The Next Great Challenge...
So I sent out this survey at work. Out of 130 people I got back 100 responses. That's a phenomenal response. That felt good. I sent it after several months of staffing chaos and learned from the responses that the staffing ups and downs had affected the food quality. I knew this (I order and cook the food after all) but didn't know the staff noticed too. That felt bad. There were a ton of great comments and a number of requests for things. Good. But it's always the negative people who really let loose and write paragraphs. Bad.
Anyway, I'm trying to be responsive to the complaints and have already instituted a number of changes. The toughest by far though is the need to balance the menu every day with something for the Meat and Potatoes crowd and the "Love Ethnic/Spicy Food" crowd and the "Diet/Lite/Lo-Carb/Lo-Fat" crowd and still make it all easy enough to serve with our staff of four. Right now I plan our entree menus so that all the dishes use the same starch and the same side and are related by ethnic origin, flavors, "feel," or the like, and include one red meat option, one poultry option, and one seafood or vegetarian option. Not easy. Adding in that one has to be comfort food, one has to be ethnic or spicy and one has to be "healthy" is really not easy. And to do it right I'll need to post the stats for the healthy option.
So today I go to climb Mount "Please All Of The People All Of The Time." Yes, I know it is impossible. Yes, I know what we are doing already is perfectly fine. Yes, I am a masochist and a perfectionist and "fine" is never going to be good enough.
All this, and I'm losing my best cook in a month.
On the other hand, the new coffee machines get installed today!
Anyway, I'm trying to be responsive to the complaints and have already instituted a number of changes. The toughest by far though is the need to balance the menu every day with something for the Meat and Potatoes crowd and the "Love Ethnic/Spicy Food" crowd and the "Diet/Lite/Lo-Carb/Lo-Fat" crowd and still make it all easy enough to serve with our staff of four. Right now I plan our entree menus so that all the dishes use the same starch and the same side and are related by ethnic origin, flavors, "feel," or the like, and include one red meat option, one poultry option, and one seafood or vegetarian option. Not easy. Adding in that one has to be comfort food, one has to be ethnic or spicy and one has to be "healthy" is really not easy. And to do it right I'll need to post the stats for the healthy option.
So today I go to climb Mount "Please All Of The People All Of The Time." Yes, I know it is impossible. Yes, I know what we are doing already is perfectly fine. Yes, I am a masochist and a perfectionist and "fine" is never going to be good enough.
All this, and I'm losing my best cook in a month.
On the other hand, the new coffee machines get installed today!