The Court of Master Sommeliers offers a multilevel professional certification process leading to the Master Sommelier designation. There are three rigorous stages involved in achieving the top level of Master Sommelier. Venezia likened the process to climbing Mount Everest, with each phase strikingly harder. The Master Sommelier diploma is the ultimate professional credential that can be achieved worldwide, according to the Court of Master Sommeliers.
The first step is the introductory sommelier course. Candidates must be of legal age to participate, and all candidates should have been employed in the wine service industry for a minimum of three years. The introductory course is followed by the certified sommelier exam.   Admittance to the advanced course is through the Court of Master Sommeliers’ selection process involving an academic admissions committee. Successful completion of the introductory course is required along with five years in the wine service industry.
Full membership in the Court of Master Sommeliers is by invitation only with the prerequisite that the Master Sommelier diploma exam has been passed. The Master Sommelier diploma exam consists of both an academic, written exam and a tasting examination. Information on the service of wines, in addition to spirits, beers and other alcoholic beverages, is included. The tasting examination is scored based on the candidate’s verbal abilities in clearly and accurately describing six different wines within 25 minutes. Criteria include identifying the wine, grape varieties, country of origin, district of origin and vintages of the wines tasted.
The first successful Master Sommelier examination was held in the United Kingdom in 1969. Since the first examination, approximately 124 candidates have earned the coveted Master Sommelier designation according to the Court of Master Sommeliers’ website (www.master sommeliers.org). As one can surmise, the failure rate at this stage is quite high.
A variety of other educational opportunities exist in this industry. The American Sommelier Association (ASA) (www. americansommelier.com) is headquartered in New York City with local chapters throughout the United States. Through the ASA’s certificate course series, three wine education courses are offered: beginning (Foundation Course), intermediate (Viticulture and Vinification Course) and advanced (Advanced Blind Tasting).
The Society of Wine Educators (www. societyofwineeducators.org) validates wine knowledge, tasting acumen and teaching ability using a three-tier hierarchy of certification: the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW), Certified Wine Educator (CWE), and the Master Wine Educator (MWE). Founded in 1974, the Society of Wine Educators is based in Washington, DC. The mission of this nonprofit educational organization is to advance wine education through professional development and certification. The most popular of the three designations is the CSW, with currently 1,700 CSWs in the United States.
Wholesalers and distributors are also actively involved in beverage education. According to Michael Venezia, Robert Mondavi was one of the first in the industry, over three decades ago, to send training teams around the nation to teach distributors about wines. Mondavi was also one of the first to invite distributors to their winery for “emersion” classes resulting in the awarding of certificates.
This winery-based type of training has grown through the years and now encompasses numerous wineries around the world. The training is becoming more specialized, as evidenced by Oregon wineries offering a pinot noir camp in the Willamette Valley, the heart of Oregon Wine Country.
On the academic level, Georgia State University’s School of Hospitality offers a course in beverage management, which is team taught by Michael Venezia and Dr. David Pavesic, professor. The course includes wines, spirits and beers as well as beverage management and control principles. An important part of the curriculum is the material on responsible alcohol service and legal requirements in beverage service. Students take the CARE (Controlling Alcohol Risks Effectively) exam, which is available through the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, as a required part of the course.
Beverage management is a course in high demand, not only for hospitality majors but for other business majors as well. According to Pavesic, “Many business deals are made in fine dining establishments with wine as an important part of the meal. Students increasingly understand that wine knowledge is a part of professional career development. Expertise in this area can be a career enhancer.” â–
After working as a bartender for eight years, Eric Simpkins came to realize that he’d found a career and not just a job. So, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute in New York to prepare for serious work. But a funny thing happened after graduation. Simpkins found he was able to put his training to use not just in a kitchen, but back behind the bar.
Restaurant Forum: What sets the bar at Trois apart?
Eric Simpkins: Our commitment to the cocktail and the fact that we treat cocktails as essentially another dish. We see cocktails as another dining component with recipes to be followed for consistency using all fresh, seasonal ingredients. You can expect a cocktail that’s high quality, freshly made, precisely made and consistently made every time you come to Trois. In addition, the bartenders making these cocktails and the servers serving them are educated and informed about spirits and cocktails, including the history of cocktails and American drinking, so it’s not just a product you’re getting, but informed service.
RF: What’s your favorite spirit to work with?
