In early September of '09 my budget deprived school opened up a sushi bar/cafe that would appeal to students with a little extra dosh who didn't want to have to deal with the daily gruel of the cafeteria. When it first opened the newly built "Cafe Norte" bolstered the slogan "Better food, bigger portions", what they neglected to mention was "bigger prices". It was most certainly a gutsy investment on the school's part.
True to their advertisement, the cafe offered a substantial amount of better food compared to what we could buy in the cafeteria, and for the price of $10.65 you could buy a double-cheese burger (with the amenities), a small order of fries and a bottle of soda. And if you wanted to to get a decent serving of sushi you'd better get ready to start handing out Jacksons. Despite the exuberant prices and the ridiculous 25% sales tax (technically it was a 10% sales and a 15% of some other tax, but was pigeon holed as a sale tax), the cafe was actually doing good business. Not only was the cafe supplying the school with good food, it was also working as a "culinary arts" class for those who intended to become chefs in the future. No pun intended, but the students ate up what the cafe had to offer, and by February the school had made back a good portion of its investment and all seemed to be going well for my money-desperate administration.
That is until the State decided to inspect the cafe in mid-April. What the inspectors found was a "substandard" establishment in need of some serious cleanup and better management. The end result of the inspection was a big fat placard with the letter "C" which greets you at the door every time you walk in like a sloppily dressed Wal-Mart greeter. It seems that there was more going on at Cafe Norte than what we saw in the dining area. The major criticisms of the place were mainly tied to cleanliness, service, management, and small problems with food preparation. While some of these these were serious problem, it wasn't enough to sink the establishment. Cafe Norte has been given until the end of May to show improvement or it'll get the yellow tape.
Now I'm no Gordon Ramsey (mind you I can make a mean Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo), but I think I know a few ways Cafe Norte could improve.
[hr]
[HEADING=3]1). Better management[/HEADING]
While the cafe is technically a class, the teacher, one Ms. Shin, could definitely use a bit of a reality check that Cafe Norte is also a business. That means you cannot take shit from students and that it is your responsibility to keep them in line. I have seen students snap back at the teacher when mandated to do something and yet she doesn't want to do anything about it. Whether this is out of not wishing to upset her students or just simply not caring I have no clue, but one thing is for certain that a lowly student chef should not go unpunished when they have a freak out.
The solution is simple. Don't think of them as students, think of them as employees.
[HEADING=3]2). Enforce a stricter policy of cleanliness[/HEADING]
This was one of the major complaints from the inspector. It seems that the kitchen wasn't quite up to code on the upkeep of its equipment and work area. This was manifested in the form of crusted up stoves, dirty ovens, stained floors, and poorly maintained utensils. Mind you the equipment they bought from the start wasn't in the best condition to begin with, but it wasn't anything a good scrub over with bleach, lighter fluid and a Magic Eraser couldn't fix.
This could have been avoided by simply having the students clean their area when their class was over, or by having the after school class be responsible for cleaning the kitchen before they leave. By simply doing a little bit of mopping and scrubbing you can prevent numerous things such food-borne disease and problems with food quality.
[HEADING=3]3). Better waste management[/HEADING]
If you were to go out behind the cafe you would find a hill of trash bags sorted out between trash and recyclables. This is a feral animal's paradise because the only thing separating a wild cat from left over tuna is a thin layer of plastic. This is possibly the easiest problem to solve and can be remedied by simply having a dumpster with a closing lid on it placed out back. By simply using one of the dumpsters laying around or having the school request a new one from the district you can solve your problems of torn up trash bags and flocks of seagulls.
By simply filling out a few sheets of paper for a requisition you could easily bump that C up to a B.
[HEADING=3]4). Bigger menu[/HEADING]
One of the major criticisms about the food was mainly centered around the selection. If you're a vegetarian and you're looking to spend a few extra dollars the most you could hope for was a salad from Fresh & Easy. Now I know the term "vegetarian" means that you object to eating meat, but that doesn't mean that all you eat is salad. I can understand that things like "V-Meat" and various other fruits and veggies may add a few hundred dollars to your expenses per week, but by simply spending a few extra dollars at the nearby Costco or Sam's Club you open yourself up to a broader customer base.
This also goes for your drink menus. Because this is a "cafe", yes, they also sell coffee a la 7-Eleven (i.e. buy a cup and fill it yourself). They also sell other beverages like soda, water, and Monster. What they need to consider are possibly selling other things like Gatorade, milk, juice, and fruit shakes (i.e. Odwalla). Some of your customers are coming back from a physical education class and need something to revitalize themselves, and simply offering the option between caffeine, sugar and benzoate, Dasani, and heart attack serum is very inconvenient for them.
[HEADING=3]5). Specialized training[/HEADING]
The other complaint about the food was targeted at the sushi. While yes the selection is quite varied (from California rolls to eel), you need to realize that not all sushi is served raw. Yes, while thins such as tuna and salmon don't require much of anything, Unagi on the other hand requires some form of cooking.
While Ms. Shin made the wise decision to have only certain people make the sushi for each class, they also need to realize that it has to be done right. This is also easily fixed if she was to simply take a day or two (preferably a Saturday or Sunday) to teach your special students how to properly prepare sushi.
[HEADING=3]6). Better service[/HEADING]
This is another killer. If you don't have a welcoming atmosphere you drive away customers. I have seen people be yelled at, scolded, and called various other things. Yes, I understand that the people who are behind the counter are high school students with egos and attitudes, but that doesn't means they can bring it into the work place. Just because you may not like being in a class that requires you learn to wash dishes and deal with the occasional idiot for an hour, doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.
This is solved by cracking down on bad student behavior and handing out bad grades after multiple violations. A server should NEVER snap back at a customer, no matter how stupid or wrong they are.
[HEADING=3]7). Buy a water heater[/HEADING]
If you sell ramen noodles and kimchi along with some other, cheaper munchies that require hot water, be sure that you are the provider of said hot water and not the Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps across campus. Cheap food such as ramen can be bought in gigantic industrial-sized packs for $0.25 each and sold for a dollar at the register. Ramen is a MAJOR money maker, and losing a large number of low-budget customers to your competitor is a business killer. And besides...
True to their advertisement, the cafe offered a substantial amount of better food compared to what we could buy in the cafeteria, and for the price of $10.65 you could buy a double-cheese burger (with the amenities), a small order of fries and a bottle of soda. And if you wanted to to get a decent serving of sushi you'd better get ready to start handing out Jacksons. Despite the exuberant prices and the ridiculous 25% sales tax (technically it was a 10% sales and a 15% of some other tax, but was pigeon holed as a sale tax), the cafe was actually doing good business. Not only was the cafe supplying the school with good food, it was also working as a "culinary arts" class for those who intended to become chefs in the future. No pun intended, but the students ate up what the cafe had to offer, and by February the school had made back a good portion of its investment and all seemed to be going well for my money-desperate administration.
That is until the State decided to inspect the cafe in mid-April. What the inspectors found was a "substandard" establishment in need of some serious cleanup and better management. The end result of the inspection was a big fat placard with the letter "C" which greets you at the door every time you walk in like a sloppily dressed Wal-Mart greeter. It seems that there was more going on at Cafe Norte than what we saw in the dining area. The major criticisms of the place were mainly tied to cleanliness, service, management, and small problems with food preparation. While some of these these were serious problem, it wasn't enough to sink the establishment. Cafe Norte has been given until the end of May to show improvement or it'll get the yellow tape.
Now I'm no Gordon Ramsey (mind you I can make a mean Salmon Fettuccine Alfredo), but I think I know a few ways Cafe Norte could improve.
[hr]
[HEADING=3]1). Better management[/HEADING]
While the cafe is technically a class, the teacher, one Ms. Shin, could definitely use a bit of a reality check that Cafe Norte is also a business. That means you cannot take shit from students and that it is your responsibility to keep them in line. I have seen students snap back at the teacher when mandated to do something and yet she doesn't want to do anything about it. Whether this is out of not wishing to upset her students or just simply not caring I have no clue, but one thing is for certain that a lowly student chef should not go unpunished when they have a freak out.
The solution is simple. Don't think of them as students, think of them as employees.
