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Featured

Successful Restaurants: How to Survive 100 Years

August 28, 2021 by Dave Steck

Original article by Kelly Killian for Restaurant Business Online

Last spring, a rash of closings struck the Washington, D.C., restaurant scene, causing the Eater DC blog to dub the period “30 days of Terror.” In the five weeks between May 21 and June 20, 14 restaurants closed or were rumored to close soon, including Buddha Bar’s two-year-old high-profile D.C. outpost. The next spring, D.C. rebounded, racking up an astonishing 50-plus new restaurants, a phenomenon Eater DC called “the craziest spring restaurant season.”

Above that tsunami of activity, the District’s legendary Old Ebbitt Grill stands firm—and it has for 157 years. Through Presidential Administrations dating back to Andrew Johnson, World Wars and new ownership, it has done what so many of its neighboring concepts only wish they had—survive. Moreover, Old Ebbitt Grill has positioned itself at the top of the D.C. restaurant scene—and beyond, having ranked repeatedly among the top-grossing independent restaurants in the country. Part business smarts, part do-whatever-it-takes resilience and a heavy dose of passion is the stuff that fuels businesses like Old Ebbitt to serve and compete year after year, decade after decade.

In the new book “A Century of Restaurants” author Rick Browne points out a number of “truths” shared by restaurants that have enjoyed long-term success—truths he discovered during his literary quest to visit 100 of the U.S.’ oldest eateries. We’ve shared some of those here and built on them by asking operators of some of America’s most seasoned restaurants to share their secrets. Here’s what they know that all restaurateurs should.

Secret No. 1: Do the same thing well every time

There are tons of reasons restaurants fail: Many are undercapitalized. Some reside in a location that’s doomed. Others are launched by people who simply don’t have the business chops.

Ask why restaurants succeed, however, and “there’s one thing that holds true,” says Alex Susskind, associate professor of Food and Beverage Management at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in Ithaca, N.Y. “It’s consistency—doing the same thing day in and day out for your customers, growing and developing with them. It’s not giving into trends and fads, but knowing who they are and why they’re coming.” Whether it’s a restaurant that’s been doing well for 100 years or for 25, the key is doing the same thing well every time. “That’s what people come back for,” Susskind says. And that consistency directly impacts the bottom line.

Consistency in service, quality, the menu—the whole experience—is what keeps people coming back. “Guests will want to come back because something you did for them is worth coming back for,” says Susskind. “It may be a single dish. It may be for the [unique] cocktail program, or that the staff is so attentive. Whatever it is, if you do it different next time, you run the risk of them not coming back.”

Veteran operators are quick to note, however, that consistency isn’t complacency. Things change, and menu items, policies and even decor can and must evolve over time.

At the Berghoff, a 115-year-old full-service restaurant in Chicago, fourth-generation owner Carlyn Berghoff embraced the idea of transforming the German-American menu to include gluten-free options. “I saw the effects celiac [disease] had on my daughter when she’d go out to eat,” Berghoff says. “I wanted to create a place that was safe to eat for people with allergies.” Bringing her personal campaign to the menu at the restaurant has paid off. Now one-third of the hits on The Berghoff’s website are for ‘gluten-free dining,’ and she plans to expand her efforts. “This has been a segment of the business to grow, and it’s a market no one expected us to be in,” says Berghoff who also has written a cookbook with gluten-free recipes and wants to tackle more allergens next. “It has been a good way for me to continue to grow new customers and bring new people to the restaurant.”

Still, she’s careful not to change too much. “You don’t change the top 10 favorite things people eat here,” she says. At the Berghoff, that means Weiner Schnitzel, Sauerbraten and German Chocolate Cake are here to stay.

Secret No. 2: It’s the customer, stupid

At long-successful restaurants, the relationship with the customer is at the heart of everything. “These restaurants all make customers feel at home—literally, like they’re coming back home,” says Browne.

