Ft. Wayne Through the Beers

The Chef's Academy participated in the 2nd Annual "Fort Wayne Through the Beers" event held on Thursday September 24th.  The event was held for the Fort Wayne Center for Learning as a "freind raising" event.  The Chef's Academy was one of four brewers present with a Prussian Wheat beer made by Chef Jeffrey Bane, and an IPA made by Chef Lucas Trinosky.  "Fort Wayne Through the Beers" was held at the Bergstaff Place near downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, with approximately 300 people in attendance. 
Fort Wayne Center for Learning provides educational services to students from all socio-economic backgrounds, which allows all families to receive aid for thier students.  The Fort Wayne Center for Learning's mission is: "To help children develop the critical learning skills needed to promote success in school and positive self image."  The FWCL provides individual attention for students who are struggling in the classroom, and helps them learn materials and builds their confidence. 

The 2nd Annual "Fort Wayne Through the Beers" event was a "Freind raiser" aimed at raising awareness of the FWCL and also provide a fundrasing opportunity for their great cause.  The Chef's Academy is enthused to have been a part of the event the past two years and provide micro-brews from Chef Bane and Chef Trinosky. 

It Takes Two To Tango

Greetings Readers!

I LOVE to dance! In fact, get me out on a dance floor and I'm there until the last song is played! I used to be the same way when it came to handling guest complaints. . .I would dance around issues and argue with the guest ensuring I had the final word. It didn't take me long to realize that this kind of attitude and action is detrimental to an organization's operation especially one that is known for its service like a hotel and restaurant.

Yes, guests may approach an employee ready to argue, but if you think about it, the argument can only begin if the employee follows suit. It's important that we all think before we speak and not fall into a dance of back and forth (the tango) with the guest. It takes two includes not only the guest but the employee!

At a very young age, my employer entrusted me with making sure our guests were happy and I took that responsibility lightly. Guests would approach the front desk or stop me in the hallway and I immediately went on the defensive. I even had a language of my own I used to NOT acknowledge the guests concern. Also, Sundays (our biggest day for check-outs) was labeled "No Refund Sunday!" Here's how my fancy footwork would begin:

"Why didn't you contact the front desk last night when you first noticed the leaky faucet?"

"Did you request a rollaway when you made your reservation?"

"So, you're telling me that you're room was dirty and you still stayed in it?"

"I'm sure no one told you movies were free!"

"Non-smoking is a request, not an obligation the hotel has to uphold!"

A two minute check-out at the front desk where I worked would turn into an hour long interrogation as I asked the guest numerous questions trying to get them caught in a lie. My hope was that they would just give up and walk away and my dance routine would end! Although, I had gotten really good at this, my actions resulted in many guests walking away dissatisfied or vowing never to return. No, it wasn't just me - I had actually learned the tango from my supervisor. But when comment card scores dropped and guest complaint letters increased, it was evident I had to either get off the dance floor or come up with a better routine!

Shortly thereafter, my department launched an internal campaign based on the slogan "There is no such thing as a SCAM Artist." The purpose of this was to get us all to believe every guest's issue is as important as the next and should be acknowledged and treated as such. Not everyone sets out to tango with a hotel or to "get over" on us, so we shouldn't approach each situation ready to dance. Equipped with a new attitude and a new outlook on the art of dance, I changed my routine:

"I understand the leaky faucet kept you up last night."

"It is unfortunate a rollaway was not available at the time of your request."

"There's no excuse for your room not being ready."

"I'm sorry there was a misunderstanding concerning the movie charges."

"What can we do to make things right?"

Dancing can be fun when the music is right and the dance floor is crowded! But, when it comes to serving the guest, leave your slick moves behind. Remember it takes two to tango, the argument doesn't have to begin if you make the right moves.

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Faculty Advisor, Travel & Tour Club
http://www.thechefsacademy.com/

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Are YOU Ready for Some FOOTBALL? The Inside Scoop on the Economic Impact of Sporting Events!

Greetings Readers!

