Tourists seeking sustainability are idiosyncratic, but not all are vegans or vegetarians or eat only fowl and fish. Most of them, though, do prefer healthy food and are aware of what is healthy and to this end will want their chosen restaurant to provide quality as well as following environmentally friendly practice.
By Jack Soifer/get real©
The following example shows some best practices I have found amongst my clients from which it is possible to draw experience on how to profit. Also you will find detailed examples of how to manage employees and how make better use of food supplies, essential provisions which tend to become more expensive as better quality is required.
At the beach
One client I have worked with had a restaurant located by a beautiful beach on the outskirts of a large regional capital, in tepid northeast Brazil. The concept of the architecture was such that it made use of the surrounding landscape; avoiding the need to cut down old and beautiful trees the building was not built in a rectangular shape, but rather designed in the old style with a large, wide veranda encircling the kitchen and main hall. This veranda was used when there were plenty of people. Some 30 tables with traditional chairs in wood or bamboo were placed on the lawn, under the shadow of the surrounding trees complemented by sun-umbrellas where necessary. Leading from the parking area to the main building, there was a wide footpath made from wood. Additionally all the trails to the ‘islands’ of four or five tables were set in packed sand, with stepping stones of raw-wood (branches which had been only motor-sawed, not planed). Only the kitchen and toilets had the necessary hygienic amenities of tiled floors and walls. Everything was very clean, with one full-time maid regularly cleaning, collecting paper napkins from the sand, etc.
The main characteristic of the seashore snacks was uniqueness with most produce being sourced locally. Some fish was purchased from the homes of the fishermen of the nearby village, and to further support the village economy, sweet potatoes were also purchased there, then fine-cut and fried in local sunflower oil. Except for beer, ‘imported’ from a regional capital, and a very few soft drinks, all other resources were provided locally.
The waitresses, all from the village, were trained to motivate clients to taste and drink local fruit juices. A local widow made fresh tangerine juice, another person provided the juice of the cashew plant and other local fruits. Most popular was the local chilled fresh coconut water and cachaça, well-known sugar cane liquor. This was purchased from a local distillery. Even the small baskets, in which the snacks were served, were made by another local woman, as well as the embroidered towels placed at the centre of the tables. The latter gave a touch of luxury to the provincial décor, while maintaining a sense of the classic.
The menu itself was a piece of art, presented in a cover of sisal fibre (also handmade by a local artisan). Close to the word Snacks there was a drawing of a tiger shrimp. Each dish had a number, and its description was written in Portuguese, English and French with a photograph alongside it.
An asterisk pointed out notes at the bottom of the page, which stated that the olive oil used for frying was virgin and exchanged after each meal. It was also specified where the fish and seafood came from (the nearby village), the origin of the chicket (non-industrialised, home-raised, neighbouring county, etc.) and fruits, etc. On the top of each page, under Snacks, Seafood, Meat etc., there was a short poem based on gastronomy, the sea, birds, or some local natural beauty spot. The entire menu was beautifully presented in a handwritten style with a particularly thoughtful surprise at the end.
Desserts came last on the menu, entitled The Treasure of a Dessert, together with a declaration that only sweeteners certified as Natural Product or brown sugar were used. On the very last page, “Our Best Treasure” was written above a small mirror. All the guests loved the menu, especially the last page!
All employees were in uniform, fashionably styled with a white blouse and a coloured skirt which differed in winter and summer. The clothes were clean and pressed, and the staff wore large badges with very bold lettering making it easy for the diners to read the name of the employee and their assignment. To make sure that all staff arrived comfortably in time, a van picked up the employees from their respective villages.
For each group of waitresses there was a boss, and an assistant to take out empty bottles, change ashtrays (smoking allowed only on the lawn) and clean the tables, etc., while the customers were swimming, playing, etc. Before a glass was empty the waitress filled it and before the bottle or the snacks-basket emptied diners would be asked if they wanted some more. Guests arriving before midday were asked if they wished to look at the menu, this avoided a peak-time queue in the kitchen.
After lunch there came a large display of desserts. Before 4pm staff asked if anyone cared for coffee and then came round with a large tray, hanging from their shoulders, with a wide variety of sweets, fruits, homemade cheese, etc. At the end, another large tray appeared, containing beautifully packaged homemade fruit jellies and compotes, for the guests buy, to take home.