Ina Pinkney, the “Breakfast Queen of Chicago” who will retire this month after 33 years in the business and close her beloved spot Ina’s, has kept the personal touch at the center of her business, even as technology has shifted the way people interact with restaurants. “We have a customer who comes in every morning,” she says. “When we see the car pull up, a couple things happen: The server puts his order in because the man eats the same thing every day. We take the second place setting away at the table. We put a pen down. He walks in and picks up the New York Times Arts section and opens it to the crossword … And he [sits down], picks up the pen and does the crossword. When his food comes out he gets the check presenter because he likes to leave when he likes to leave, and he doesn’t like to talk at all in the morning. Then he opens it up, he puts the money in and closes it. He stands up, refolds the paper, puts it back at the front and leaves.” Says Ina, “Now, you show me an algorithm that can take care of Bruce.”

Having a close connection to guests means veteran operators also are skilled at reading guests’ cues and what they mean for business. “Customers give you feedback every single day, by the smiles or frowns on their faces,” says Susskind. “It’s about noticing how they react to things. If you ignore what is keeping your guests excited, you’re probably missing crucial information.”

Berghoff agrees. “There are economic indicators in all of our businesses that we just need to pay attention to,” she says. “On the Monday after Thanksgiving, I look at how many people come in with a lot of bags and what they eat,” she says. “If they’re ordering entrees, it’s going to be a good holiday season. If they’re buying sandwiches, you’re going to have a harder time meeting your numbers. If they’re ordering dessert or appetizers, you’re going to have a great holiday.” 

Secret No. 3: Empower the staff

If the guest is No. 1, a close No. 2 is your staff, says Brad Rosenstein, president and owner of Jack’s Oyster House in Albany, N.Y., which just celebrated its 100th anniversary. “Making the staff feel appreciated, empowering each individual to take ownership of their position and allowing them to make mistakes (as long as they didn’t do it on purpose) is so important,” he says.

John Laytham, CEO of Clyde’s Restaurant Group, owner of Old Ebbitt Grill and other concepts in the Washington, D.C., area says that aside from having good food, focusing on employees is what helped Clyde’s restaurant get through challenging early years in the 60s and 70s. “We developed our own training program—no one had done much before that,” Laytham says. The program, which trained managers how to tailor their management style to the level of the employee they’re dealing with, resulted in less turnover among the staff. “We had employees who really enjoyed what they were doing and went to work every day trying to do a good job. It made a difference in the relationship between the staff and the customers.”

The focus on training and arming the staff with the freedom to make things right with customers still is a priority at all the restaurants in the Clyde’s group. At Old Ebbitt Grill, Managing Director David Moran relies on the servers and managers to be that link to the guests. “We have nine front-of-house managers, including the general manager, and every one of them is on the floor,” he says. “There’s nothing that replaces touching your tables.” Moran’s team also makes a practice of sharing what they hear from guests with the rest of the staff. “If you’re not listening to your customers, you’re not going to be in business,” he says.

Secret No. 4: Be a business family, not a family business

In his book, Browne points out the most common thread that runs through America’s oldest restaurants is a continuation of ownership within a family. “Even when ownership has been transferred to outsiders,” Browne writes, “there is usually a familial tie, or the new owners are personal or business acquaintances of the previous owners or customers.”

According to the U.S. Census, 41 percent of businesses operating in the accommodation and food services space were family-owned. That includes many of the country’s oldest restaurants—such as The Berghoff, Antoine’s in New Orleans (originator of Oysters Rockefeller) run by the Alciatore family and San Francisco’s The Tadich Grill, which the Buich family bought in 1928 and has operated ever since.

The obvious advantage of a family business is that successors—having grown up in and around the business—come in with first-hand knowledge of the operation, its culture, its history, its challenges and its core customer base. But family businesses also come with their own set of unique circumstances that can just as easily lead to their demise as their success.

The ongoing family drama that has plagued Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans for decades appears to be to blame for the untimely closing of the 67-year-old, pink-hued institution this past June. Over the years, descendants of original owner Owen Edward Brennan have expanded the brand (later closing some outposts), divided it and wrestled over its control. According to The Times-Picayune, the original Brennan’s now is in the hands of Ralph Brennan, a cousin with no prior direct involvement, who has new plans for its future.