I don’t know a thing about football, so please read this at your own risk!

As the excitement continues about the thought of the Super Bowl coming to Indianapolis, many people are asking about the economic impact such a game might have on our fair city. Let’s see . . . there are how many innings in a game? Never mind, let me start with something I know about - the multiplier effect . . . what? What is this and what does this have to do with football? Where are my Hospitality & Restaurant Management Program students? Ask one of them and I’m sure they’ll be able to explain . . .

Go with me on a journey through time . . . the date is January 6, 2011 . . .

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Hotel Desk Clerk: “Good afternoon, thank you for calling the Hillerton Hotel Plaza Indianapolis. This is Julia speaking, how may I assist you?”

Super Bowl Fan: “Yeah, this is Eric and I need to make a reservation for next year’s Super Bowl! I’m staying the whole weekend. Please tell me you have rooms and that you are near all of the action.”

Hotel Desk Clerk: “You have certainly called the right place Mr. Eric. Let’s first start with making your room reservation and then we’ll discuss where ‘all of the action’ is in relation to our hotel!”

Super Bowl Fan: “Cool, I want the best room you have at the cheapest price you have!”

Hotel Desk Clerk: “Well Mr. Eric I’m going to need to be honest with you, the Super Bowl is a very important event for our city and we, the city that is, are already close to being sold out. I have one master deluxe concierge floor ocean view best room in the house suite available; but, it won’t be cheap. In fact, nothing is cheap during the Super Bowl! May I make that reservation for you now?”

________________________________

Sporting events have long been associated with increased hotel rates and high restaurant traffic in the area in which the event is being held. In anticipation of an event, business owners hike up the prices in an effort to capture top dollar on all business coming into town. We call this skimming. “The objective with skimming is to ‘skim’ off customers who are willing to pay more to have the product sooner.” What visitors don’t know is that this is done to offset the practice we call penetration pricing. “Prices are lowered later when demand falls and we have an opportunity to capture a large share of the market.” Businesses can’t do one of these practices without the other. Meaning, during slow times, a business may not be able to discount if they haven’t maximized their revenues during peak times.

It is pretty clear to see how the revenue from ticket prices and stadium concessions may benefit a city and its people. But, there is so much more! This so much more occurs when our fan Eric eats at a different restaurant each night of his visit, drinks at the local bar with his fellow fans, shops for gifts (expensive gifts) for his wife and kids whom he’s left behind at home, perhaps rented a car at the airport or purchased gas for his own vehicle before he hits the road going home, buys midnight snacks, a camera & film at a store around the corner from the hotel, splurged on a buffet breakfast one morning, and purchased underwear when he realized he did his packing and not his wife! Then, he raves about the Hillerton Hotel Plaza and his friends & family spend their next vacation there for years to come. In order to accommodate all of this extra activity, restaurants hire extra staff, stores order & stock more goods, and employees at these locations treat their families to a movie with their overtime pay. This is a result of the multiplier effect. This concept “refers to new money that is brought into a community to pay for hotel rooms, restaurant meals, and other aspects of leisure,” as defined in our Introduction to Hospitality textbooks. The economic impact of major event’s multiply throughout a community bringing benefits and business.

I would be remiss if I didn’t at least touch upon the downside of the multiplier effect. So, here goes . . . studies show that along with all of this good business there is a downside. We open our community up to an increase in crime, vandalism, panhandling, and overcrowding. While it is temporary, every town should develop a plan on how to minimize these negative aspects of a major event.

The date is January 6, 2015 . . .

________________________________

Hotel Desk Clerk: “Good afternoon, thank you for calling the Hillerton Hotel Plaza Indianapolis. This is Julia speaking, how may I assist you?”

Super Bowl Fan: “Hey Julia, this is your biggest fan, Eric. I just called to say, thank you for being honest with me all those years ago when I first came to Indy for the Super Bowl! Now I come to your city for just your city! Thanks again. I am still set for my anniversary in May, right? Oh yeah, don’t forget to try and snag me some Indy 500 tickets!”

