Blog #1

When I first heard that an Intro to Management class was going to be taught here at CIA, I was eager to see what type of things are supposed go through a manager's head when dealing with guests, employees, and various purveyors. When I think back on my experience with managers in other restaurants, I begin to see a pattern. There are too many members of upper management that skate through their daily responsibilities while everything around them falls by the wayside. Quality standards can be lost when a manager becomes content with being sub par. Looking back on my personal experience with managers, only one comes to mind who went above and beyond. Randy Kaplan, the Assistant General Manager at a previous establishment of my employment, never lost the spark that he had on his first day of work. After 9 loyal years of service he still loved his job. He never compromised the employees satisfaction, which in turn kept the guests happy. We all came together as one cohesive staff with a common goal, and that goal was to ensure that guest satisfaction was the most important thing to us. If that is true, food quality improves, beverage quality improves, and service improves. These are very simple steps that can be followed by any restaurant to make sure that you are putting out the best possible product. I would never cook at a chain restaurant for a living when I graduate, but working with Randy made me consider that managing a chain restaurant could be a passion for some people, and he definitely felt a passion for excellence.