Successful family businesses are those united around a common vision for where the restaurant’s going to be in 10 or 20 years, says Wayne Rivers, president of the Family Business Institute in Raleigh, N.C. A family in business together also must decide, “Are we going to be a family business or a business family,” says Rivers. “It’s a critical distinction: The family business makes decisions in the best interest of the family. Or are you going to make decisions in the best interest of the business?”

Despite a long, rich history, family-owned businesses must be focused on the future and not the past, says Rivers. That doesn’t mean abandoning what got them there. “They keep the things that make them unique or contribute to being part of their culture,” he says. But smart successors are looking ahead and asking “what can I do tomorrow to get my business to be a success.” One real-world example of this philosphy is the Melmans of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises restaurant group in Chicago where the children of founder Richard Melman have found success launching their own new ventures under the LEYE umbrella and bringing in a new, younger crowd. 

Secret No. 5: Don’t fumble the hand-off

Most operators don’t necessarily build their business with a 50- or 100-year plan at the outset. “I’m not thinking I’ll be here for 50 years. But I wouldn’t want to build a restaurant that’s not going to be around in 50 years,” says Laytham, whose restaurant group launched its newest venture, The Hamilton—a restaurant and live-music venue—a year ago.

How a business is passed to the next generation can make or break it’s future. “You have to have a succession plan,” says Susskind. “When I was working in restaurants, I learned this rule: as a restaurant executive, you want to have two people directly underneath you who you’re grooming to do your work and two more people underneath them,” he says. “Whether its family or not, you’re always growing leaders. By training people at all levels, you’re never short-handed with leadership.” 

The next 100 years: reinventing historical restaurants

When Tavern on the Green was shuttered in 2010, the uproar was so boisterous it rumbled through the tunnels of the New York subway line. What followed was a years-long processional of suitors traipsing through the former gilded palace, considering a bid for the place that had been the go-to destination for tourists and special-occasion diners since 1934.

In the end, it was the owners of French creperie Beau Monde in Philadelphia, Jim Caiola and David Salama, who inherited the historic space—and the responsibility of restoring it to some semblance of its former glory. With a grand reopening slated around the end of the year, the new Tavern on the Green promises to be a “casual and elegant” restaurant in less than half the space of the original, The New York Times reports. The owners may, in part, be banking on the restaurant’s prior success; in the years before it was shuttered it ranked among the five top independent restaurants in the country. The Times reports that Caiola’s initial projections expect Tavern to pull in “more than $17 million next year, serving 600 meals on week days and 1,200 on weekends with an average check of $50 per person.” Whether it will, remains to be seen.

Tavern on the Green isn’t the only legendary New York City restaurant being resurrected. In September, Tishman Speyer, the company that operates Rockefeller Center, announced that it will partner with restaurant development firm Blau + Associates to recast and reopen The Rainbow Room as a restaurant, cocktail lounge and event space next fall. “It’s such an iconic location in New York City,” says Keith Douglas, managing director of Rockefeller Center. “It’s an important destination for people around the world.”

The new Rainbow Room will add an outdoor terrace, but will keep many of its landmark elements—the dome ceiling, revolving dance floor, brass railings and chandeliers—and possibly, says Elizabeth Blau, some of its original signature dishes alongside classic American fine dining fare. “What’s extraordinary when you revitalize a historic restaurant and space, is that the education and awareness of its history and past is so critical, she says. “New Yorkers want that. They want a piece of their history back.”

Why will the new iteration succeed where the original did not (it closed in 2009). Says Blau, “Its closing wasn’t about a lack of success. It was ready for a change. It needed to be brought back to its former glory. It needed a new chapter.” The pair are sure it’s a chapter New York is ready for once again.

Another secret to success?

