Eating Out by LASA Ezine

Eating Out A journey through the culinary industry

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Issue 1 Spring 2022

Eating Out | 2

Table of C 6

Letter From the Editors

A Taste of China

By Aaron Gu

4 Major Types of Chinese Cuisine

World of Food in Austin

By Khush Lalchandani

18 Eating Out | 4

Pillars to a Sucesful Resturaunt

Contents 20

Creating a Restaurant

By Ayoub Ahmad

How to Make Torchy Inspired Taco’s

Lenoir, Laundrette and More

By Maya Cooper

Levels of a Restaraunt

Picture Collage

Meet The Editors Ayoub Ahmad is currently a LASA freshman and avid basketball fan. In his free time, he enjoys gaming and hanging out with his friends. Ayoub says he wants to write about fast food chains in Texas, and will enjoy his time in Ezine. When he grows up, Ayoub hopes to become an engineer, and follow in the footsteps of his father.

Maya Cooper is a freshman at LASA. She likes to play soccer because she enjoys running. She also enjoys hiking and baking. She is an aspiring lawyer and wishes to go to law school and undergraduate law. For her Ezine magazine, she wants to write about how a fine dining restaurant is run, and the different levels of a restaurant. Overall, Maya is a very athletic driven individual.

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Aaron Gu is an aspiring doctor at Lasa High School. Interestingly enough, he said “I don’t like bio.” so it might take some real commitment to become a doctor. He is currently working on an “Ezine” project about Asian restaurants in Austin. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, and hanging out with his friends “cause it’s fun”.

Khush Lalchandani attends LASA high school in Austin, Texas. He wants to write about local businesses and restaurants in the Austin area. Khush enjoys playing football and video games, supposedly they’re very entertaining. After graduating from LASA, Khush wants to attend college, though he is unsure which one as of right now. He says that the most interesting thing about him is that he and his immediate family are the only people in Austin with their last name.

A Taste of

China

What it Takes to Run a Chinese Restaurant in Austin By Aaron Gu

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“During service, it’s sort of like a battle for us. We get numerous orders each hour. The number of waitresses and waiters, I think it’s almost like six or five people and sometimes even 10 people. I think the kitchen has seven people. I mean, it’s basically like a fight for all of us.”

sian cuisine has been represented around the world in multiple different ways. There are a wide variety of dishes and food, and many have a unique texture and tastes. Here in Austin, there are a multitude of Asian restaurants. What does it take to run an Asain restaurant in Austin, and how would you maintain it? There are many different Chinese restaurants in Austin, and they all have their own similarities and differences. I have interviewed 3 people from very different restaurants in Austin, and asked for their opinions and daily routines.

The owner of A+A Chinese Restaurant, Jessica Xi, also agrees with this view. She said that they primarily serve Sichuan Chinese food, and she likes to keep her menus traditional. However, this might also be a double-edged sword. “We mainly serve Sichuan cuisine. Because Sichuan cuisine is very spicy and unique, not a lot of westerners like it. I just chose traditional Sichuan dishes that Chinese people like. I don’t get a lot of foreigners at my restaurant.” Another thing that shapes the restaurant is your determination. From buying supplies to opening early and maintaining a good relationship with customers, there is a lot that needs to be done. Mr. He said “Absolutely. We are open at 11 but I come in here not at 10. I come in every day at eight o’clock. Because I have to make Dim Sum, Dim Sum is a lot of job to do. I need to come really early. I have to mix the flour, make stuff, and then the employees come and use them. We are usually 90% homemade[referring to the ingredients]. That’s why I need to prepare everything and then at 11 they come in, they know how they just prepare and make everything. Right now I have like 50 or 60 people for Dim Sum. I need to improve a lot. For example, look at how you make a dumpling, you need to prepare vegetables, meat, and flour.”

Head chef He at Shanghai Chinese Restaurant owns the oldest Dim Sum restaurant in Austin. He said that his menu choices shaped his restaurant.

