Bryan LaForge

Post about of stewarding Department. What is the Stewarding Department? Most guests never see it, yet it’s one of the most essential departments in any hotel,restaurant, or banquet operation.The Stewarding Department is the backbone of kitchen operations—responsible for: Maintaining kitchen cleanliness & hygiene Washing and sanitizing all utensils, plates, and equipment,Managing kitchen waste and recycling.Ensuring compliance with food safety standards,Supporting chefs and F&B teams during events from operating dishwashers to managing inventory of cutlery and glassware, stewards play a silent yet powerful role in delivering a safe and memorable dining experience. Unsung heroes of hospitality.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about professional growth lately. The more I learn about my role and the hospitality industry, the more energized I become. Complexity no longer feels intimidating, it feels strategic. The deeper I understand the operational layers behind business development, catering logistics, forecasting, and client experience, the clearer the opportunities become. And I love a challenge and not because it’s easy, but because it demands precision, accountability, and composure. Executive presence isn’t about titles. It’s about consistency. It’s about decision-making under pressure. It’s about treating people well, especially when things are moving fast. The longer I’m in this industry, the more I realize that commanding respect doesn’t require volume. It requires steadiness, competence, and integrity. Growth seasons aren’t always comfortable. But they refine you in ways comfort never will. The more I learn, the more focused I become on building systems, strengthening partnerships, and leading with clarity. To me, challenge isn't chaos but handled well it becomes momentum. #mindset #growth #change #momentum

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As a woman in the culinary industry, I’ve often chosen not to focus on gender disparities—preferring instead to let my work ethic, skill, and experience speak for themselves. But recent events have made silence impossible. Over the past two years, I’ve held leadership roles at two respected establishments in this city. In that time, I’ve witnessed serious misconduct: An executive chef fired for drinking on the job was re-employed within a week. Another chef, terminated for sexual misconduct with a subordinate, was hired again in just five days. When I fulfilled my duty and reported this behavior—as was I was told to by H.R and expected of me as a manager—I was the one who lost my job. I often think I shouldn't have said anything and allow this behavior to continue though it made me very uncomfortable. Since then, I’ve faced two months of job searching. Despite a strong resume, deep experience, and high-level references, I’ve repeatedly been told that companies “went in another direction.” This includes applications to organizations such as Marriott Hotels, Hyatt, lemeridien, Parker Hospitality, Serena Pastificio, @FifthGroup, IPIC Theaters, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and The Cheesecake Factory. It’s disheartening to know that if I were a man with my exact qualifications, I likely wouldn’t be subjected to the same level of scrutiny—or pushed aside for doing the right thing. I’m sharing this not out of bitterness, or for anyone to feel sorry for me, but out of a desire for transparency, accountability, and progress in our industry. Leadership, integrity, and talent should outweigh gender, skin color, or someone's willingness to ignore wrongdoings. To the companies and decision-makers reading this: we can and must do better. I will continue to rise, push forward, and speak up—not just for myself, but for every underrepresented, undervalued, and any overlooked Shefs doing things the right way. DO BETTER!! #CulinaryLeadership #WomenInHospitality #Accountability #DoBetter #LasVegas #Atlanta #OpenToWork #SHEFS

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"Even chefs running 3-star Michelin kitchens can fail outside fine dining. Why? Because professional development in restaurants is almost non-existent." — Dan Giusti In this week’s Fugitive Chefs Podcast episode, Dan speaks candidly about the lack of leadership training and professional growth in fine dining — and why so many chefs struggle beyond the restaurant walls. 📌 Full episode link in comments. #FugitiveChefs #DanGiusti #Noma #Brigaid #Leadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #FoodSystems

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You Get What You Pay For Especially When Hiring a Chef. I keep reading the same thing: “We can’t find strong culinary talent.” But the real question is what are you offering? If you want to pull high performers away from solid positions, it takes more than a title bump or a few extra dollars an hour. It takes Vision they can believe in, Real autonomy not micromanagement, Ownership of the food and the team, Support from leadership when it counts, A culture they respect, Investment in standards, not shortcuts Top chefs don’t leave jobs for lateral moves. They leave for opportunity. They leave for growth, They leave for alignment, They leave for leadership that challenges them and backs them. If you want excellence, you have to build an environment worthy of it. Because at the end of the day you get what you pay for. And sometimes what you’re really paying for… is commitment.

