Informational Interview with General Manager at Zaytinya Restaurant - Coursework Example

Informational Interview ment of Interest I had an interview with Mr. Brian Zaslavsky, general manager at Zaytinya Restaurant, Washington DC. In my opinion, the most important component of the hospitality industry is customer service. Even though it is still business and the purpose is to profit, the No.1 mission is always to satisfy customers. There were several reasons informing my choice of the restaurant industry as my project. First, guests in a restaurant never stay for nights and days, so the flow of guests in a restaurant per day is much bigger than a hotel, which means that employees in a restaurant get more chances and time to deal with diverse people. This situation would require employees to have outstanding communication ability and flexibility during work. For this reason, I am convinced that a restaurant’s general manager has much to offer. One can learn much about customer service in terms of dealing with different situations. Second, unlike hotels which have multiple departments such as housekeeping, food and beverage, front desk etc., restaurants only focus on serving customers best food experience. Restaurants do not have to think about how to keep customers loyal to their rooms, but only need to make sure the money customers spend on a meal match the value and experience. Therefore, this specialized field can provide one with a closer view of customer service. Third, since I had experience of interning at food and beverage department at a hotel, I want to learn more about this area. During my internship, I earned basic experience of serving, communicating, dealing with customers, and I also saw how my manager and supervisor manage the whole team. So I think by interviewing a general manager of a more successful restaurant in America, I could add to my knowledge on how to manage a team directly from the manager. Lastly, my family has been involved in customer service business for about 15 years; therefore, customer service runs in the family informing my interest in the business coupled with a desire to learn more of management within this field. As Mr. Zaslavsky mentioned during the interview, he not only manages the teams, but has also to check with customers and staff on a daily basis. I think communication and managing are both my strengths, so a general manager’s position in my preferred profession would provide me with a good learning chance. Industry Introduction Restaurant industry The restaurant industry is part of the wider hospitality industry though it has the largest flow of customers as they basically walk in and out during meal times. The basic undertaking of a restaurant is to prepare and serve food and drinks to individuals who come in for these services. In most cases, meal taking is an in-house affair though there are cases where the same can be taken out or some establishments can offer food delivery services. The industry is quite fragmented with perhaps the only commonality being menus and the general set ups. However, even these can be differentiated to build a unique identity which helps in retaining and attracting customers. There is also a question of services and food; though there are definite meals offered in different restaurants some restaurants also result to foreign or exotic meals to widen their reach. Such offerings and the growth of restaurant based live television shows has upped competition and the industry is perhaps most competitive at present than it has ever been. DC restaurant industry The DC restaurant industry is one of the most mature of the restaurant industry across the United States. Being a metropolitan district the diversity of people and the need to develop a niche has informed creativity and organization levels not witnessed in many regions within the industry. The fact that DC has a blanket organization, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, which looks after the affairs of the restaurant operators and owners, also suggests the maturity of the industry in this part of the country. The meals offered across DC restaurants are representative of the world’s common and exquisite meals which is another point of the industry’s maturity. It is also in DC that one finds the most famed chefs and restaurants across the country. Company/Organization Introduction of Chef Jose Andres Jose Ramon Andres Puerta is a Spanish chef whose concept of small plates was a novel idea in the United States. Besides being an accomplished chef, Jose Andres is a proven entrepreneur who jointly with Rob Wilder has a string of restaurants across United States. Most of these restaurants are located in metropolitan regions where people enjoy and appreciate foreign cuisine. Most of these restaurants are n Washington, DC, Las Vegas and California. These restaurants include barmini and minibar by Jose Andres, America Eats, Zaytinya, The Bazaar, China Poblano and Micasa. Jose Andres trained under another famed chef, Ferran Adria in El Bulli. Under Adria, Andres developed his skills and know how in making traditional Spanish cuisine. Besides his chef expertise, Andres has taken up other interests mainly teaching having taught culinary physics at Harvard University together with his teacher and mentor, Ferran Adria. He is a serving dean at the International Culinary Center where together with Colman Andrews they have developed a curriculum on traditional Spanish cuisine. Introduction to ThinkFoodGroup ThinkFoodGroup is a restaurant owning group