[HEADING=3]2). Enforce a stricter policy of cleanliness[/HEADING]
This was one of the major complaints from the inspector. It seems that the kitchen wasn't quite up to code on the upkeep of its equipment and work area. This was manifested in the form of crusted up stoves, dirty ovens, stained floors, and poorly maintained utensils. Mind you the equipment they bought from the start wasn't in the best condition to begin with, but it wasn't anything a good scrub over with bleach, lighter fluid and a Magic Eraser couldn't fix.
This could have been avoided by simply having the students clean their area when their class was over, or by having the after school class be responsible for cleaning the kitchen before they leave. By simply doing a little bit of mopping and scrubbing you can prevent numerous things such food-borne disease and problems with food quality.
[HEADING=3]3). Better waste management[/HEADING]
If you were to go out behind the cafe you would find a hill of trash bags sorted out between trash and recyclables. This is a feral animal's paradise because the only thing separating a wild cat from left over tuna is a thin layer of plastic. This is possibly the easiest problem to solve and can be remedied by simply having a dumpster with a closing lid on it placed out back. By simply using one of the dumpsters laying around or having the school request a new one from the district you can solve your problems of torn up trash bags and flocks of seagulls.
By simply filling out a few sheets of paper for a requisition you could easily bump that C up to a B.
[HEADING=3]4). Bigger menu[/HEADING]
One of the major criticisms about the food was mainly centered around the selection. If you're a vegetarian and you're looking to spend a few extra dollars the most you could hope for was a salad from Fresh & Easy. Now I know the term "vegetarian" means that you object to eating meat, but that doesn't mean that all you eat is salad. I can understand that things like "V-Meat" and various other fruits and veggies may add a few hundred dollars to your expenses per week, but by simply spending a few extra dollars at the nearby Costco or Sam's Club you open yourself up to a broader customer base.
This also goes for your drink menus. Because this is a "cafe", yes, they also sell coffee a la 7-Eleven (i.e. buy a cup and fill it yourself). They also sell other beverages like soda, water, and Monster. What they need to consider are possibly selling other things like Gatorade, milk, juice, and fruit shakes (i.e. Odwalla). Some of your customers are coming back from a physical education class and need something to revitalize themselves, and simply offering the option between caffeine, sugar and benzoate, Dasani, and heart attack serum is very inconvenient for them.
[HEADING=3]5). Specialized training[/HEADING]
The other complaint about the food was targeted at the sushi. While yes the selection is quite varied (from California rolls to eel), you need to realize that not all sushi is served raw. Yes, while thins such as tuna and salmon don't require much of anything, Unagi on the other hand requires some form of cooking.
While Ms. Shin made the wise decision to have only certain people make the sushi for each class, they also need to realize that it has to be done right. This is also easily fixed if she was to simply take a day or two (preferably a Saturday or Sunday) to teach your special students how to properly prepare sushi.
[HEADING=3]6). Better service[/HEADING]
This is another killer. If you don't have a welcoming atmosphere you drive away customers. I have seen people be yelled at, scolded, and called various other things. Yes, I understand that the people who are behind the counter are high school students with egos and attitudes, but that doesn't means they can bring it into the work place. Just because you may not like being in a class that requires you learn to wash dishes and deal with the occasional idiot for an hour, doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.
This is solved by cracking down on bad student behavior and handing out bad grades after multiple violations. A server should NEVER snap back at a customer, no matter how stupid or wrong they are.
[HEADING=3]7). Buy a water heater[/HEADING]
If you sell ramen noodles and kimchi along with some other, cheaper munchies that require hot water, be sure that you are the provider of said hot water and not the Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps across campus. Cheap food such as ramen can be bought in gigantic industrial-sized packs for $0.25 each and sold for a dollar at the register. Ramen is a MAJOR money maker, and losing a large number of low-budget customers to your competitor is a business killer. And besides...
[HEADING=2]...who doesn't like a nice cup of ramen?[/HEADING]
I sure as hell do...
So, on the subject of shitty places to eat, what's the worst dining experience you've had? Be sure to cite what you saw was wrong.
I sure as hell do...
So, on the subject of shitty places to eat, what's the worst dining experience you've had? Be sure to cite what you saw was wrong.