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The most expensive time in your bar is the busiest hour. Not because of labor. Because of friction. I have spent years watching bars struggle during peak service, and the issue is almost never the bartenders. It is the system. Too many garnishes Too many house prep items Too many cocktails with six or more ingredients Too many drinks that only sell twice a night Every extra step adds seconds. Seconds become minutes. Minutes become lost revenue. During a rush, a drink that takes ten seconds longer to build can slow the entire bar. That is the kind of operational friction most people never measure. Lately I have been building an app designed to help bar operators identify these hidden friction points and simplify systems behind the bar. But I would love to hear from people actually running bar programs. From your experience, what is one operational challenge you deal with regularly that you think technology could actually help solve? Bartenders, bar owners, beverage directors, and operators, I would really value your perspective.

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So true! Delegation is our only way to avoid burnout and keep our employees happy. Hoarding control leads to micromanagement and mass overturn. Let the people you hire learn & grow—that’s why we’re in this industry.

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Real Hospitality Leadership Shows Up on the Floor. The catering and hospitality hustle is real. Sanjay holds an executive role but there’s no such thing as a desk only day. Catering hat. Hospitality hat. Business hat. Often all in the same shift. Hospitality is different. It’s one of the few industries where leadership doesn’t step away from service = it steps into it. Today’s leaders don’t just plan from a distance. They work on the business and in it, because the impact on the floor matters just as much as the strategy behind the scenes. Especially growing businesses like Chef de la Maison, it’s exactly what we need. It’s not always neat. It’s not always comfortable. But it’s real. That’s Sanjay in a nutshell. A catering and hospitality leader living the reality of the role and growing it step by step. To those leading from the floor this one’s for you ✊

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Leadership Isn’t a Title. It’s a Track Record. Walk into too many corporate kitchens or event operations, and you’ll find the same faces in the same roles they’ve held for a decade. No mentorship. No advancement. No innovation — just rotation. That’s not stability. That’s stagnation. And AI is about to expose it at scale. The algorithms being built to manage food systems, staffing, and logistics don’t care about résumés or titles. They care about data growth. If your department hasn’t evolved, if your people aren’t learning, if your systems haven’t improved — AI will flag that faster than HR ever did. The new era of leadership isn’t about control. It’s about development velocity. The future will belong to the managers who train humans and machines to think better together. Everyone else will be replaced by the very systems they ignored. #Leadership #Hospitality #AI #WorkforceDevelopment #FoodSystems #EventIndustry #Automation #FutureOfWork #CulinaryInnovation #Management

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Culture does not begin in the kitchen. It begins in the individual. SIP — Standards. Integrity. Precision. — begins with the person before it ever becomes the culture. A kitchen, a company, or even a ministry cannot operate with discipline if the individual does not first operate with SIP internally. Standards – The personal line you refuse to cross. Integrity – Doing the right thing when nobody is inspecting. Precision – Executing the right way every time, not just when it’s convenient. Culture is simply a collection of individual habits. When each person commits to SIP personally, alignment begins to take shape. When the team aligns, discipline becomes the operating rhythm. And when discipline becomes the rhythm, culture becomes sustainable. Before SIP becomes a system in the kitchen, it must become a standard in the individual. Because culture is not built by policies. It is built by people who choose discipline daily. SIP: Standards. Integrity. Precision. #Leadership #ExecutiveChef #HospitalityLeadership #Culture #Discipline

The ACF 2026 Industry Trends Report is out, and it’s worth your time. What stands out isn’t flash or gimmicks—it’s a clear return to fundamentals: quiet luxury, intentional hospitality, disciplined execution, and thoughtful menu development. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, consistently, at a higher level. For chefs—especially those in corporate or multi-unit environments—this report reinforces something I strongly believe: leadership today is less about ego and more about stewardship. Guests are looking for confidence, clarity, and quality. Teams are looking for direction and standards that actually mean something. National trends only matter if they can be applied locally. The real work is translating insights like these into daily execution—in the kitchen, in the dining room, and in how we train and lead our teams. Curious how others are planning to apply these trends heading into 2026. #HospitalityLeadership #CulinaryTrends #SanAntonioChefs #TexasHospitality #RestaurantLeadership