which is founded by Jose Andres and his partner Rob Wilder. The Group is headquartered in Washingtod, DC and is approximated to have an annual sales turnover of $100 million. It is made up of 16 restaurants all offering diverse cuisines. The major personnel within the group are Jose Andres who is the Group’s president and Rob Wilder who is the CEO. The Group operates under the mantra ‘changing the world through the power of food’. Introduction of restaurant Zaytinya at Washington DC Zaytinya is owned by Chef Jose Andres and his partner Rob Wilder and is part of another group of restaurants which fall under ThinkFoodGroup. As a name, Zaytinya means olive oil in Turkish. The name is perhaps reflective of the restaurant’s specialty. Zaytinya is inspired by Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cuisines. As a commercial establishment, Zaytinya has incorporated modern technology and design ideas to come up with a sleek and contemporary environment that allows for absolute relaxation. As a trademark of Jose Andres, the restaurant has fully adopted the small plate concept. Since the restaurant’s inception in 2002, it has consistently appeared among the top ranked DC restaurants and its crowd all day is a testimony to such status. Restaurant General Manager Job Description-Mr. Brian Zaslavsky’s A restaurant’s general manager job description can be defined by following the informational interview and reviewing Mr. Brian Zaslavsky’s day to day responsibilities. One of the most basic responsibilities of a restaurant’s general manager is to ensure proper coordination between a restaurant’s different departments. As it stands, Zaytinya has the service department, the chefs/kitchen department among others either in-house or as part of ThinkFoodGroup. It is important that all these departments be in tandem and focus on maximizing the customer’s experience. The other responsibility is supervisory, this involves being in the look out to ensure that all departments and individuals dispatch their duties as expected and they are consistent in optimal service delivery. The manager is also responsible for the recruitment process as they best understand the best personnel and are thus in a position to match the restaurant’s needs and an applicant’s capabilities. Other responsibilities include ensuring the restaurant is compliant with all health and safety regulations and ensure efficiency and proper customer experience which guarantees profitability. Interview Description When deciding on which restaurant to pick for this project, I went through the top ranked restaurants in Washington DC restaurants. I found out that Zaytinya has a beyond average reputation and rating, so I thought of Zaytinya’s manager as one of my potential interviewees. A few days later, my friends and I made a reservation at Zaytinya and had a great dinner there. The innovative mezze menu provided was definitely one of the most unique diner experiences I have ever had. All the dishes were in appetizer size, so for two or three people we could order five to six dishes between us. Zaytinya is so far the biggest restaurant I have visited in DC, but surprisingly it was packed with customers and at the same time a long waiting line was there right next to the entrance. I was also very satisfied with their service; the server and bar tender were able to take care of every detail. We spent around three hundred dollars on the dinner for three of us, it is much more expensive than many other restaurants; but the experience and quality was without doubt our money’s worth. Following the experience, I immediately made plans for an informational interview with Zaytinya’s General Manager. I wanted to learn from him how he manages his team and ensures that they maintain high quality experience and customer loyalty. I went to their website and found the email address of Mr. Zaslavsky. I sent him an interview request email and asked him whether it was possible to schedule an interview with him in November. Luckily, he responded to me that night saying that he would love to have an interview with me. After settling on time, I started my research on him and their company. We scheduled our interview on November 11th at noon in Zaytinya. On the day of the interview, having informed my host of the interview goals he immediately called Mr. Zaslavsky. We had our conversation right next to the bar area, while enjoying the music and serene atmosphere. The interview lasted around 50 minutes. I had a wide range of questions covering almost every area of his life, his management, his experiences and Zaytinya’s good standing and the input of the owner. I learnt so much from Mr. Zaslavsky, the whole interview process was very relaxing. By answering my questions, Mr. Zaslavsky shed light into the management dynamics and the astounding experiences in the industry. At the end, I was in total agreement that Zaytinya has a great environment for people to work or eat. Even with an official approach, as was the case with the 50 minute-interview, there was exuberance throughout. Reflection In general, the interview and just sitting there and listening to Mr. Brian Zaslavsky’s was a great learning curve for me. It is not every day that one gets a chance to meet and talk to a seasoned and proven manager of a great establishment such as Zaytinya. Reflecting on the interview, I must also commend the manager’s humility and patience as he never hurried the interview or showed any sign of discomfort. He took time to answer every of my questions and provided a well