The beach was so gorgeous, the employees so welcoming, the selling strategy so softly persuasive that most of the families stayed for the whole day, eating and drinking well and, in addition, purchased gifts for themselves or friends, all of which brought economic advantage to nearby villages and to their ecologic farming techniques.
My work there was mainly concerned with details, as the cuisine was already excellent. I was promoting the menu, the large trays for the dessert and jellies, the clear, bold badges and the upgrading and motivating of the employees. I always trained the waitresses to understand that their main task was not only to serve, but to sell both what the client wished, and also items which the client was unaware were available. I reminded them that clients, having been satisfied by beer, snacks and lunch, then found the desserts to be irresistible, having seen all the gaily coloured and fresh choices on offer. Later still, when the customers saw the jelly jars distinctive with the variety of colours of tropical fruits and with handwritten labels on recycled paper showing paintings of birds and butterflies it was difficult for them to resist a purchase. These were ideal souvenir gifts.
Later a volleyball court was added and, later still, a meeting room with a glass wall facing the sea, to be used by any number of enterprises for meetings and conferences. This extended the peak season, which before had been limited to the weekends of eight months each year, Easter and peak holiday periods.
Excelling in organisation
The preparation of the basics for the meals (cleaning and filleting the fish, cooking rice and beans, etc.) was always conducted on Thursdays and Fridays and the food was then packed in portions for four to six people. At the height of the demand, the chef had only to cook or fry, or sometimes only microwave the dish and then garnish it ready for serving. All desserts went into a large fridge. This method made it possible to serve up to 2.000 meals each day of the weekend, 200-300 of which on Fridays, all spread over a large area! The restaurant was closed Monday to Wednesday.
Plenty of free activities (swimming, walks, etc.) were provided, as well as other pursuits for which there was a charge (surfboard, canoe, diving equipment rentals, etc.). Clearly this was of mutual benefit to other entrepreneurs who got business from the restaurant clients and clients engaging in these activities often visited the restaurant for a drink or a meal.
The management of this restaurant became the most updated in the region and it was already totally computerised by 1999. At each table there was a hand bell and a computer terminal served each island of tables. The terminal enabled the waitress to punch in her password, the number of the table, the order and a code for special requests such as well done, or with ice cubes, etc. According to the number of orders to be cooked, the computer then determined the expected waiting time.
If the wait was considered lengthy, the manager-owner received an alert. This person was normally around the tables greeting the clients and, on receiving an alert they then went to the kitchen and, depending on the kind of dishes to be prepared, either another employee was brought in to help with the cooking, or the manager-owner took on that task. Walkie-talkies were also provided to facilitate communication between the entrepreneur who rented canoes at the seashore, the employee there who served beer from an outdoor mobile fridge, the employee at the volleyball court who took bookings and orders, the cashier, the driver and the manager-owner.
The management software was updated to include not only the order price on the bill, but also to clearly state the time that the order was accepted. After seven hours on the beach, drinking and eating, the client might easily forget all that he had consumed. The bill was presented in a small neat basket, along with sweets also made in the village. This village interaction was described and displayed on a board at the entrance.
By the end of each day, the software was able to calculate the tips for each employee, the average consumption of food and drink made at each table and island and it also calculated the average consumption of each individual dish and beverage. This allowed for efficient preparation in advance of the amount of each dish necessary and likely to be consumed the following weekend. It also enabled staff to assess the average amount of fruit jelly jars in demand, and determine the amount of each kind of fish and seafood to purchase on Thursday, etc.
Reelin ‘em in
This enterprise became a flagship for other restaurants in the region and on the recommendations from hotels and travel agents tourists came from other counties and states. Despite being open for only four days each week, this restaurant showed triple the profits of others which were open seven days a week. Actually the owners made most of their profits prior to my arrival. My input was concerned mostly only with small details such as the mirror on the menu, the large glass wall for the conference hall, savings on air conditioning, the provision of diving equipment, and the walkie-talkies. All were improvements that cost almost nothing yet boosted the profits.
Let us know your opinions and ideas on the subjects covered in this series.
Write to jack@getrealweekly.com
Profits: a green restaurant