Need one more secret to success? It’s our ServSafe training classes! We have everything you need for certification training & exams.  We award CPFM Certificates that satisfy Fl. Statute 509.039. We offer 6-hour food safety training classes.

Filed Under: Featured

Small Businesses Should Keep Niceties, Lose ‘No Problem’

August 21, 2021 by Dave Steck

By Ned Smith, BusinessNewsDaily Senior Writer

“No problem” may become a problem when that’s how your waitstaff responds to customer requests, a new restaurant study shows. Though the study confined its investigation to the food world, the insights it offers about the effects that service niceties have on a business are relevant to any small business that serves the public.

What restaurant consultant Aaron Allen’s audit, “80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes,” demonstrated is that the fine points of customer service are relentlessly egalitarian, as important to large operations as they are to small shops. Whether you’re running a mom-and-pop corner bistro pulling in $250,000 a year or a strip-mall chain clothing boutique, the way your staff interacts with your customers can have a big effect on your bottom line. Excessive familiarity or lack of respect doesn’t play well with customers, the audit showed. Using overly friendly names such as “dude,” “buddy” and “pal” turn customers off, the study found. So do the overuse of perfumes and colognes, or gossiping or talking about improper subjects within earshot of customers.  Customers like to be treated as individuals, not numbers. The audit said that a proper greeting delivered with warmth by a host creates a much better first impression than an impersonal conversation that centers on “how many?” or “where do you want to sit — dining room or bar?”  And the above-mentioned “no problem” should never slip through the staff’s lips. Allen suggested that a more appropriate response to an order or request is “my pleasure.”  Product knowledge is equally as important as courtesy, the audit showed.  Whether serving food or frocks, your staff should know what they’re talking about. Failing to recommend a favorite or popular item or being unfamiliar with the cuisine they’re serving is not acceptable. Diners don’t want to hear a waiter say, “I don’t eat seafood.”

In all domains, customer-facing staff needs to walk a fine line between hovering and pulling a disappearing act. Like children, they should be seen and not heard (until they’re needed, that is). Failing to offer to replenish beverages in a timely fashion — especially when it is that second $11 glass of wine that a customer would have ordered if it was offered at the right time — directly affects a company’s bottom line.


Serve It Up Safe! is the first and only boutique ServSafe food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039. And we offer 6- hour food safety training classes.

Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

Filed Under: Featured

Had a Bad Health Inspection? Jump Into Action. Now!

August 14, 2021 by Dave Steck

food inspection

The “Regulatory Authority”, commonly known as the health inspector regularly visits twice a year, depending on several variables. When they visit, you first demand a photo ID. They then demand a permit and your CPFM (Certified Prof. Food Manager) certification. Then, the actual inspection commences. The health inspector will look at 55 different things during their routine inspection that you should expect to last about 45 minutes. But this time it didn’t go so well. Although the average number of violations during a routine inspection is 6.2, you had more than 6.2. It didn’t go well at all. What can you do?

Cooperate with your inspector. 

Take all the action that is required.  Complete corrective action(s) on time, and notify the Regulatory Authority (the “health inspector”) when the required corrections are completed, and communicate thoroughly and regularly. Ask good thoughtful questions.

Seek professional help. 

Find a trained, experienced professional to speak with, preferably someone that is extensively knowledgeable in restaurant operations and/or food safety and sanitation. 

Be fully transparent.

With the owners, the staff and the customers, and do so immediately. Full disclosure removes the appearance of hiding something.

Fully re-train the entire staff immediately.   

This re-training should be mandatory and pre-establish several follow-up training meeting to be sure staff is fully knowledgeable on their roles & responsibilities.

Instill those core values that are critical to your success.  

Then repeat, repeat and repeat. Things like cleanliness, general food safety practices, and intensely thorough sanitation procedures must be part of the establishment’s core values!  

Institute weekly self-inspections.  