“My restaurant is the oldest Dim Sum restaurant in Austin. I think it’s been 10 years. That’s why when I came to this Shanghai restaurant I just changed a little bit, not too much. Because Dim Sum is traditional, it is almost the same[referring to the restaurant] just put some different Dim Sum[referring to the menu].”

Andrew Peng from Panda Express also feels the same way. He said that he also has to “get up early -a few hours before we open- and get started with some basic prep. Cleaning, getting everything ready, that kind of stuff. Food is cooked and we just make more when we need.”

He later elaborated on the subject in Chinese. He was trying to convey that he didn’t change the menu when he joined the restaurant because he wanted to keep it traditional.

However, COVID has made quite an impact on restaurants. Many changes have been made, and some of these changes have made a big impact on staff and menus.

Traditional Chinese architecture. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

“Covid was pretty rough for me. Since we lost a lot of customers, we made very little money, so I actually had to move into a smaller building.” Xi said “The majority of our orders were already online anyway. During Covid, I also had to manage everything by myself. All the workers left.” Mr. He said that “for Covid, I just canceled a lot of difficult Dim Sum. And right now we have a lot of different Dim Sum.” But Mr. He also said that some good things had come out of this event. “COVID-19 made a really big change because before, my business was not very good. But right now it’s very good but right now. Before Covid-19, there were many Dim Sum Restaurants. I think there were three to four places. But right now, it is closed in two big locations. Right now, traditional Dim-Sum restaurants, there is only ones I have. If they want to eat Dim-Sum on the weekends, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant is the only option.”

“Of course, when I come to this restaurant I just know a little bit about Dim Sum meals. You need a lot of Dim Sum skills. That’s why I just asked a lot of Dim Sum chefs, a lot of problems, not just a little bit. But I just practice, practice, just keep going, keep going, learning and here now I have been in this restaurant 6 years and right now, my restaurant on weekends is really busy.” For Chef He’s restaurant, his problems were about the different types of Dim Sum, and even now he is still trying to come up with new dishes.

“Covid was pretty rough for me. Since we lost a lot of customers, we made very little money, so I actually had to move into a smaller building.” Xi said. “The majority of our orders were already online anyway. During Covid, I also had to manage everything by myself. All the workers left.”

Of course, it’s not possible to run a restaurant without having faced the problems of starting one up. Many Chinese restaurants experience problems from the start, but overcoming these obstacles is just a part of managing a successful restaurant. A chef prepares Dim Sum. Photo courtesy of Unsplash. Eating Out | 10

Another problem people often have is just not being very popular. Ms. Xi admits that her “restaurant is not very popular. Getting a consistent amount of customers is one of my biggest problems. Another problem was just making sure I made enough money to maintain the restaurant.” Consistency and skill with different kitchen appliances also is a big part of the struggle “Well, learning using the wok was very challenging. At first, they [the other workers] wouldn’t let me near it at first, but over time they trusted me more and let me try it out. To this day, I’m still not one hundred percent confident using it, but I’ll get better over time” Andrew Peng said.

The future of some of these restaurants is still unknown. Mr. He wishes to be able to work at his restaurant for a long time, but doesn’t really have a clear plan for the future. Andrew Peng said that his job is only going to be temporary, but also still isn’t sure what’s next. Some people, like Ms. Xi, already know what’s next. “Short term [goals] is just stability. Still trying to recover from Covid. Ideally get some new workers and make enough money to move back into the old place. As for long term, as I said, this is just a side job. I actually plan on retiring in 4 years so I just want to make sure I make profit.” Hopefully, as Covid cases decline and more people are getting vaccines, more people are able to explore and enjoy Asian cuisine. As the world opens up again and many restaurants prepare to open back up, maybe we can go out and try some new Chinese food. All photos taken from unsplash open domain

A Taste

The 4 Major Types o

China has many different cusines and unique dishes. Due to an influx of As cusine. This infographic will help you identify the different types of cusines as well a

1. Lu Cuisine Originated in Shandong and has very high requirements for the shape, meaning, taste, color, and fragence of the dishes. This type of cuisine is relished for the many kinds of different seafood and vegetable dishes, and their style of frying in high heat that locks in flavors and isn’t oily. The main aim of an Lu style chef is to preserve the cut, color, and taste of the main ingredients, so relatively little spice or sugar is used.

