“To create a total dining experience, manage the customer’s ‘touch points’ at your venue.”
—Arlene Spiegel

Miller looks to hire both leaders and managers, assigning one person to one job and developing general strengths for flexibility. Bando creates work plans with employees, using the plans as a baseline for goals assessment and capabilities. Maciag observed that succession strategies for contract foodservice and self-ops support diverse internal structures, “Contractors plan a more complex and formalized process of succession. Drilling down several levels, they develop specific plans for particular positions.”

How to nurture and develop employees who demonstrate upward potential also generated a variety of perspectives. Maciag endorses “define the job, identify the candidate's weakness and work to fill the gap.” He suggests enrichment opportunities like continuing education classes and speakers. Bando opines that great leaders are developed not born, and suggests mentoring managers, understanding their goals, measuring their performance, and encouraging skills that serve an evolving business environment. “Hiring people who know what you don't know,” encapsulates Miller's pragmatic approach.

None of the panelists said they relied on gut instinct when interviewing potential employees, all preferring to “use a combination of intellect and emotion.”

Part-time humorist and full time veteran foodservice consultant Ralph Johns concluded the conference with “Foodservice: We're Only In It for the Money” after its closing lunch. Parsing out wisdom between jokes, Johns advised, “Know how to play the popularity game and you'll succeed in foodservice.”

While quality food is important, observed Johns, an operator must also ensure an operation is offering customers what they want to eat.

“It doesn't matter how good your food is if the customer doesn't want it.”

Demonstration cooking during lunch.	Kim Lapean presenting a pre-conference session on Customer Resource Management
Attendees participating in a flavor and tasting workshop taught by CIA associate vice president Dr. Victor Gielisse, CMC, CHE
“Operators need to develop ‘protectable differentiation.” — Dean Wright	“Chefs need a sense of pride and prestige.” —Angelo Mojica
Pat Bando	George Maciag
WHO FOLLOWS THE LEADER? A panel on succession planning explored the value of talent cultivation and the different ways independent operators and contract operators look at this issue in terms of developing future leaders.