Make certain that the person in charge (PIC) performs regular weekly self-inspections of the entire establishment, both inside and out.  Pay particular attention to employee’s personal hygiene including hand-washing, cooking temperatures, hot/cold holding temperatures and the prevention of cross-contamination.  Your self-inspection should closely mirror the inspection that the health department performs.  Serve It Up Safe!  can provide that inspection form if you need it, as well as ServSafe food safety training.

Set forth an immediate plan of pro-activity; you’ve got to be proactive!  There are a lot of situations where you can “COS” (correct on spot), so never leave the inspector’s side.  Shadow them through the entire inspection.  Besides, it’s a good learning opportunity!  In 2012, there were over 500,000 violations in the sunshine state accounting for $2.2 million in fines.  You need to bounce back quickly and not be a repeat offender.  You have to shift your thinking from focusing exclusively on the two things every F & B manager laser’s in on- the P & L and customer service- to thinking more proactively about food safety and sanitation.  You have to focus more specifically on cleanliness and sanitation, both of which will directly impact the P & L and customer service.  And that’s a win-win!

Filed Under: Featured

Why It’s Important to Clean an Ice Machine

June 17, 2021 by Dave Steck

Ice is used in almost every food service setting, from restaurants, bars, cafeterias, and coffee shops, to nursing homes, hospitals, and healthcare facilities. Since ice is such an important part of food service, it’s important for professionals to know how to clean an ice machine. In fact, these machines are often some of the dirtiest pieces of equipment in the kitchen. While every ice machine has its own special maintenance requirements, most follow a basic overall process. This article will take you through a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the ice machine cleaning process. 

Cleaning Ice Machines

The FDA defines ice as a food, which means it must be handled and cared for in the same manner as other food products. No matter what type of ice machine your establishment operates, it’s imperative that you clean, sanitize, and maintain it. Any part of the unit that has contact with water can develop scale, slime, or mold at any time, which will contaminate your ice and potentially harm your customers. 

Your ice machine should be cleaned and sanitized at least once every six months for efficient operation. This maintenance process requires you to first perform a cleaning procedure to remove lime, scale, and mineral deposits, followed by a sanitizing procedure to disinfect the unit and remove algae and slime. If you don’t keep up on maintenance, scale buildup can cause ice to stick to the evaporator plates, which can impede heat transfer and result in freeze-ups, longer harvest times, reduction in capacity, and costly repairs. Not cleaning your machine can also lead to the formation of dangerous slime and mold.

If you experience some of the following issues, it may be time to clean your ice machine:

  • Ice machine does not release ice or is slow to harvest
  • Ice machine does not cycle into harvest mode
  • Ice quality is poor (soft or not clear)
  • Ice machine produces shallow or incomplete cubes
  • Low ice capacity

Now we’ll get into the proper ice machine cleaning and sanitizing procedures, but first, let’s go over a few guidelines and tips. 

  • Your ice machine should be cleaned every 6 months.
  • If you notice it’s requiring more frequent cleaning and sanitizing, consult a qualified service company to test your establishment’s water quality. Water treatment may be required.
  • Be sure to follow the proper instructions written out in your ice machine’s manual.
  • Some manufacturers require specific or approved cleaner and sanitizer solutions to be used with their machines.
  • All ice produced during the cleaning and sanitizing procedures must be discarded. It’s also highly suggested to throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning.
  • Do not mix cleaner and sanitizer solutions together.
  • Wear rubber gloves and protective safety glasses when handling cleaner and sanitizer solutions.
  • Read and follow any instructions and cautions listed on the solution bottles.
  • To prevent damage to the water pump, do not leave the control switch in a service position for an extended period of time when the water tank is empty during cleaning.
  • Know your equipment. Nugget and flake machines typically have more moving parts that require additional attention. Also, know your machine’s material construction so you don’t use chemicals that will harm it.

How to Clean an Ice Machine

  1. Open the front door to access the evaporator compartment. All ice must be removed from the evaporator during the cleaning and sanitizing cycles. 
  2. Remove all ice from the bin or dispenser. To remove the ice, follow one of the methods below:

Either press the power switch at the end of the a harvest cycle after ice falls from the evaporators, or press the power switch and allow the ice to completely melt.