Example: Braised Pork Balls

2. Yue Cuisine Yue cuisine is also called Cantonese cusine. Most of the Chinese restaurants in the world mainly focus on Yue cuisine. What distinguishes Cantonese food is lightly cooked fresh vegetables, meat, and sweet sauces. An authentic Yue chef’s goal is to preserve the food’s original flavor, so very little spice is used.

Example: Char Siu Eating Out | 12 Sources: Dailyfood.com- The Four Major Cuisines of China

Wikipedia- Chinese Cuisine

Of China

of Chinese Cuisine

sian immigration, many people have been introduced to Chinese dishes and as introduce you to a bit of Chinese culture.

3. Huaiyang Cuisine Huaiyang cuisine originated in Jiangsu and is rooted in the Ancient Jiangnan area with profound cultural heritage. Huaiyang cuisine is very exquisite and focuses on elegant taste and exquisite appearance. Another staple of Huaiyang Cusine is the light, mild and, sweet taste with strong original flavors of the materials.

Example: Sweet and Sour Fish

4. Chuan Cuisine Also known as Sichuan cuisine, which is where it originated. These dishes had very bold flavors and used heavy spices and strong flavors. Sichuan food is often spicy, sour, sweet, and salty.However, some people dislike it due to the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique taste of the Sichuan pepper.

Example: Kung Pao Chicken

Images taken from Unslpash’s public domain images

World of Food in Austin

The Ins and Outs of a Local Restaurant By Khush Lalchandani

hen managing a restaurant, any small there on the job. And not only working in the industry mistake with a product order or with but working in different jobs of the industry, right.” your serving team can have a subEstrada also said that being an owner, you have to be stantial financial impact and rebound ready to take up any job or responsibility around the through your restaurant. Although running a restaurestaurant. rant can be a fun job, it comes with many responsibili- “As a business owner, you have to be ready to take ties and challenges. on every single hat. You have to be ready to put your Austin is home to many local restaurants that make degree or whatever aside and say, ‘Hey, this is my busithe city very unique. These restaurants are all special ness, my house, my rules. You have to just be ready to in their own way and come from unique backgrounds. transition into every job from the top to the bottom,” They all share a common knowledge of the benefits of Estrada added, “When I have an employee that doesn’t owning a local restaurant and its challenges. show up, or I have an employee that quits, for whatevEric Nathal is the founder and owner of Austin Rotiser reason, I have to step in and be able to do that job. serie. He says that the most Now, is it glamorous? No. important thing in starting a “As a business owner, you have to be ready to But if the trash needs to restaurant is taking that first be taken out, I have to take on every single hat. You have to be ready take out the trash.” step. to put your degree or whatever aside and say, It is also very important I would say, just go for it. Don’t overthink it, Nathal ‘Hey, this is my business, my house, my rules. to be working with your said. “And you’ll learn but employees and Nathal You have to just be ready to transition into the biggest thing was taking adds that it is important to every job from the top to the bottom.” a leap. I’ve always loved to put yourself out there and cook Follow your passion be at the forefront of the - Regina Estrada, Restaurant co-owner Regina Estrada, a co-owner business. of Joe’s Bakery, said that in “I’m always present and addition to having a good education, it is also essential I still work, doing whatever they do, because I don’t to know what it is like to work in a restaurant in order want to lose touch,” Nathal said, “I always try to cover to run one. at least a couple hours a day[cooking]. “There are so many things that you can’t learn from a The recent price surges and the supply chain issues textbook,” Estrada said, “you can’t learn from the inter- have had a massive impact on the restaurant industry. net, and you can’t google it. You need to physically be Due to these problems, Estrada said that sometimes Eating Out | 14