________________________________

To summarize, the economic impact of a sporting event is this –

Educating visitors on the reality of pricing during this time . . . 15 minutes.
Increase in crime, vandalism, panhandling, and overcrowding . . . temporary.
More jobs, families going out together, years of continued business . . . priceless.

I hope you’re ready Indianapolis for some football!

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Faculty Advisor, Travel & Tour Club
http://www.thechefsacademy.com/

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“We Change Lives, One Student at a Time!"

Julie & Julia AND Jokima!

Greetings Readers!

I am so glad my name begins with a “J” and I fit right in to the Julia Child and Julie Powell mix! “Julie & Julia” is the name of a movie out right now about the life of French chef Julia Child and her biggest fan Julie Powell. Well, move over Julie, because I am a fan too!

While, I still consider myself to be very young (don’t laugh) I do remember the pioneer Julia Child and her cooking shows that aired in millions of homes across the world. I don’t recall my mother ever preparing anything from any of Julia’s cookbooks (it had something to do with the non-adventurous palate of my meat and potatoes loving father) but I do remember Julia’s television show playing in the background. My brother and I would mimic her quirky voice and I still do today! I do so to gain the attention of my nephews and niece during meal time. “Today, Auntie Jody will prepare a gourmet peanut butter & jelly sandwich a la mode!” Instantly, I am a hit among the little ones. It gets them to at least try what I put on their plate. And no, I do not feed children sandwiches with ice cream!  Really, what kind of Aunt do you think I am?

Julia’s story is an inspiring one that proves that passion pays. She was a housewife searching for something to do to keep her busy. She tried a myriad of things including hat making when she realized she truly enjoyed eating. Me too Julia! This passion for food translated into her taking cooking lessons, writing a book, and eventually starring in her own television show. Keep in mind all of this took place during a time when women weren’t prevalent in the professional culinary arena. For me, she was the very first female Chef that I recognized, identified with, and admired. Many say that she was a woman before her time rather I believe she was RIGHT ON TIME . . .

I remember my senior year in high school going up before a board of military and community officers in JROTC. I was competing for the highest rank in my city – Brigade Commander! I was asked many questions on what I would bring to the student role, my views on societal issues, and what I felt about being a role model. My favorite question was “If placed in this position, what would I do first?” Believe it or not, I thought of Julia Child and how she was a leader in a male dominated environment as was JROTC. “What would Julia say?” I thought to myself. I glanced over to the award table and saw the very large trophy that would be presented to the elected Brigade Commander and it had a male figure on it dressed in a military uniform as if it were already determined that a male student would walk away with the award. So, my response was that my first task as Brigade Commander would be to implement a gender neutral award system. Thanks Julia for being my inspiration! I went home with my man (the award that is) and taped a photo of me over him.

Although, Mrs. Child is no longer with us, we still think of her . . . if you Google one of her signature dishes Boeuf Bourguignon, her recipe from her first book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is still the first to come up on your screen. Yes, many have tried to duplicate, revise and tweak this dish; but, I hear that Julia’s still reigns supreme! Perhaps I’ll try it. Hmmm . . . I will! Before the end of this year, I will attempt to prepare Julia Child’s recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon! I’ll tell my guests to eat at their own risk AND I’ll keep you posted readers on how things go. Wish me luck!

For now, check out the movie Julie & Julia if you get a chance!

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Faculty Advisor, Travel & Tour Club
http://www.thechefsacademy.com/
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“We Change Lives, One Student at a Time!"

Farm Fresh Delivered Right to YOU!

Greeting Readers!

Life is good, especially when you’re eating healthy foods!

The Travel & Tour Club had its first tour today and it was so very exciting! Students and staff received a guided tour of the Farm Fresh Delivery warehouse located in Indianapolis, IN. Our tour guide was our own Chef's Academy foodservice instructor Beth Blessing! Ms. Blessing is co-owner of the warehouse and runs a first rate operation. “Your place is so clean,” commented Ms. Deb Nelson, also a foodservice instructor at the school. However, Ms. Nelson teaches many of our sanitation classes and knows the importance of having a clean establishment.

