Entries for the 'Fall' Category

Life's A Banquet
In the halcyon days of ancient Greece and Rome, people regularly donned their best togas and set off in their chariots to enjoy the convivial atmosphere of a lavish feast. At today's banquet, the dress and means of transportation have changed, but people still look forward with anticipation to the convivial atmosphere and the lavish feast. These occasions afford the chance to greet one's friends, make new acquaintances, sit down to a delicious communal meal, and raise filled glasses in a toast to the occasion. Many savvy restaurateurs and banquet hall owners have long reaped the benefits of the banquet trade. With today's hectic lifestyles, the numbers of those cooks and bottle washers willing to host the entire extended family for a holiday dinner are dwindling down to just a few. Making reservations is a lot easier on everyone than cleaning, shopping, setting the table and cooking up a storm for several days only to face a gigantic mess once the party's over.
by Mary Daggett

Also consider the scores of other special occasions that call for a banquet—corporate parties, wedding receptions, class reunions, graduations, sports awards dinners, social club fetes, religious rites and on and on. Whether the event is an intimate dinner for a few or a corporate feast for 500, one of the first considerations is the venue. Make your venue the first one that comes to mind. Staging several holiday buffets and special occasion banquets each season can turn a splendid profit for foodservice operators. Here are some for whom life’s a banquet. View of Historic Mackinac Bridge Edgar Jaggi came to the United States from Switzerland. His wife Audrey came from England. Together, the two of them bought a restaurant in 1972 in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Originally built in 1957, the restaurant is located at the foot of the huge Mackinac Straits Bridge that connects the mainland of Michigan to the Upper Peninsula. This is the point where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge at the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced MACK’-IN-AWE). When the Jaggis’ purchased the restaurant, Edgar decided to rename it after his wife, and it has been known as Audie’s ever since. Ten years ago, the Jaggis’ son Nick purchased Audie’s from his parents after cutting his culinary chops apprenticing to a chef in Switzerland for two years, studying at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan for two more years, and graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK...
How many times have you been disheartened to learn that a precious historic property has tragically been wasted by the wrecking ball? In this story, we’ll take a journey back in time with operators who recognize the historic value and beauty in preservation and tradition, and who have turned their historic properties into iconic landmarks. While the past is truly present in these operations, the current operators are very much with the times in terms of savvy business practices, menu excellence, careful restoration and modernization and the continued importance of fine customer service.
by Mary Daggett
The Wild, Wild West
The West didn’t come much wilder than Deadwood, South Dakota. Wild Bill Hickok was shot here, pretty dance-hall girls served up whisky as leather-tough cowboys stomped their boots in the sawdust along with the music. Wait a minute . . . that’s what’s happening today and every day at Saloon #10 and the Deadwood Social Club. From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., visitors to this living museum can relive those thrilling days of yesteryear. Over a hundred years’ worth of historical western and mining camp artifacts festoon the walls and the bar. Louie Lalonde is one of the owners of this storied place today, expanding on what her parents, Lew and Marion Keehn, established over 50 years ago.

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE THE FOODSERVICE BUSINESS!
by Mary Daggett
What would compel people to work incredibly long hours–sometimes seven days a week–dealing with issue after issue, day after day? It must be love…love of their profession. Foodservice professionals seem to possess certain qualities that bolster them to continue with their life’s work–in the face of economic downturns, labor shortages, and yes, even catastrophic disaster. You’ll hear these people say, “I just couldn’t sit behind a desk all day.”  “I’m a people person, and I really enjoy the camaraderie with my customers.” “I started in this business washing dishes when I was 13 years old. I guess it’s in my blood.”  “All I ever wanted to do was cook.” The foodservice industry is peppered with entrepreneurial success stories about some pretty smooth operators… stories such as these: