Executive Chef Needed – Do you have what it takes?

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

Are you a Chef looking for the next step in your career; are you ready for a challenge? We are one of the leading Brazilian Grills in Sydney and are looking for an Executive Chef to manage the kitchen operations across our two locations, Beverly Hills & Penrith. The position is Full Time and salary is Negotiable for the right candidate.

 

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

  • Own Transport and able to travel between venues
  • Flexible in working hours, to fit a hospitality roster of possible nights and weekend work
  • Professional in appearance and be a strong leader
  • Staff Management & Training
    • Recruitment Skills and Knowledge
    • Induction, Training & Staff Performance
  • Stock Control Expert including Food Costs
  • Experience in Rosters
  • Menu Development
  • Knowledge of Occupational Health & Safety
  • Hygiene Compliance

 

DESIRED CRITERIA

  • Food Safety Supervisor Certificate
  • Chef Qualifications
  • 5 Years experience working as a chef or in a similar role

 

If you would like to submit an application for this position please email your cover letter and current resume to info@hospitalitybrainwave.com.au

 

Due to many applications, only those that suit the criteria mentioned and are successful to the interview stage will be contacted. We appreciate your time and effort in applying for this position.

 

Hospitality Brainwave represents an equal opportunity employer.

 

 

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Get it in Writing …. Sign a Business Agreement!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

Being in business can be tricky, there are potential clients everywhere who might want to use your services. My advice is to always put an agreement in place and have it signed by both parties – in other words put it in writing!

It is very competitive out there and clients will be looking for the business that best suits their needs. Client needs can differ from project to project, so asking the right questions of your client is crucial to get the ball rolling. A clients needs may be that they want the best price, or they want the best quality product, delivery time for an urgent product may also be their need. Organising to give your client the best price does not always mean that they will be getting the best quality.

In order for your client to be clear about the product or service you are offering you need to issue a quote. Keep in mind that they will most likely be asking your competitors for a quote also.

The Quote

Putting together an initial quote on the project is crucial to opening up the negotiations and honing in on what the client truly wants out of the business deal. Ensure that all of the product or services are itemised and each are given a price as your client may want to take on all or part of the quote you have written.

It is also best to make the quote valid until a certain date, 15 – 30 days is a good amount of time to give your potential clients to look over what you have offered.

The Business Agreement

Once the Quote has been agreed upon a Business Agreement should be written and signed by each party before any work is started. A business agreement is a contract or agreement that sets out in legal terms:

·         How a good or service will be provided

·         What the responsibilities are of the client and you the business

·         Formalisation of the business relationship

Your Business Agreement should always list the terms and conditions of the project to cover all possible changes that might arise. You can also list any dispute resolution procedures that may be needed.

You can always use the quote as an agreement tool, by adding your terms & conditions to the back and asking the client to sign the quote and return a copy to you.

Larger projects with clients may require legal advice where a Contract may be needed. This is a more formal approach that would be used in valuable projects.

Put strength into your business, be organised and put it in writing!

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Lets roll out 2012…

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

Hospitality Brainwave would like to welcome all clients into the 2012 Business Year!  We have some great plans for 2012 and would like to show you all a quick introduction.

School Hospitality Challenge

2012 is the start of our School Hospitality Challenge, where we are challenging the High Schools in Sydney to represent their Schools and compete to see who has the best Hospitality Skills. Up for grabs is the very prestigious trophy of School Hospitality Challenge Winner and a $3000 cheque to go towards Hospitality Education in their school.

 Check out the official Website for more information: http://schoolhospitalitychallenge.com/

 Macarthur Community College

We have some great workshops coming up with Macarthur Community College, such as:

  • Hire Me
  • Rosters for Restaurants
  • Getting Your Business Online

Check out the official Website for more information and to book in: http://www.macarthurcc.com.au/

Short Courses

We have short courses coming up over the next few months in our Liverpool office, such as:

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol
  • Responsible Conduct of Gambling
  • Food Safety Supervisor Certificate

 Promotional Material

We still have a fantastic range of promotional materials for your business, follow the link to our Promotions Page:

 PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL LINK

 Workplace Training

We are also still organising workplace training for the following qualifications for our affiliated Registered Training Organisations:

  • Cert II, Cert III, Cert IV and Diploma in Hospitality
  • Cert III in Commercial Cookery
  • Cert II, Cert III in Retail

These are just a few thing the New Year is bringing, please subscribe to our Website or check in with us now and then to see what is new. We are also on Facebook and Twitter!