I was so excited to go on this tour that I used up all of my film before the tour was even over! Ms. Blessing walked us through every aspect of the business. We saw their extensive offering of dry goods and how items are arranged in the refrigerators and freezers. We observed staff going through their list of orders and packing up customer bins for daily delivery. We learned so much. Here are a few facts:

Q & A
QUESTION – What exactly is Farm Fresh Delivery?
ANSWER – “Farm Fresh Delivery is an online home delivery service that provides organic produce and natural groceries to its members.”

QUESTION – What produce items do they deliver?
ANSWER – “Milk, Cheese, Bread, Farm Fresh Eggs, Frozen Meats, Spices, Honey, Chocolate, Fresh Ground Coffee, Tea, Bulk Products, and unique local products. The list is always ‘growing’!”

QUESTION – Does Farm Fresh Delivery make any of their own items?
ANSWER – “Yes. Farm Fresh Delivery even has its own product line, Feel Good Foods, headed by Executive Chef Brandon Hamilton, a Chef’s Academy graduate. The weekly newsletter ‘The Healthy Times’ features recipes, nutrition, and cooking tips from staff nutritionist and co-owner Elizabeth Blessing.”

QUESTION – How many deliveries does Farm Fresh make?
ANSWER – “Farm Fresh Delivery delivers organic products to 1200 homes each week!”

I hope you want to know more! If so, check out the Farm Fresh Delivery website at http://www.farmfreshdelivery.com/. The website is a great face for the establishment. It takes you step-by-step on how to sign up for delivery services in Indianapolis or Cincinnati and offers recipes and tips.  However, to see the warehouse, to witness Ms. Blessing’s enthusiasm, and to observe staff preparing for the day’s deliveries is a true testament of how enriching the Travel & Tour Club is to our school and students. “Seeing is believing” and you should not want to miss out on any of our other adventures! Join TODAY!

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Faculty Advisor, Travel & Tour Club
http://www.thechefsacademy.com/

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The Chef's Academy on Myspace

“We Change Lives, One Student at a Time!"

Student's perspective on State Fair experience

The Indiana State Fair concluded August 23, 2009 and The Chef's Academy was very involved in demonstrations throughout the duration of the State Fair in the Home and Family Arts building on the Culinary stage. Career Services Director Joshua Horrigan gave a great number of demonstrations throughout the fair as well as a student of The Chef's Academy and one of our Advisory Board members.
We also had instructors Chef Bane and Chef Trinosky, along with students Adam Walker and Jeremiah Clark participate in the State Fair's pumpkin carving contest. Below Adam describes his experience at the 2009 Indiana State Fair.

"In the eight years I've lived in Indianapolis I have never attended The Indiana State Fair. I got to visit the State Fair on August 14, 2009.

I entered a pumpkin carving competition with Chef Bane, Chef Trinosky, and another student named Jeremiah Clark. When we got to the Agriculture building, we already had a crowd waiting around our area wanting to see us carve these 400 pound pumpkins. This was the first time that I have ever carved on something this big; I usually carve from watermelons to apples, cantaloupe and honeydew. Those items don’t compare to a 400 pound pumpkin!

I had an idea of what I wanted to do, which was to take a bumper sticker design that is meaningful to me and carve it right into the pumpkin. The bumper sticker design was in memory of a good friend of mine, Lilly Irene Martyn, that passed away this past June. On the pumpkin are a few of her favorite words and phrases that she loved to say, she was an amazing girl. After I got done carving the enormous pumpkin, we packed up and headed on our way home. Later that night our carvings were judged and awarded. My pumpkin got fourth place in the competition. I was happy with my placing and it helped increase my carving skills.