you just have to say some products are not available. “At the end of the day, we have to make an executive decision. If something is too expensive, then we’re just not going to buy it,” Estrada said.” We don’t have avocados because it’s not worth it because every time, the cost increases. You can’t pass that on to the customers, right? You can’t change your prices.” COVID-19 has also had a massive impact on the restaurant industry. Along with the surging prices, many people aren’t ready to return to restaurants after going so long without them. “Before COVID hit, we were at the top of our game. The business was really thriving, we were growing. We were just seeing a growth that we hadn’t seen before,” Estrada said, “So COVID-19, we went from here to boom, I mean, and it was really, it was really one of these moments where it makes or breaks a business.” Bhupinder Rawat is the founder and owner of Zaika Indian Cuisine. He agreed that numerous challenges came from COVID-19, and some of the most damaging ones were customer loss and the business changes Two beef tacos. Photo courtesy of Unsplash

that were made as a result. “We have dealt with a lot fewer customers coming into our restaurant,” Rawat said, “Due to this, we had to stop our buffet service, which we used to have during lunch, as there were not as many people.” COVID-19 has also caused workers’ jobs to change, which has led some people to not want to continue in their jobs. The recent worker shortages have caused many businesses to run into problems. “The reason for our success is we have nailed down almost to a science what we need to do for our business to be successful. So it’s repetition and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition,” Estrada said. “Asking them [employees] to change their daily duties. It’s challenging, right? It’s challenging. So, you know, what we were asking of our waitstaff, it was a lot. It was very hard for them to go from waiting on a person at a table to walking orders outside and doing the curbside.” To run a restaurant business, you have to be able to set your boundaries and understand that it is not just a typical job.

Veggie Thali at Zaika Restaurant. Photo courtesy of Khush Lalchandani

“The biggest challenge is the job doesn’t stop, it’s not a nine to five, it’s not a, okay, let me clock in and clock out,” Estrada said. “I kind of have to set those parameters for myself, like I very clearly have to kind of set that like, I am not going to work past this time, for my own mental health. And for my own well-being.” Hard work and dedication lead to success in the world of local restaurants. Experience is also a crucial factor in the restaurant industry. It helps to have experience working at a restaurant to be an effective manager. “I started working here when I was about 14 in high school, I would come work on the weekends, bus tables,” Estrada said. “On the job training is probably the most important aspect of being a business owner.” Being the owner of a restaurant is a massive commitment. You are going to have to be willing to make an enormous sacrifice, especially if you have family and Eating Out | 16

children to care for. This may be demotivating, but being the owner or owner of a local restaurant also has many benefits. “The benefit of being a local restaurant owner is that you get to see people come back to something that they really love,” Rawat said. “We love seeing the same people. We love hearing the stories. We really love giving people some food that they love and to create a place of inclusion and a place for people to gather over good food and good memories. Running a restaurant can be a challenging business, but the benefits are numerous. Local restaurants play a significant role as they can help the community. The next time you go out to eat, you should try a local restaurant near you as you will receive food that is made fresh and of higher quality. You will also get better service and help the local community.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

PILLARS TO A SUCCE

Have you ever wondered what goes into a succesful restaurant? Did you know that 71 percent of customers say they’re more likely to recommend a com These are some of the most important aspects to run a succesful restaurant!

1. Good service

Good service brings together all of the other aspects of running a restaurant. Your cooking and waiting staff should be trained to communicate with customers and resolve any problems that may come up.

2. Good Food

One of the most important things is having great food. This starts with hiring a chef. Your chef must be accustomed to your cusine and the concept that your restaurant is going for.

