Editorial

 

Managing Special Requests

In 1974, the fast food chain Burger King came out with the famous commercial – Have it Your Way. The jingle went on with a message that said “Special Orders Don’t Upset Us”- That commercial and the attitude it communicated, gained national recognition as a model for how all restaurants should conduct business. I haven’t […]

The Evolution of Club Food Service

For Chefs who work in clubs and Chefs considering switching their career to clubs, there is something you all should know. Club food service operations are unique; sometimes fickle and often very unpredictable. They are complicated and diverse and can be frustrating at times. Don’t get me wrong, being an Executive Chef in a private […]

Why Some Chefs Fall Short

By Dan Hugelier, CMC “It’s all about the fundamentals of cooking” Recently I was asked how important it is for a chef to understand the foundational principles of sound cooking. That seems like a crazy question; akin to asking a lawyer if they had knowledge of the law or, an architect if he knew how […]

Chef’s Must Understand their Numbers

By Bill Schulz, MCM The food & beverage department is the most scrutinized operation throughout the Club. For example, golf course expenses may exceed budget in any given month with no consequence. However, if the food cost is even one percentage off budget, Chefs are held accountable and need to justify the variance. The reason […]

Advantages to Working as a Club Chef

By Dan Hugelier, CMC (Dan Hugelier, CMC is our Culinary Specialist working with David Meyers Associates. Dan’s impressive culinary career is recognized industry-wide for his many contributions as a culinary professional and coach to many. His career spans decades, leading highly acclaimed culinary programs working in both hotels and Clubs and most recently under his […]

Where Have All The Cooks Gone?

By David Meyers I often receive calls from Chefs, from all parts of the country asking for help in finding Sous Chefs and Cooks. Kitchen staffing has always been a challenge but in today’s world it’s become very frustrating as many Clubs can’t even get people in the door to apply. Many Chefs tell me […]

Dichotomy of a Club Food Operation; what is the Chef to do!

By Bill Schulz, MCM The food service operation is considered a primary department in club operations. All members of the club patronize the food operation to some extent, whereas other services and facilities may be used only by specific individuals. Food service in clubs is different from food service in specialty restaurants, hotels, or other […]

Evolving Member Expectations & the Expected Shelf Life of today’s Club Chef?

…here is what a group of Chicago area Club Chef’s had to say Earlier this month I enjoyed hosting a group of local Club Chefs for lunch at a popular trending restaurant on the North Shore of Chicago. Our gathering served as an opportunity for me to introduce a few of our placements and get […]

Making of a Chef

When David Meyers Associates is retained for a Club Chef Search, we try to get management to tell us what qualities they are looking for in their next Chef. They almost always give us two or three attributes as well as areas within their operation they would like to fix with their new hire. They […]

Staff Development

Over the years I have heard many Chefs moan about losing key employees who they had trained and developed within their clubs. If wages are competitive and the work environment is a good one, it is easy to empathize with the Chef who says: “I’m sick and tired of spending all that time training someone […]