Saturday August 15, 2009 Chef Bane and I went back to The Indiana State Fair and this time it was to carve another pumpkin, although this time it was for fun. We got to carve whatever we wanted, since it was the year of the tomato, Chef Bane decided to carve that into one side of his 700 pound pumpkin. On the other side was the Indiana State Fair logo that he carved with random designs. The pumpkin that I carved was a 600 pound pumpkin that I decided to carve a big eye in and make it like a mouth. I kind of made it look like it was the monster from Monsters Inc… Mike Wazowski. Overall the end product of what I carved looked good; I took what I remembered what he looks like and I put that right into the pumpkin.

For going to the fair for the first time in my life of all eight years I have lived here, I really enjoyed what I came to do, I would love to go back next year and help out."

Shucks! Just spilled my coffee . . . is that a sign of what kind of day this is going to be?

This was my morning Facebook & Twitter post on yesterday! As encouraging words from Sherman, Monty, Jennifer, James, and Lakesha started to trickle in, my spilled coffee incident faded away. Thank you!

I, Jokima Hiller, had a fabulous day and I am bursting at the seams to tell you all about it . . .

• Field trip . . . 23 students . . . ALL were present and accounted for and that made my day! Hosted by Longhorn Steakhouse off of Southport, 23 pastry students from The Chef’s Academy FS 1000 Small Business Accounting class toured the restaurant and tasted a variety of appetizers.
  
  Manager, Mechelle Moore gave a great talk on how important learning the basics of accounting is to anyone interested in being in management of any type of business. Students reviewed a P&L and learned the importance of being able to interpret such financial statements. This is something we stress a lot in our class.
  
  Don’t know what a P&L is, well then I guess you need to enroll at The Chef’s Academy! Yep, that was another one of those shameless plugs.
  
• I got invited by industry colleague Burnell Goldman, Director of Rooms @ The Omni Severin Hotel, to attend a networking event hosted by the Indianapolis Concierge & Associates of Hospitality group. This wonderful event made my day!
  
  The event was held at the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe which is right next door to The Best Chocolate in Town shop. Needless to say, the pressure from my industry colleague Jill Woods from The Country Inn & Suites Indy AP South was not necessary as we stopped in for a box of chocolates before joining the networking event! I’ll come back to the box of chocolates; but, let me say that the Indianapolis Concierge & Associates of Hospitality is a delightful group. Businesses ranging from restaurants & hotels to baby-sitting services & ballet dance were represented. I learned so much more about the city of Indianapolis and what it has to offer.
  
  In addition, attendees had a chance to “taste” several different wines from the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe! There was a Sparkling Peach, Raspberry, and Strawberry and a red wine from South Africa. Jill Ditmire, owner, was a great host and explained so eloquently the history and flavors of each of the wine presentations. I am now a Facebook Fan of the Mass Ave Wine Shoppe! You should be too!
  
  Moving right along, Kermit Ellis, General Manager, of the Scholars Inn was at the networking event. He talked with passion about his restaurant and lounge. As if the chocolates weren’t enough of an indulging purchase, Jill Woods talked me into stopping by the Scholars Inn for a light dinner as a follow-up to the wine tasting. What a treasure! The Scholars Inn’s atmosphere, food, and service surely were a part in making my day. What? Spilled coffee – who cares!
  
• The day was coming to a close as I readied for bed and pulled the box of chocolates out of my purse. I guess I was guarding them like a million dollar diamond! I opened the beautifully prepared box with the goal of tasting just one AND well, “poof” they vanished and I went to bed with a welcomed ache in my head. Sweet dreams literally!

Imagine if all I had to report on was a cup of spilled Folgers! Today was a good day and I thank you for having part in it and I thank you readers for letting me share it with you.

Here’s wishing YOU too a great day!

Jokima Hiller, MBA, Hospitality & Restaurant
Management Program Coordinator
Faculty Advisor, Travel & Tour Club
http://www.thechefsacademy.com/

The Chef's Academy on the Web
The Chef's Academy on Facebook
The Chef's Academy on Myspace

“We Change Lives, One Student at a Time!"