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ESFUL RESTAURANT

mpany that responds quickly to them on social media?

By Khush Lalchandani

3. Work Environment Having a good work environment is the key to keeping your workers and customers happy. This can be done by choosing good furniture and getting worker and customer feedback for improvements.

4. Advertisement

A restaurant is nothing without advertisements. Some of the best ways to do this are to create a website and to have an online social media presence. A combination of this and a memorable brand is all you need to promote your restaurant.

Sources: Entrepreneur and Time Magazine

Modern Restaurant. Photo courtesy of Unsplash. Eating Out | 20

Creating a RESTAURANT The Journey From Zero to Hero by: Ayoub Ahmad

magine being a broke student, thousands of dollars in debt, and looked down upon for your dreams. This is the life of many who take the challenging path of starting a career in the culinary field. The culinary field has always been somewhat of a gamble. It is difficult to know whether or not a business idea or job will ever benefit you in the long run. Starting a restaurant from scratch and growing it into a franchise is quite the difficult task. The journey from start to finish is a treacherous one. Mike Rypka, the CEO and founder of Torchy’s Tacos is one of the most successful people in the culinary industry throughout all of Austin. As a person who started with nothing, he said that sometimes you must take a risk and put everything you have into one idea and commit in order to be successful. “I really wanted to start my own thing. And, you know, at the time, it was really hard to go to a bank and ask for half a million or a million bucks to start a restaurant,” Rypka said. “So I kind of took out my savings, took out a loan on my house and maxed out my credit cards and got a trailer as well.” Back in 2006, when Rypka first started out his business, Torchy’s Tacos, he started in a food trailer. At that

time, food trailers “were not really a cool hip thing yet. We were kind of on the cutting edge of that,” he says. Starting with loans and a food trailer in a time where they were uncommon, and now being one of the biggest food chains in Texas, you may have the question, how has he been so successful over these years? "I had to ask people for their business, you know, and I gave out a lot of samples and would take chips and salsa, the offices and tire shops and mechanics, and dentist offices and lawyer offices and whoever I could get my food to, and just get them to try it. And, you know, with the hopes of, hey, if they liked the food, they'll come and eat it. And that strategy worked over time," Mike says. The journey of creating a restaurant is a tough one, and business is not something that just flows in on its own. Evan Stephenson has been a Texas Roadhouse board member for the past 9 years and has led a career in the culinary industry since he was 15 years old. He agreed that sacrificing to find customers is important, but that is not his main tip for starting a career in this industry. "I think the biggest thing would be you know work in a variety of restaurants. Whether it be fine dining or fast casual, or hotels or country clubs, get as much ex

timelines have been effected, and it's much more difficult to reach quotas. The big thing is to keep pushing and combat these obstacles.

Food Truck. Photo courtesy of Unsplash. perience as you can. Because I think they all provide a really good outlook in terms of, you know, the industry as a whole. And they each contribute to each other in different ways," Stephenson says. Another crucial skill and sacrifice is to be flexible. Stephenson says, "I think when people aren't willing to move, mainly to other cities and stuff, it tends to take longer for their career to take off. And that was one thing I learned early on was if I was willing to move it was it made it easier for me to move up in my career to get better paying higher level jobs throughout my career." A big part of running a restuarant or having a career in this business is being able to adapt to change. A recent obstacle that restuarants have had to deal with is COVID-19. There has been a reduce of business since lockdown, supply chain issues making it more difficult to obtain certain ingredients and products, hiring workers has become more difficult, and inflation has been on the rise. When it comes to new restuarants, Eating Out | 22

