editorial
lture & café cu fast food
I
look at cafés and other food providers in a whole new light, of course, now that I am editor of a food magazine. This is a whole new industry for me having previously only written about food in the context of restaurant reviews for a lifestyle magazine or as a brief description in a side bar when I wrote travel stories. Now, as well as hugely upping my coffee intake, I find myself observing every aspect of a food business. I pay a lot more attention to the cabinet and now check out the availability and presentation of items I don’t choose for myself; I find myself noticing the dust and dirt in lazily swept corners; I am somehow less tolerant of excessive kitchen and coffee making noises; more interested in the type and age of the magazines offered; and more critical of service. Service is one of those things that we complain bitterly about when it is bad – although mostly doing nothing about it – and never applause when it is good. But it is a critical element in the success of any business in any sector and we should protest when it is bad and we should comment on it when it is good. I find myself half-way at a local café. The coffee is variable, never bad but not always that great, and the table service is not that sharp. The noise from the kitchen is horrific at times but there is only one other café that is nearby and the coffee there has never been to my liking. So, for want of a better option this is the café I patronize in this suburb. Not really much to recommend – it is a reasonable
jobbing café. But the staff is so darn nice. Their affable and polite approach goes a long way in redeeming the sometimes mediocre coffee. Oh well, I smile to myself, as some sweetly awkward youth puts the coffee down with his version of a flourish. I forgive him the coffee because he gives me that goofy grin like a puppy waiting for praise. The staff changes fairly often – they are of that student-needing-a-part-time-job age – so I guess the owner feels there is not much point in training them properly if they are only going to leave. But I wondered if they would leave so readily if they were formally trained? If a bit of serious direction might make them more serious about the job, increase their pride in their work and see that sort of work as a viable option? The owner obviously has the knack of choosing personable and courteous staff – what a shame he doesn’t develop their service skills. Jane Warwick, Editor editor@espressomagazine.co.nz
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November 2012 |
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