 

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2011 The Year at a Glance

Posted on December 23, 2011 by

What can I say about 2011? As I read all the Christmas wishes and wind ups from affiliates, friends and family I think I should do the same as there are a lot of people to thank for the success of the last 12 months.

Family & Friends

My family and friends have shown unwavering support for what I do for which I am truly thankful. There is not a week that goes by that a new idea is not fired my way. For them to not only support me in what I decide to do but come up with great ideas for the future, how can I not possibly be inspired by their undying dedication to my business.

Staff & Contractors

My staff have played a crucial role in moving my business from ‘working from home’ to establishing my business location in Liverpool, NSW this year. I would like to make a special mention of Loretta Stewart, my Business Development Manager, who has moved on to other work but for Hospitality Brainwave, got out there into the community and put us on the map. Her dedication through good times and quiet times has helped my business get to where it is today, and I thank her and her family for their support.

My design team are phenomenal and are always working around the clock to put some fantastic designs together for our clients. They are doing such a great job that we have branched that section of the business off calling it Brainwave Designs, which is growing by the day.

My team of contractors working all around NSW & VIC, thank you! We have trainers and Mystery Shoppers everywhere and they have done a fantastic job for us always showing a high standard of work. I would also like to thank Katrina for taking on Newcastle and doing a great job up there – opps I might have blown your cover! Stephen & Jodi in Victoria for working on the Mystery Customer Program in your neck of the woods, thank you.

Affiliates

Over the past 12 months our business has built strong partnerships with a number of key industry companies. Gavin Bucket & Sarah Lewis of Registered Training Organisation Prime Skills and the Gourmet Guardian, have been vital in the growth of Hospitality Brainwave and are only a phone call away. Their professionalism and dedication to food safety is of the highest standard I have ever worked with, and am honoured to say that they are affiliated with Hospitality Brainwave.

I would also like to thank the whole team at Registered Training Organisation William Angliss Institute Sydney, for letting me be part of their fantastic team. Their new location at Surry Hills has so many opportunities for students and they have a fresh, flexible outlook on learning that works with the student. I’m looking forward to seeing them grow in 2012.

We have also joined the team at the Macarthur Community College and look forward to being part of some great courses in 2012.

Clients

Where do I start with my clients, there are so many! I have had the pleasure of watching small businesses grow and prosper themselves over the last 12 months and am also looking forward to new businesses grow into 2012. We have also trained individuals to help get them on track to a hospitality career, and wish them all the best.

To sum up….

There are affordable ways to improve your business and get it out there, you need to be open to change, open to new ideas and want to grow your business to be able to succeed during quiet times. Your staff are important, and therefore training is essential….as someone wise once said “Knowledge is Power” – give your staff and your business the power. Best wishes to all for 2012.

Kristie Tsakiris

Owner, Consultant, Trainer & Assessor

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Ashton’s Kitchen

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

I am always on the look out for great businesses to recommend and I have found another! The lady behind Ashton’s Kitchen is Maria Cruz, and after speaking with her I see a fantastic passion for creating innovative catering ideas for all types of special occasions. Ashton’s Kitchen is truly a family affair, catering for clients as if they were catering for their own family – they make you feel special.

Check out their Website: www.ashtonskitchen.com.au  Find them on Facebook too!

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“No Show Charge” – Sydney Restaurants

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

It was reported by Elizabeth Meryment, Sunday Telegraph, recently about the newest concept for Sydney Restaurants, to charge a ‘No Show’ Fee. As a restaurant manager myself over previous years, I must say I totally agree with the concept, although I can see problems getting the customers to understand it. As soon as you mention ‘fee’ or ‘charge’ a lot of customers may be frightened off and could tend to dine at other venues who do not make them pay fees.

However, for those of us that work in the industry or have once been part of it, we have all seen when a booking, small or large, have ‘not shown’ for the evening. This definitely does hurt the business and can turn a profitable night into, just breaking even or actually losing money for the night.

There are so many costs going into running a restaurant, especially the high-end restaurants of Sydney as they do not pay the rent by the number of customers that come through – they pay the rent regardless of profits made. Not only does rent pay a large part, but there are labour costs, food costs and much more.

Let me put this into a better context that we can all relate to… money:

A group of 6 book in for 7pm on a Saturday night, the busiest night of the week. The table is reserved for the guests. The venue has a head average of say $55.00, so therefore the bill would have amounted to $330.00. As a guide to restaurant profit, 10% of gross earnings is profit – if you are lucky, 30% Food Costs, 30% Labour Costs and 30% Business Expenses. So from this group of 6 booking, $33.00 would be the overall profit.

