A kitchen can be like a swirling black hole that unfortunately happens to be located on the other side of a swinging double door in the back of your establishment. People, food, and orders get sucked in and disappear in the form of bloated payroll and food cost and subpar meals. Finding effective kitchen managers — individuals with the skills, experience, and demeanor to turn this void into a center of efficiency and driver of guest satisfaction — is critical to your financial success and can provide a significant competitive advantage over your competition.

Before graduating from college and pursuing my career in content production (and before I started writing for Career Catalyst!), I spent my nights and weekends working in restaurants. I worked in several roles — both in the front and back of the house — and I learned some amazing resume-building lessons as a result. Even though I went on to work in a completely different industry, I’ll always have an appreciation and understanding of what it takes to bring a great dining
experience to a patron. Also, I learned some skills that are still relevant in my current role.

Today, you can snag a flight on an e-travel site like Travelocity, Expedia, or Kayak with a few clicks. But you could be missing out on details and deals that make your trip more enjoyable and cheaper had you proceeded with the guidance of a travel agent. That’s why many travelers still use travel agents to plan their trips.

Dan Auslander '21 MS – Hospitality was one of the three finalists in our 2019 Thankful Essay Contest. Here's how he answered the question, "Who has influenced your education/career?" Congratulations, Dan!

On Tuesday, November 5, Johnson & Wales University’s Karen Silva, Ed.D., was inducted into the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitor Bureau’s Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual meeting at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

When you’re out during the holiday season—enjoying dinner, shopping, or a show— should you tip the workers you encounter? When you tip for the holidays, what are you truly saying?

While a commonly recognized definition of tipping is to ensure prompt service, the holidays are different. Tipping during the holiday season is really a way to give a present or gesture of gratitude to someone for a job well-done this past year. But the stresses of financial and social pressure begin to rear their ugly heads this time of year—and they complicate the issue of tipping.

As members of the hospitality industry for more years collectively than we’d care to admit, my husband and I entertain frequently. We’ve celebrated (read: hosted) the usual birthdays, anniversaries, Fourth of July parties, as well as our share of winter holiday extravaganzas. As my cousin says, “It’s so nice to visit your house so I don’t have to fight the crowds at Macy’s to see this many holiday decorations.”

When you travel, you need to consider what are the necessary items to pack for the trip. I’ve traveled around the world—75 countries at last count—and I’ve learned that I can never leave home without C.H.E.E.S.E. By that I mean items that fall into six categories: Comfort, Health, Ease of communication, Entertainment, Safety and security, Edibles.

Trust me, you can leave your travel pillow at home, as long as you follow this list.

COMFORT
✔ Luggage with wheels

Who: Rex Warren, Assistant Professor with Johnson & Wales University College of Hospitality, Providence

Agree or Disagree with Article: Both

I don’t blame anyone with an interest in hospitality for clicking on this round-up of the year’s top-10 trends published in January. Now, with most of the year behind us, let’s look back and see how this forecast matched up with reality.

ON TARGET

If you travelled at all by plane for business or pleasure this summer, you going to encounter an airline or aviation employee. Have you ever thought of flying in their shoes as an employee of the airline industry? According to Professor Eldad Boker, EdD, the sky’s the limit when it comes to aviation careers. Read on for his advice.