BOOSTXL #40: Food for Thought with Paul Sturkey

We would like to thank our special BOOSTXL guest, Paul Sturkey, for sharing his experiences and wisdom with us all. Here are some key takeaways from the discussion.

Mise en Place

Paul began his decades-long career at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he gained valuable education and experience in what it means to prepare and serve a meal. The first term that is taught to every student is “mise en place,” which translates to “everything in its place,” meaning you need to prepare all of your ingredients, place all of your tools, bowls, and pans out, and meticulously prepare the dining area before even beginning to cook. This approach, while sounding simple, is what keeps a chef centered throughout the busy rush of a kitchen. “If you’re not prepared for tomorrow, you’re going to fall behind.” Paul brings this approach into everything he does, from designing and launching Cincinnati's first food hall to his instrumental role in launching Kroger’s standalone retail restaurant in 1883. He uses the best plan of action and communication and if any roadblocks appear, Paul knows that he can always trust that his preparation was thorough enough to see him through to the other side.

Passion without Emotion

Within the first year of opening, 60% of new restaurants will close. And after five years, a whopping 85% will fail. With such a high rate of failure, the restaurant industry is still full of budding chefs ready to make their mark. With all of that passion flowing into the differentiators such as service style, food pairings, and recipes, it can be difficult once the objective reality of financials comes into play. From working in the hospitality industry to opening his own namesake restaurant, Paul has learned that any passion-filled project requires an emotionless look at the economics of what you are creating and pairing that with your profits and losses along the way. Being passionate is great for giving you a reason to pursue a dream, but the emotions that often come along with it can hamper the clear-eyed foresight needed to build and stick to a solid business plan.

Feeding The Human Spirit

High turnover is common in the service industry, often a result of burnout and high-pressure working conditions. So retention of the best teammates is key to keeping any operation running smoothly. “Good works gone unrecognized will soon disappear” is how Paul focuses on celebrating the wins and good employees that maintain the flow of work. When it comes to the culinary world, or any other fast-paced industry, realizing success is not only important for the morale of the entire team, it is vital for keeping the trade vibrant. In taking the time to point out when others in your organization are doing something worth recognition, you are not only giving them their just attention but also inspiring them to keep pursuing those good works. Paul knows that by honoring a cook’s work, they might be inspired to go on and open their own restaurant. Maintaining the awareness of positivity instead of focusing on the chaos of the moment uplifts the entire team and gives more meaning to the work you all do together.

Top 5

Family, 70’s - R&B

Jazz and the Classics

Food Cities (Chicago, New Orleans, Cincinnati, NYC)

MLK

Culinary Institute of America