Luxury service is delivered by people, and people need clear expectations, the right tools and someone who has stood where they stand. Chef Bryan Dillon builds training programs and leadership habits that make good service consistent and keep good people from leaving.
The problem
Turnover in food and beverage is expensive. Every cook or server who leaves takes skill and guest knowledge with them, and every new hire needs weeks to reach full speed. When training is informal, each new person learns a slightly different version of the job, and consistency disappears.
The fix is not always new people. Often the team you have already knows what is wrong. They need a clear standard, the tools to meet it and managers who listen.
What Bryan does
- Training programs. Role-by-role training for cooks, chefs, servers and managers, with written materials your team can keep using.
- Standard operating procedures. Clear, written procedures so every shift works to the same standard.
- Service standards. Defined steps of service that match your concept and your guests’ expectations.
- Manager and chef development. Coaching for your leaders on running a shift, giving feedback and building trust.
- Performance reviews. A fair, consistent review process that people take seriously.
- Retention. Practical changes that reduce turnover, starting with whether people have what they need to do the job.
Experience behind the work
Bryan’s approach starts with the team already in place. When he walks into an existing operation, he works with the people who are there, because they know why things are done the way they are. He learned early that a dishwasher he had called lazy simply had not been given the tools he needed, or even a meal. Fix that first, and the work follows.
At Morton’s Restaurant Group he created comprehensive training programs and clear standard operating procedures for the kitchen staff of the Bertolini’s division while it opened six new restaurants in three years. At Station Casinos he built, led and trained a team of 1,500 for a single casino opening. At Red Rock Resort alone his staff numbered about 1,860, and he personally completed performance reviews for about 85 managers and chefs twice a year. To keep them fair, he never did more than two at a time.
He is a Master Graduate of Rapport Leadership International and holds the Master Certified Food Executive designation from the International Food Service Executives Association.
How it fits the Dillon Luxury Process
- Discovery and market analysis. Interviews with staff and managers, a review of turnover and current training.
- Brand identity and positioning. Define the guest experience your team is trained to deliver.
- Strategic planning. A training calendar, materials list and goals for each role.
- Implementation. Training delivered on site, on your equipment, during real service.
- Staff excellence and certification. Team members checked against the standard and certified when they meet it.
- Optimization and growth. Refresher sessions and a path for promoting from within.
Who this is for
- Properties preparing to open and hiring a full team at once
- Operations with high turnover or inconsistent service
- Groups that promote cooks to chefs and need to develop new leaders
Next step
Tell Bryan where service breaks down today, and he will suggest where training will make the biggest difference. Schedule a consultation, or see all consulting services.