ES: Either gin or rye whiskey. They both have a lot of character and backbone to them. When you mix them, that character acts as a foundation to build flavors upon; they don’t get completely lost in the cocktail but give the drink a backbone and character. It’s like working with a good stock.
RF: With so many vodka brands out there, what considerations go into which ones to carry?
ES: I always look for clarity. While I do want it to be a smooth product, at the same time I don’t want it to be stripped of all of its flavor. I want to know that I’m drinking vodka, and it’s got to taste like vodka. You should taste some graininess or rye flavor when you drink it straight.
RF: What are the latest cocktail trends?
ES: I’ve been seeing a lot of infusions. People are infusing their own syrups. I’m also seeing more seasonality, especially on the West Coast. There’s a growing commitment to using fresh ingredients that you may get from a farmer’s market or directly from farmers themselves because restaurants are working directly with farmers a bit more. We’re also seeing more exotic ingredients imported, like yuzu, which is an exotic Asian citrus fruit juice. And the pomegranate is very popular.
RF: How does Atlanta’s cocktail scene compare to that of other cities that you’ve worked in or traveled to?
ES: I’d say it’s definitely keeping up. It’s growing at about the same rate as other smaller cities like Seattle. The only U.S. cities I can think of that really have something more are New York and San Francisco. We’ve definitely caught the “cocktail culture” bug, but it’s building a customer base to support that.
RF: What can restaurateurs do to draw and foster that base?
ES: Commit to quality and use fresh ingredients. Also, treat the cocktail as another component that needs to come out with consistent quality, that’s thought out and tested before it goes out. When customers get used to that sort of quality, hopefully they’ll stop settling for all this mass-produced sweet and sour swill. â–
There comes a point in your career when you face a crossroads: Do I continue down this path or do I risk everything and pursue my dream of owning my own place? Patrick McNamara of Noble Fare in Savannah came to that place in this career, and he decided to go for it. “My culinary clock was ticking,” McNamara explained. “I was 39, and they say if you haven’t done it by 40, you’re not going to. So I was feeling that it was now or never.” McNamara has worked in the restaurant industry since he was 14, starting out as a dishwasher. “All I ever wanted to be was a chef,” McNamara said. “I’d worked with many talented chefs in my career and I knew it was time for me to blend all the things I’d learned and do my own thing.” With the help of his wife, Jennifer, and his extended family, McNamara bought a building and set out to make his dream a reality.
As a chef or a general manager, you might harbor a similar dream of launching your own concept. Perhaps you have it all mentally sketched out, down to the color of the walls. Or maybe you just have a general idea of what you want. Either way, here are some steps you need to take to begin your entrepreneurial journey.
RESTAURANT LAUNCH CHECKLIST
You will first need to secure an ally to help you understand and map out the contractual parts of your business. A good lawyer will help you with:
licensing
operating agreements
lease negotiations
business plan development
A commercial broker can help with:
site selection
lease negotiations
A bad lease agreement is the No. 1 mistake of new operators. You need to have a favorable lease so you can be successful for the next 30+ years. Scott Serpas, owner of Serpas True Food, suggests being very aggressive when negotiating a lease. “There is no real set lease contract. You have to push and prod and give a little when you negotiate your contract. Know what you need beforehand, especially around the cost of upfitting. Once you sign the lease, you no longer have any leverage and it’s on you.”
Next, you need to have your financing secure. Locate private investors or fi nd a banker that believes in you. Work with an accountant to develop the necessary documents and knowledge you will need going forward:
develop pro forma financial projections
secure financing
understand tax liabilities/opportunities
You have your business incorporated, your location selected and financing secure.
Next, you need two people to make your concept a reality. An architect and general contractor will:
design estimates to bring your conceptual ideas to paper, and
provide construction cost, scheduling and estimates of furniture and fixture cost.
Before you can start any work, insurance must be finalized. As stated previously, be sure you have an experienced insurance agent and adequate coverage. One well known Atlanta restaurant is in a protracted lawsuit that has cost them nearly $300,000 in legal fees. This could have been avoided if they had had a solid agent and proper coverage. You will need the following:
builders risk
general liability
workmen’s compensation
liquor liability
property and casualty
employment practices
health
The state of Georgia’s permit laws are challenging. An expeditor and/or lawyer can help you navigate the system.
Hire expeditors to navigate the licensing process.
Line up inspectors: fire, health, electrical, building and others.