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Being an Executive Chef today is way different than it used to be. It’s not just about cooking anymore. You’re juggling budgets, food costs, staffing issues, and corporate meetings. You’re running banquets, restaurants, room service — sometimes all at the same time. You have to be a leader first — someone who actually cares about their people, listens, coaches, and protects the team. Yelling and fear? That’s old news. Now it’s about empathy and communication. You can be the best cook in the kitchen, but that doesn’t automatically make you the best leader. Being an Executive Chef takes patience, diplomacy, and a thick skin for all the corporate stuff. Also, cooks today care way more about their life outside work. If you want to keep a good team, you have to support their work-life balance and mental health. It’s a tough job — maybe the toughest yet. But if you can balance passion with business, and heart with discipline, you’ll make it. To all the Executive Chefs out there doing their best — keep going. You’re shaping the future of hospitality. #ExecutiveChef #ChefLife #Leadership #Hospitality #WorkLifeBalance

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🧿🧿 When Loyalty Is Met With Doubt. In hospitality, integrity and trust aren’t just words—they’re the invisible threads that hold every guest experience together. For many of us, these values are personal. We show up early, stay late, and go the extra mile not because someone is watching, but because we believe in doing right by the brand, the team, and the guest. We protect the company’s reputation as if it were our own. That’s what loyalty looks like. But sometimes, the very people who uphold these values find themselves blamed when things go wrong. Not for negligence. Not for misconduct. But for trying to do the right thing in difficult circumstances. It’s a painful irony—when the trust you’ve built is questioned, and your integrity becomes a target instead of a shield. The disappointment cuts deep, not because of ego, but because of the emotional investment we make in our work. To be loyal is to carry the weight of responsibility even when resources are scarce, systems are strained, and support is delayed. It means saying “no” to shortcuts, even when they’re tempting. It means standing by the guest, the team, and the brand—even when it’s hard. So when that loyalty is met with suspicion or blame, it doesn’t just hurt—it disorients. It makes you question whether your values are truly valued. This post isn’t about bitterness. It’s about truth. It’s about honoring the silent warriors in every café, hotel, and restaurant who choose integrity over convenience, and trust over shortcuts. May we build workplaces where loyalty is protected, not punished. Where trust is mutual, not conditional. And where every employee who gives their heart to the job is seen, heard, and respected. #HospitalityTruths #IntegrityMatters #LoyaltyInAction #RespectTheTeam #EmotionalIntelligence #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipWithHeart #SilentWarriors #TrustAndTransparency #HospitalityVoices #TeamSpirit #SeenHeardRespected

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Kitchen Safety & Food Hygiene Matter More Than Ever! 🧼👨‍🍳 Whether you’re a seasoned chef, culinary student, or food service manager, staying on top of safety and hygiene standards is non-negotiable. This visual guide is a quick and effective refresher on the core principles that protect our kitchens and our customers. Key takeaways: ✅ Ideal storage and cooking temperatures ✅ The Danger Zone to avoid bacterial growth ✅ Types of food hazards (microbiological, chemical, physical, allergenic) ✅ 7 Principles of Critical Control Points (CCP) ✅ Smart stock rotation & safe receiving practices ✅ How to avoid hazards in the workplace Keeping a kitchen safe isn’t just about compliance—it’s about professionalism, accountability, and delivering top-tier quality every time. 🍽️ 📌 Save this. Share with your team. Make it part of your next kitchen training session.

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The modern Executive Chef role has evolved beyond mere cooking expertise to become a multifaceted position. The Leader role in the kitchen includes * Mentorship: Fostering professional development. * Fostering Culture: Creating a collaborative environment. * Digital Systems: Utilizing digital kitchen display systems (KDS) for inventory, temperature logs, and to speed up food production, reducing errors. * Workflow Optimization:Streamlining kitchen layouts and processes to improve efficiency and reduce ticket times.  * Cost Management: Managing food and labor costs to maintain profitability. * Inventory Control: Monitoring par levels to avoid waste or shortages. * Compliance: Ensuring strict adherence to health, safety, and sanitation standards. * Consistency: Maintaining high standards of food quality and consistency. * MenuDevelopment. menu planning, balancing food costs with customer preferences. * Trends Adaptation: Staying updated with culinary trends,. * Bridge between Front and Back of House: Acting as the liaison between the kitchen and front-of-house . * Crisis Management: Quickly resolving issues such as equipment failure, staffing.

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