If the table does not show, Labour still has to be paid for the evening, business expenses and elements of the food cost still need to be paid as efforts have been made for the food to be prepared for the evening. So now instead of profiting $33.00 the restaurant will actually have to pay out close to $300.00.

So charging a customer a no-show fee is an option, or charging a booking deposit is also an option that sounds a little more inviting than a ‘no-show fee’. At the end of the day it is up to the business managers and what they feel is best.

What are your thoughts? Are you a manager or customer – would you pay for a no show charge?

Kristie Tsakiris

 

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Newcastle a Review

Posted on August 19, 2011 by

Thursday, 29th July we headed off to Newcastle, leaving the office around 2pm.

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It was a very pleasant trip with great weather all the way. It could have been a summers’ day not a cloud in the sky. We made good time arriving at the Travel Lodge at 4pm even with a short stop along the way.

Our room was on the top floor with two king singles (very comfy beds), basic ensuit,  fridge with a tab, television, internet service $22 for 24 hrs, not bad. We settled in with the lap top and checked out Newcastle, planning  what we would do Friday.

We got ready and set off for dinner at the Grand Hotel. Thanks to the navigation system in the car we found it very easily. What a beautiful place. EST 1881 the outside façade hadn’t changed much at all. We walked into a very modern interior and were greeted by friendly staff.

The restaurant was lovely with a cosy feel about it. The menu had just the right amount of items in the different sections, not overdone, which can sometimes make ordering difficult with too much to choose from.

Friday 30th July, what happened to winter? We woke up to a beautiful day. We had decided to walk, it didn’t look far on the map. McDonald’s was our 1st stop for
breakfast. 2x sausage & egg Mcmuffins & 1 hash brown. We ate as we walked.

The sights of Newcastle were superb old buildings and parks. I felt like I could just sit in the sun in the park and let the rest of the world go by, but no, our movie was at 10.10. The question was  “ will we make it on time?”  We’re walking so we have to pick up the pace. Yes, we did make it on time with some time to spare.

Next on our agenda, back to the Grand Hotel.  This was a walk and a half, it
got hilly. We passed some fantastic sights. It made you wonder about the history of the buildings and who lived there all those years ago. An old stone wall towered along the walk, why? What was it for?  Who built it? So many questions, we need a
history lesson or a guided tour.

The Grand Hotel in daylight, well we are not disappointed, it is Grand. We went in for a look around. It was packed to the rafters, tables of umpteen people all of which had great meals in front of them. Staff were busy running around serving their clientelle.

We’re on our way to the harbour. This time it’s down hill, what a
relief! We have to go across the train tracks thank goodness there’s an
overpass with easy access. No stairs! The knees can rest. The harbour is
beautiful, there are ships going in and out with tugs in tow. The sun is high
with a slight breeze keeping it so pleasant.

Just a short stroll to Harry’s Pies. We sit in the sun with our pies, mine didn’t have peas and mash just gravy, yum! Where’s some shade, this sun is hot. Time to move, and start our long journey back to the Travelodge. It’s not as long as we think and oh so nice just soaking up the surroundings as we walk.

We decided last night to have a massage. Our appointment was 4.30pm. This time we took the car. Our feet needed a good massage; we had been on them all day. We arrived at Endota  on time. The place is amazing. It’s so calming and we had only just walked in. First the feet then the back and neck, next the face. Wow! It feels great. We can’t explain it - you have to try this for yourself. We headed back to the Travelodge for a lie down.

Back to the Grand Hotel for dinner.
This time we made a reservation for 7.30pm. A very busy place.  The food as before was delicious. There must have been a party going on because we saw people wearing masks and dressed to the nines. Half way through the meal we heard music playing, this turned out to be a young man with a guitar playing and singing in the bar area. What a great idea, live entertainment! We could have stayed but it had been a big day.

Check out was 10am, after a sleep in we packed and headed off home, but not before we took some photos of this beautiful place and breakfast at the harbour in Queens Wharf Kitchen – beautiful! 

There was a bit of a breeze that morning, we decided we would sit inside where
it’s warm. Watching from the windows, there are people going by, little
children riding their bikes and a big tanker with tugs docking. A ferry pulls
up at the wharf and a group of cyclists queue up to go on board. Across the
harbour is a park. We wonder if the group are going over there.

Well breakfast is finished and it’s time for “on the road again”. Homeward bound it will be good to get home!

Dale

Rating from Hospitality Brainwave for Newcastle, NSW

Accommodation   6/10

Food Quality  10/10

Customer Service  10/10

Atmosphere  10/10

Luxuries for Tourists  9/10

Endota Spa

The Grand Hotel

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

Queen’s Wharf Kitchen

 

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