  • Press the “clean” or “wash” button, depending on your machines labeling. Water will flow through the water dump valve and down the drain. Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemicals. This typically takes at least 1 minute. Then add the proper amount of ice machine cleaner per your manual. 
  • Wait until the clean cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes. After the cycle is complete, disconnect power to the ice machine and the dispenser. 
  • Remove parts for cleaning. For safe and proper removal, refer to your machine’s manual. Once all parts have been removed, continue to the next step. 
  • Mix a solution of cleaner and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each product line. A general water to cleaner ratio is 1 gallon of water to 16 ounces of cleaner. Depending on the amount of mineral buildup, a larger quantity may be required.
  • Use half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all components and parts you’ve removed. Most solutions will start to foam once they come in contact with lime, scale, and mineral deposits. Once the foaming stops, use a soft-bristle nylon brush, sponge, or cloth to carefully clean all parts. All parts except the ice thickness probe can be soaked when heavily scaled. Rinse all components with clean water.
  • While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a nylon brush or cloth to thoroughly clean the following ice machine areas: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
  • Rinse all areas with clean water. This will help remove chemicals to prevent ice from becoming contaminated. 

How to Sanitize an Ice Machine 

  1. Mix a solution of ice machine sanitizer and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each item number.  A general water to cleaner ration is 3 gallons of water to 2 ounces of sanitizer. 
  2. Use half of the water and sanitizer mixture to sanitize all components and parts you’ve removed. You can use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution to all surfaces of the removed parts, or you can soak the removed parts in the solution.

Note: Do not rinse parts with water after sanitizing.

  • While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and sanitizer mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution. When sanitizing, pay attention to following: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
  • Replace all removed components. You may need to refer to your manual once more for proper restructuring.  
  • Wait 20 minutes. This allows the sanitizer to properly disinfect.
  • Reapply power to the ice machine. Press your unit’s “clean” or “wash” button.  
  • Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemical. Add the proper amount of sanitizer to the water trough. 
  • Set your machine to automatically start making ice after the sanitizing cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes.
  • Upon completion, it’s highly recommended to observe two cycles and monitor the freeze and harvest cycle times. Make sure you throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning and sanitizing.

Exterior Cleaning 

  1. Clean the area around the ice machine as often as necessary. This will maintain cleanliness and efficient operation.
  2. Wipe surfaces down with a damp cloth rinsed in water to remove dust and dirt from the outside of the ice machine. Never use an abrasive pad or brush.
  3. If a greasy residue remains, use a damp cloth rinsed in a mild dish soap and water solution. See your machine’s manual for restrictions. Some nickel-plated machines require nickel-safe solutions. You will never want to use chlorinated, citrus-based, or abrasive cleaners on exterior panels and plastic trim.

Cleaning the Condenser and Its Filter 

The washable filter on a self-contained ice machine is necessary to trap dust, dirt, lint, and grease. To clean the filter, simply rinse it with mild soap and water.

Now, you can clean the condenser. If this condenser isn’t washed, airflow will be restricted, resulting in high operating temperatures, which can shorten your unit’s life and lead to reduced ice production. Like the other components of your ice machine, this filter should be cleaned once every six months. 

  1. Disconnect electric power to the ice machine head section and the remote condensing unit. There should be switches to turn these off. 
  2. Shine a flashlight through the condenser to check for dirt between the fins. These fins are sharp, so proceed with caution. 
  3. Blow compressed air through the condenser to remove dirt. You can also rinse it with water from the inside out. 
  4. Recheck for remaining dirt. If dirt still remains, we recommend that you contact a service agent. 

Whether you’re using ice for drink service, packaging it for retail purposes, or filling up salad bars to keep food chilled, it’s important to always use fresh, clean ice. By completing the cleaning and sanitizing procedures outlined above, you’ll be able to maintain your commercial ice machine’s efficiency, prevent increased energy costs, and keep clean and safe ice ready to use! Remember to clean and sanitize at least once every six months, and don’t forget to refer to your ice machine’s manual for special instructions!


Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified Instructor. Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

Filed Under: Featured

Why Does Serve It Up Safe Go to Great Lengths to Do What We Do?

June 10, 2021 by Dave Steck

That’s the difference between ancillary and trifling. ©

There is a bevy of ways to navigate through life. You can take the easy path that those before you have cleared free of nuisance obstacles. That is the easiest way to go, and not many people will challenge you along the way. It’s the popular path, primarily because it’s easiest. You could also chose the path less traveled.  The path that’s a little bit harder and a bit more arduous. Because it takes a lot more work and a lot more effort. It’s the less popular path, because it’s harder. Some of the same principals apply to running a business, like restaurants, for example. There are many shortcuts you could take, and that would make you “ordinary”; your relegated to just another joint to grab a bite. On the other hand, you could take unordinary measures to be special; to do things spectacularly rather than ordinary. That makes you “extraordinary”. And that’s the only way to be, in our estimation. That brings us to the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”.

Ancillary.  Adj.  : Auxiliary. Subordinate to one’s primary directive.

Trifling.  Adj.  : Irrelevant. Not capable of helping one meet critical objectives.

To the F & B professional, sweeping your floors is ancillary—it is important, but it’s not your number one objective. Florida Statute 509.039 requiring the CPFM/ServSafe certification is trifling—it’s just one of those things you have to do because some state law says you do. You would really prefer not to have to mess with the hassle, but you have to. Now we’re not saying that safe food handling practices isn’t important; it certainly is.  However, the training & exam requirement is more of an administrative burden to you, to be honest.

So why do you not design, manufacture and install your own dishwasher, formulate your own detergent and fabricate your own metal prep tables? You could buy 250 acres of land and raise your own chickens before sending them to slaughter so you can replenish your supply of chicken tenders for the busy upcoming weekend. But you don’t. Why? That’s the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”. At Serve It Up Safe!, we don’t build our computers from scratch; we leave that to Dell. We don’t design and construct new buildings to hold our classes; we leave to Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. We don’t manufacture our own writing instruments; we leave that to the professionals like Ticonderoga (the world’s finest pencil, so they say). And we don’t cook our own chicken wings (for example) at home; we, like many American’s, eat out a lot. 

Why? Because you’re a better preparer and presenter of food and entertainment that we are.  The same can be said for your training requirements. Sure, you could do it yourself, but if you do, you simultaneously concede that providing outstanding customer service, serving exceptionally great fresh food, offering unique drink combinations and controlling food & labor costs is suddenly less important. But it’s not! Those are the most important things in your world (besides your children!). You’re in effect saying that standing in front of your staff for 6-hours to conduct a state required training program is very, very important, and more so than world class customer service for example.  But the reality of it is that standing up in front of a classroom is trifling for you. It’s not your core competency and it’s taking time away from what really matters, like building sales and your customers, for example.  

That’s why we do what we do. To us, training food safety principals and proctoring the required exam is important to us; it’s one of our primary objectives. It’s what we do best. It’s not trifling to us; its mission critical to us. When you focus on what matters most, is the end result always better? Of course it is! That’s why you do what you do, and that’s why we do what we do! You go ahead and focus on what really matters most, and leave the trifling to us!

Filed Under: Featured

Who Are a Few of America’s Most Time-Honored Restaurants?

April 6, 2021 by Dave Steck

Look at the dates on these places!

White Horse Tavern (1673) Newport, R.I.

The building that houses the White Horse Tavern was constructed earlier than 1673, but it didn’t open as a tavern and restaurant until that year, when William Mayes bought the property. The name “White Horse Tavern” didn’t come along until Jonathan Nichols bought the restaurant in 1730 and renamed it. It is registered as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

Fraunces Tavern (1762) New York City

The first building constructed on this property (currently located in New York City’s financial district) was the home of New York’s mayor Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1686. Cortlandt gave the house to his son-in-law in 1700, who eventually sold it to Samuel Fraunces. Fraunces renovated the building and turned it into a tavern and restaurant in 1762.