"WHEN I WAS GOING TO GET READY TO GO TO COLLEGE, I WAS KIND OF DECIDING LIKE, HEY, WHAT DO I WANT TO DO? AND I FALTERED A LITTLE BIT. BECAUSE I WAS SORT OF LIKE, GOSH, I WANT TO SPEND MY CAREER WORKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS...I GOT ABOUT HALFWAY INTO MY SEMESTER AND WOKE UP ONE NIGHT, AND COULDN'T GO TO SLEEP. AND I KIND OF HAD THIS THOUGHT, LIKE, WHAT AM I DOING? I SHOULD BE, BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO BE A CHEF. I REALLY LOVE COOKING. I LOVE BEING IN RESTAURANTS. AND I DIDN'T TURN BACK AFTER THAT." - MIKE RYPKA "We operate very sort of democratically. So like, it's very hard to think you're gonna get by on an initiative if it's not a group discussion that everybody wants to do or believes in. So you really want your whole team bought into something. I also have a board of directors that I work with. You know, we all make sure that we're aligned and working together and thinking the same way as well," Stephenson says. It is extremely difficult to start a restuarant business in the first place, let alone run a whole franchise by yourself. It is crucial and imperative to work alongside peers with similar goals in the future. Culinary school is a path that many take who are interested in the field. There are many valuable lessons to be learned. Culinary school not only teaches you skills that you need to run a restuarant, but more importantly leads you to make connections that will stick with you for the rest of your career. School also provides im

Plated Feast Photo courtesy of Unsplash. portant work oppurtunities it is hard to find anywhere else. "I was a pretty busy guy. But it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. I mean, I've been in the restaurant business already. So I was probably a little more ahead of some of the folks that were in school with me in terms of just knowing about the restaurant business and having worked in it. So that was helpful. But I think the biggest thing I learned was just how many opportunities to work there were in the hospitality industry as a whole," Rypka says. Overall, running a restuarant is an extremely difficult task, and requires a lotof specialized skills. The lessons that you would learn along the way assist you with continuing along with your career.

"REALLY, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S BEEN CHALLENGES AND HEARTACHES AND STRUGGLES ALONG THE WAY. BUT I DON'T REALLY REGRET ANY OF THE DECISIONS I'VE MADE. I MEAN, I THINK WHEN YOU TAKE THE HARD TIMES AND TURN THEM INTO, YOU KNOW, LEARNING EXPERIENCES, THEY'RE NOT REALLY REGRETS. THEY'RE JUST SOMETHING YOU LEARN FROM AND GROW FROM, AND HOPEFULLY NOT REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES." - MIKE RYPKA

HOW TO MAKE

Torchy’s Tacos has been one of the most successfull Tex-Mex resturants to ever come out of Texas. It has been a favorite of many different food critics. This is a simple recipe similar to that of Torchy’s famous tacos.

TORCH COOK COOK

INGREDIENTS: INGREDIENTS:

- CORN TORTILLA - GROUND BEEF (SEASON TO YOUR LIKING) - AVOCADO - TOMATO - CHEDDAR CHEESE

ADD VEGETABLES VEGETABLES ADD

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ADD CHEESE CHEESE ADD

HY’S

INSPIRED TACOS BY: AYOUB AHMAD

ADD MEAT MEAT ADD

ENJOY ENJOY

Inspired by Torchy’s Tacos and Betty Crocker Recipes

Lenior’s Beautiful Table and Food Staging Courtesy of Lenior PR

People Who Make a Restaurant

Lenior, Laundrette, and More! By: Maya Cooper

Eating Out | 26

ou sit down at a white tablecloth table. The silverware is placed uniformingly apart and there are a multitude of drinking glasses, each assigned for their own purpose. A black tie waiter comes to to your table. This is not what you’re used to. You think back to the casual restaurant that you

