Aramark's program matches chefs from businesses, universities, school districts, hospitals and sports and entertainment venues abroad to similar venues in the U.S. and vice versa. Because the goal is cross-cultural education, Carr adds that the most successful matches are often between chefs who can either speak the host language or have something particularly unique to offer.

“For example, last year, two United States auto manufacturers that have an international presence in Asia hosted Japanese chefs for an authentic culinary experience their employees really enjoyed,” he says.

Once they've assigned the chef to a location, Carr and his team turn their attention to logistics. They work with Aramark's host operations to ensure a complete experience for everyone involved. “The point of the exchange is to be both rewarding and educational,” he says. “We want the chefs to return home having learned a new cuisine and culture and we want the accounts they visit to benefit, too.”

Sometimes this is easier said than done. Carr has learned the hard way that there is no such thing as too much information when it comes to planning.

“A few years ago, we had a U.S. chef go to an operation in Chile that only had ovens available for food prep,” he says.

“We just assumed the operation had the equipment he would need, and his planned menu relied on more than what was on hand. Fortunately, he was able to recreate his menu with the help of the onsite team. His experience taught us a very valuable lesson about communication and planning. More is always better. Now, before we send a chef anywhere, we require a detailed equipment list.”

A Varied Menu of Benefits What are the benefits for Institution? • Revitalized participation and interest in the meal program • Increased customer, employee and staff satisfaction • Ability to understand and respond to a more diverse population • Opportunity to leverage the expertise and resources • Competitive advantage in your field marketplace • Unique training & development that creates a lasting experience for onsite employees What are the benefits for Customers? • Opportunity to try authentic cuisine from other regions and cultures • Availability of familiar flavors far from home • Collective exposure to other cultures, chefs and institutions • Interactive dining experience & culinary display What are the benefits for the Chef? • A sense of being part of the greater good • Satisfaction of sharing their talents • A chance at career advancement • Exposure

Carr is one of many to emphasize that lines of communication must be constantly open, thorough and, perhaps most critically, personal.

“A phone call is always better than an email,” even if you use email to follow the phone call up, he says. “And two phone calls are always better than one. Leave no questions unasked or unanswered.”

Mike Miduri, general manager for Parkhurst Dining Services at St. Francis University in Loretto, PA, concurs: more information is always better.

“Guest chef programs aren't hard to execute in principle, but you have to plan and market them carefully,” he says. “Communication breakdowns often occur when no one takes a strong lead.”

Parkhust likes to establish the host operation as the “home team,” Miduri says. “They are responsible for making all the arrangements, booking the hotels, and taking care of travel. They do all the prep so that everything is ready when the traveling chef arrives. Parkhurst provides the tools, recipes and marketing for the program. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible on the operator.”

From Flexible to Fabulous

Nobody knows food better than a chef. But nobody knows an onsite foodservice operation — and its customers — better than the director and the onsite team.

“Because of the nature of a guest chef program and onsite foodservice, it is extremely important to bring in chefs who are willing to be flexible,” says Paul Komelasky, Sodexo Campus Services district manager at Northwestern University.

“This isn't a restaurant; we have to serve hundreds of students at about the same time. Sometimes we don't have the right ingredients or the same equipment the chef may be accustomed to. Sometimes we have to change a recipe so that it tastes correct when scaled up. In these types of scenarios, the guest chef needs to trust our executive chef's expertise and work with us to find a solution we are all happy with.”

The program at Nortwestern is part of SodexoUSA's Global Chef, a program initiated in 2003 by the Sodexo Education Market Champion. This program facilitates the exchange of executive chefs between Sodexo affiliates around the world. Each Global Chef shares authentic international cuisine and traditional cooking techniques with clients, customers, staff and the on-site culinary team.