Enlightened Hospitality 101

Growing up in my house no one was ever left hungry. We always had a house full of food and the kitchen was–and is to this day–the center of the house. It wasn’t just my home either, it was my aunts’, uncle’, and grandparents’ houses too.

At breakfast, we would sit together over anything from eggs and sausage to cereal and plan the rest of the day around our other meals. When someone enters the house they were greeted with offering of food. Hospitality was bred into us.

My mom taught us how to cook and share with others. The enjoyment of food is what drew me into a culinary career.  So I oped out of business school and went to the Culinary Institute America in upstate New York where I did an internship at Tabla in New York City.

I had never been in a kitchen like this before. I was nervous as I could be, with my stomach all in knots, I climbed the stairs to the kitchen of Tabla for my first day in pastry. Little did I know at the time that I was walking into exactly what I had been searching for and I didn’t even know it.

Chef Floyd Cardoz and his wonderful team not only showed me how a  well a kitchen works when people are happy but also that we are there to work for the guest.

I got more out of my time with Tabla then I could have ever expected. Not only was I able to work with an outstanding pastry team and refine my skills but I was introduced to the life of hospitality.

I worked in New York for about four years at Tabla, The Modern, and Union Square Cafe, all part of Union Square Hospitality Group; a group that’s focused on providing outstanding hospitality.

[pullquote]I grew up seeing that kindness gets you far, and to see that I could bring those values into my career is exciting.[/pullquote]

Danny Meyer, the founder, wrote the book “Setting the Table” describing his philosophy on hospitality. Mr. Meyer teaches enlightened hospitality in his restaurants, a group that also includes Eleven Madison Park and Gramercy Tavern.

The idea is that in a positive, creative environment, employees will work harder and be happier. Happy workers will give the guest a better experience, and in the end earn more money for the investors. This is just putting words to what I already knew.

My Mom and Aunt are always kind to others even when they are not kind back. They gave their last bits of food to whom ever need it. I grew up learning that kindness gets you far– and to see that I can bring these values into my career is exciting.

What I learned during my time with USHG was that I wasn’t drawn to this industry solely for my love of preparing and eating great food, but because in this industry I can bring pleasure to others and share a bit of my values.

With shows on TV like Hell’s Kitchen and Top Chef showcasing the stress and pressure that can easily be found, it’s nice to know that you can also find a restaurant that is not all about the yelling and pressure to perform but is also there to help their workers succeed as cooks.

Enlightened Hospitality is just a fancy way of  saying do unto others as you would have them do on to you. My Mom and Mr.Meyer would get along well,l I think.  They may not always use the same words to describe their beliefs, but the ideas are the same. Striving to share the passion of food with others and inspiring kindness, they make a great team.