With plastic red and white checkered table covers, and food served in baskets. That was such a different experience as to the one happening now. But what if someone was to tell you that they weren’t as different as they appeared. At both restaurants you have many people involved. People whose jobs don’t even begin to cross people’s minds when thinking about a restaurant. At both restaurants there is a well oiled machine that is kept running by people showing up every day and doing their jobs. A complex, level-based establishment. That is what any restaurant is. Once you watch a dish go behind the swinging door, you, as the customer and diner, lose all knowledge of who comes into contact with it and what happens to it. Behind those metal doors, is a series of chain actions that are set into motion by many levels of people. Many underestimate every single time they step into a restaurant how many people came together on that day, or even before that, to make their dining experience possible and all that they want it to be. A fine dining restaurant is even more complex, with higher standards to perform to, and higher levels of experience in their staff. The quality of the diners’ experience is of the utmost importance to the workers of a fine dining restaurant. Workers in the field are put under immense pressure, often having to wear many hats and take up many responsibilities. The Marketing and Events Director at the Century Club, Marriane Lyles offers her insight on the stress within the industry. “I think one of the hardest things about the restaurant and hospitality world is that it’s a 24/7 job, so there’s never any downtime. You’re either planning on getting ready for service, or you’re in the middle of service and guest issues pop up, or you’re dealing with those after hours, it’s a non-stop 24/7 hustle.” People often do not think of the restaurant and hospitality industry as stressful and demanding. Due to the calmness that diners ex-

perience in their dining, many have to remember that running a restaurant and working in a restaurant is a hard job filled with many different job descriptions. Then there is of course the waitress/waiter. These workers interact closely with people everyday all day, engaging in conversation with diners who always think they’re being extremely original when they bust out the line, “No it was horrible,” after being asked with empty plates, “Did you like it?”. But these are also the people who set up the restaurant. Who prepare the chairs with enough places for the expected people to be in attendance that night. And in a fine dining restaurant, the setup is key. It’s the atmosphere that sells the experience. It’s the third sterling silver fork, placed from the plate at a hundred and eighty degree angle. It is the cleaned and polish-

“I’ve worked in kitchens everywhere, but no matter if it was one on the side of the road or Jeffery’s where I worked recently, I always cared. You know, a restaurant is a hard place to work, and being a chef is filled with responsibilities, but it’s also a support system, and relying on others is a big deal.”

ed glasses, ranging from the simple water glass, to the decadent wine glass soon to be filled with expensive, maroon wine. Lenoir is a South Austin fine- dining establishment, known for its intimate, romantic, and vintage chic atmosphere. It was opened around ten years ago by a couple, Jessica Maher and Todd Duplechan. Though it is on the smaller side, the restaurant poses tough challenges that are taken on by anyone who is there to help. Co-owner and do-it-yourself oficiando, Jessica Maher shone some light into the hardships, responsibilities, and everyday achievements of

being in a hands-on position in a fine dining restaurant. The two opened the establishment together after having experience already in the industry. They had paid their dues through working in kitchens and serving at different restaurants. Maher was a waitress at the popular Austin bar, Guerro’s. Through their years of experience, the couple decided to take the leap, the jump into the abyss, not knowing the result of their venture. Ten years later, the little building has made a name for itself on 1st street. But this was through their efforts. “When we opened we did a little bit of everything. So in our own restaurant, it really served me well because I was the pastry chef and I was also managing at night.” Maher still takes up many responsibilities, performing jobs for those who need it, and getting anything done that needs to be. “I just started back up with baking and doing the pastry for the menu, the production. So I do that, but I’m also our human resource manager, which means that I interview people. I

The simple yet classic bar at Laundrette Courtesy of Laundrette PR

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do orientations with new employees, we do check-ins with them, you know, biannually.” Jessica doesn’t stop there. “I also curate our wine list with another girl who works as a server in the restaurant. So I do a little bit of everything. It’s a full-time job and it keeps me on my toes.” She is a great example of how demanding the industry is, and the expectations of those in it. Lenior is a smaller company that only has a few roles to fill, but in Marianne Lyles corporation, there are many jobs that are all part of the industry. “...executive chef, executive pastry chef, more on the operation side: we have a general manager, and then we have two assistant managers, the roles that you’ll see at the restaurant… behind the scenes, a marketing director, a catering and events director, an operations director… office corporate side we have our whole accounting team… a partner who is essentially the culinary director, executive chef for the restaurant group, and he works with our executive chefs on a day to day basis at different locations, to make sure the food is always amazing and everything is running smoothly there… a partner oversees