Pulling the inspectors in early in the project and working closely with them will help your process go much smoother. Minton says that he “gets inspectors involved before any nail is pulled or struck.” By involving them all throughout the process, Minton saves time and money by avoiding  ”tear-outs” and “re-do” requests.
FURNITURE, FIXTURES & EQUIPMENT
Hopefully by now you are seeing some progress with your build-out. You now need to make decisions regarding:
kitchen equipment
furniture
fixtures
technology partners (phone, music, point of sale, credit card, website, etc.)
determining outside vendors (food, alcohol, landscaping, valet parking, cleaning, linen rental, pest control, etc.)
LAST STEPS:Â TALENT, TESTING AND MARKETING
To open smoothly, employees must be hired and trained. This is also a good time to solidify the menu and concept with the executive chef.
Hire employees.
Set training plans.
Refine concept/menu tastings.
Don’t overlook the importance of bringing in an expert to help you with the following:
marketing/promotions
public relations
advertising
Test, test and re-test everything. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve learned that operating a restaurant is all about multitasking. In any given day, you may be the plumber, bartender, human re sources, server and chief bottle washer. The good news is, with the proper systems in place you can realize your dream of having a successful, fun operation. The best thing about owning a restaurant is you are never bored. Every day is a new adventure! The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) is a great place to net work for all the individuals listed above. Their mission is to provide operators with the right resources for success. In fact, there is a number of GRA partner members (food purveyors, utility providers, CPAs, lawyers, etc.) with significant restaurant experience that will be happy to help you in your journey.
For additional resources and a more detailed opening checklist, please consult www.FoodServiceResource.com. â–
Top Five Expensive Opening Mistakes
Starting out under-capitalized. Have 18-24 months of working capital set aside.
Not having enough experience in the type of restaurant you want to open. Have at least two years of similar operations experience. If you’re new to the restaurant industry, find a high-volume restaurant and wash dishes there for 30- 60 days. Being a restaurant owner isn’t always as glamorous as you might think.
Not checking with county codes to see if your new kitchen design is in compliance, or assuming a building that was previously used as a restaurant is up to current code.
Assuming that the equipment in a restaurant you are taking over will be sufficient for your new concept. After all, aren’t all fryers the same?
Thinking that these mistakes are hypothetical!
 Top Four Success Tips
Success Tip #1 When working with architects, make sure you ask about their experience with restaurants. If they are inexperienced, supply them with a list of typical interior resources such as storage rooms, pantry and plans for running lines for drink stations. Serpas worked with an architect that did not have restaurant experience, but his contractor had many years of restaurant experience, so as a team, they made sure all the bases were covered.
Success Tip #2 Do a yearly review of all your fixed costs, such as insurance and utilities. For example, did you know that liability insurance premiums have recently decreased? Don’t assume that your providers will contact you with possible ways to decrease your bills. Minton found out that he could lower his general liability in urance by 30% just by closing at midnight instead of 1 a.m.
Success Tip #3 Make sure your location has safe, well-lit parking. All things being equal, people will go down the road rather than fight traffic getting in and out of your restaurant. McNamara said parking was a No. 1 priority when choosing his building. Parking is a premium in Savannah, so the fact that a new 600-car garage had just been built across from the building he was looking at made it his top choice
Success Tip #4 Did you know that you have to actually have your certificate of occupancy before the city of Atlanta will consider finalizing your liquor permit? Don’t be stuck unable to serve alcohol upon opening.
ATLANTA (GA) – Chef Justin Ward, a member of the culinary faculty at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, was the $25,000 winner in the foodservice category of Ocean Spray’s Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest with his original recipe for pork tenderloin with cranberry molé and cranberry salsa. The winners were announced on October 7 coinciding with the debut of Ocean Spray’s 2008 “Bogs Across America” Tour in New York City, where about 2,000 pounds of cranberries were on display in a free-standing urban bog.
Georgia’s 100-mile coastline is home to a number of fisheries. The largest and best known is white shrimp, which has earned a national reputation for taste and quality. Brodie Lang, Director of Purchasing for Concentrics Restaurants and veteran of Alaska’s renowned fisheries, is a believer. “Georgia white shrimp belongs on every menu when it’s in season. You can create amazing dishes with it.”
After working as a bartender for eight years, Eric Simpkins came to realize that he’d found a career and not just a job. So, he enrolled in the French Culinary Institute in New York to prepare for serious work. But a funny thing happened after graduation. Simpkins found he was able to put his training to use not just in a kitchen, but back behind the bar.