Fraunces Tavern was a frequent meeting place of the Sons of Liberty before the American Revolution. Perhaps the most famous historical event to take place in the restaurant was on the evening of December 4, 1783, when the tavern held a congratulatory dinner for George Washington and his troops after they pushed the British army out of New York.

Griswold Inn (1776) Essex, CT.

The Griswold is one of the oldest continuously run restaurants in the nation. The restaurant and inn was founded in 1776 to provide shelter and sustenance for shipyard workers building vessels for the war. The Griswold has served such esteemed guests as George Washington, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Katharine Hepburn. The restaurant continues to serve rustic American fare and is decorated with many of the building’s original fixtures.

Union Oyster House (1826) Boston

Before turning into a restaurant in 1826, this building held “At the Sign of the Cornfields,” a formal dress store — in 1771 a printer named Isaiah Thomas used the second floor to publish a newspaper called The Massachusetts Spy. The original name of the restaurant was the Atwood and Bacon Oyster House, but quickly changed to the Union Oyster House.

The restaurant claims that the toothpick was popularized here after a businessman imported the picks from South America and hired eager Harvard University students to dine at the Union Oyster House and request the convenient teeth-cleaning tools. Union Oyster House is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Antione’s Restarant (1840) New Orlenas

Located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Antoine’s has been serving up authentic Louisiana Creole fare since it opened in 1840. The restaurant was founded by Antoine Alciatore and has been run by his family ever since, making it the oldest family-run restaurant in the country. Alciatore claimed to have invented Oysters Rockefeller in the Antoine’s kitchen. The original location of the restaurant was one block away from the current spot; they moved in 1868 due to popular demands for expansion.

Tadich Grill (1849) San Francisco

The Tadich Grill opened in 1849 during the height of the Gold Rush in California, when thousands headed west in hopes of striking it rich. Initially opening as a coffee stand, Tadich Grill has been a full-service restaurant since employee John Tadich bought it in 1887. The eatery claims to be the first U.S. restaurant to grill seafood over mesquite charcoal, a cooking method the Croatian owner used while growing up.

Breitbach’s Diner (1852) Balltown, IA

Breitbach’s, the oldest restaurant in Iowa, was established in 1852 in Balltown under a permit issued by President Millard Fillmore. Employee Jacob Breitbach bought the restaurant from the original owner in 1862 and it’s been run by the family ever since (now on the sixth generation of ownership). The first of two fires that destroyed the building happened in 2007, and the restaurant was rebuilt immediately with the help of hundreds of volunteers from the community. Ten months later the second fire struck, but the community rallied together once again to rebuild Breitbach’s.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House (1860) Philadelphia

The oldest continually operated restaurant and tavern in Philadelphia, McGillin’s opened its doors the same year Lincoln was elected (in 1860, just a few years after the Liberty Bell cracked). The spot was originally called The Bell in Hand, but patrons began calling in McGillin’s after the owner, William McGillin. He and his wife raised their 13 children upstairs from the tavern, but eventually the restaurant expanded to include their living space as well as the oyster house next door.

The Buckhorn Exchange (1893) Denver

Henry “Shorty Scout” Zietz opened the Buckhorn Exchange during a time when cattlemen, miners, railroad workers, silver barons, Indian chiefs, drifters, and businessmen all dined under the same roof. The restaurant was given the first liquor license in the state of Colorado and the food menu remains mostly unchanged to this day.

Louis Lunch (1895) New Haven, CT

Take a trip to Louis’ Lunch for a burger of historic proportions, cooked to order just like it was when Louis made the very first “hamburger sandwich” in 1900 — hand-shaped patties served between toast with cheese (and onion if you’re lucky and it’s not too crowded). The burgers are even cooked on the original cast-iron grills that date back to 1898.


Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039. And we offer 6- hour food safety training classes.

Filed Under: Featured

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