the accounting teams and the HR, and that the business is running smoothly from that aspect. It does take a good-sized group to keep all of these things running smoothly.” The levels of the Century Group offer the public a more common understanding of a restaurant that they frequent. It’s large, and has many cogs in the machine. Christian Schermer, a world-renowned international executive chef, sous chef, pastry chef, and more, has worked everywhere. In fine kitchens in Mexico, Asia, Canada, and of course the United States. He has always prioritized his diners’ experiences. From the second he received the slip of paper that contained their order, to wiping the bits of sauces from the rim of the plate before serving, he was dedicated that they were enjoying it. “I’ve worked in kitchens everywhere, but no matter if it was one on the side of the road or Jeffery’s where I worked recently, I always cared. You know, a restaurant is a hard place to work, and being a chef is filled with responsibilities, but it’s also a support system, and relying on ot-

hers is a big deal.” With the COVID-19 pandemic, fine dining restaurants have fought to stay open, being that it is an in person experience. But with people coming in everyday, performing their job, even under pressure, these restaurants were able to stay a float. Marianne Lyles observed great things during the pandemic, saying “I think it’s just very inspiring because it shows you the tenacity and the grit and you know just at the end of the day, the love and passion that people have for their restaurants and their staff and they were able to just make it work and keep it going.”

Who Are You In A A restaurant. A complex, level based business. When you go to a restaurant, you are often not privy to the inner workings. You do not see what happens behind the swinging door with the dishes going in and out. There are many levels: a chef, a manager, a waitress, a hostess, an owner, etc. Each of those jobs require a certain set of personality traits and characteristics, so wouldn’t you like to find out just who you are? What you are capable of? Where you belong? Answer these question to find out! Picture this: It’s a normal night in your restaurant. People coming in and out, new orders coming in through the doors and dishes coming out. People are waiting to be seated at the entrance, and tables are in need of being cleared. But where are you? What level are you on? Do you want to help people? To cater to them, and have a nice chat along the way? Or do you want to be in the back, creating beautiful dishes and thinking up new ideas. Or would you like to be in charge, to be over seeing everyone? Remember your answers from before and combine them with this one! Be ready to find out!

So W

A Chef! You would have been very creative in those three situations, you would have thought of new ideas for the wrong shipment, and you would have first thought of the food for the people, and how to make that. You are creative in day to day life and like to think on your feet. Eating Out | 30

A Restauraunt? By: Maya Cooper

Picture this: A 15 person party has just booked a reservation at the restaurant where you work. There is so much to be done, from setting out places, preparing the table, accomodating every single one of those people and their needs. What do you think is the first thing to be done? What is the first thing your mind jumps to? Hold you answer in your head and save it for later! Picture this: Uh Oh! There has been a major confusion with the foods that have been ordered! Instead of the shipment of apples your restaurant was expecting, the provider sent hundreds of baskets of oranges. How do you react? Do you call the provider immediately? Do you adapt quickly and begin to think of new ideas? Do you wait and see what happens? Think carefully and wait and see!

Who Exactly Are You?

A Waiter and/or Hostess! In those three situations, you would have thought to accomadate the people, to seat them first, and you would have waited and let others stress. You like talking to people, you’re sociable and friendly. You are more of a follower than a leader, but still assertive in everyday life!

An Owner! You would have wanted to do a bit of everything, to be in charge and at the front of the restaurant and it’s issues. You are assertive and appreciate leadership and honesty in others. You like to be in control and deal with things on your own.

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Eating Out | 36 Photo courtesy of Unsplash