thought answer which really impressed me. I would have expected a hurried interview given the busy nature of the restaurant but I was accorded all the time I needed to bolster my understanding on restaurant management and customer service. A keen look at the interview and issues raised by Mr. Brian Zaslavsky’s shows the importance of particular aspects in running a successful establishment. These items are discussed herewith and form the bedrock within which Zaytinya has cultivated its success. To start with, to be a successful manager one needs to have gathered adequate knowledge in a particular field. One would not help but recognize Zaslavsky’s long service in the restaurant business. It should be noted that even at the point where he got a chance to manage Zaytinya he went away to gather commensurate knowledge on a smaller establishment. This incremental investment in knowledge and build up of necessary experience in almost every department of the restaurant has made Zaslavsky a well rounded manager. The result of his leadership is evident in the restaurant’s stellar performance over the years he has been at the helm. Reflecting on running a successful establishment as detailed by Zaslavsky we recognize that the most fundamental investments is in customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is gained by providing the customer with good food, good services and a good environment (Hill and Alexander 11). This enhances the customer’s dining experience. With continuous and consistent customer satisfaction it is expected that customer loyalty will be developed. Customer loyalty is where customers relate dining experience with a particular brand in this case Zaytinya. With loyal customers it becomes easy to bolster revenue and record a strong earnings stream. As noted by Zaslavsky his intrest is not on how much the restaurant will rake in as profits but on the customer’s experience (Hill, Roche and Allen 20). The earning capacity is directly determined by the flow of customer’s and their decision to return and make referrals. Managing employees is also another aspect that determines a business’s success. The manager must create an environment of trust and ensure transparency in addressing all issues that face an organization (Hyman and Mason 67). He must also be a good communicator who helps every employee understand the business’s vision and their role in achieving this vision (Fina 50). Besides, there must be a fair remuneration and a clear means of ensuring that employees are motivated which ensures they are consistent in service delivery (Shields 35). Zaslavsky appears to have achieved this amidst challenges such as a high turnover in the industry and the complex nature of human beings. Synergy highlights the capacity of a business’s different units or parts to function as one (Wit and Meyer 136). Reflecting on the interview, we realize that Zaytinya is one of the 16 restaurants under the ThinkFoodGroup. This group is in charge of overseeing the performance of all the restaurants and some of the defining business functions such as branding strategies and marketing is initiated and run from the Group. However, the Group’s involvement does not dilute the mandate of independent managers but only supplement’s their input. They are free to be innovative and come up with diverse ways of meeting the overall Group’s strategy and maximize on customer experience (Knoll 14). In essence, there is synergy across all departments and this extends to the overall Group which greatly supplements the initiatives of different hotels. The synergy evident has helped in the success and rise of not only particular restaurants but the entire Group as well. This has helped not only in improving the customer’s experience but in ensuring employee satisfaction. Lastly, the interview highlights the importance of technology. Even though Zaslavsky still values the traditional means of interacting with customers it is not impossible to see the importance of a continually update website. This has helped in customer and management interaction and has helped enhance customer experience (Papp 46). This is particularly important with the online booking/reservation option. Works Cited Hill, Nigel, Greg Roche, and Rachel Allen. Customer Satisfaction: The Customer Experience Through the Customer's Eyes. London: Cogent, 2007. Print. Hill, Nigel, and Jim Alexander. The Handbook of Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Measurement. Aldershot, Hampshire, England: Gower, 2006. Print. Hyman, Jeff, and Bob Mason. Managing Employee Involvement and Participation. London: Sage, 1995. Print. Knoll, Sebastian. Cross-business Synergies: A Typology of Cross-Business Synergies and a Mid-Range Theory of Continuous Growth Synergy Realization. Wiesbaden: Gabler Edition Wissenschaft, 2008. Internet resource. Miletsky, Jason I, and Genevieve Smith. Perspectives on Branding. Boston, Mass: Course Learning, 2009. Print. Papp, Raymond. Strategic Information Technology: Opportunities for Competitive Advantage. Hershey, Pa. [u.a.: Idea Group Publ, 2001. Print. Shields, John. Managing Employee Performance and Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies. London. Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print. ThinkFoodGroup. ThinkFoodGroup-Home. 2013. 27 November 2013 . ThinkFoodGroup. Zaytinya-Home. 2013. 27 November 2013 . Wit, Bob , and Ron Meyer. Strategy Synthesis: Concise Version; Resolving Strategy Paradoxes to Create Competitive Advantage. London: Thomson Learning, 2005. Print. Read More