A Three Star Staff Meal

Photography By HENRY HARGREAVES, words by HENRY HARGREAVES 
In Conversation with Curtis Duffy and Michael Muser

"Here staff meal is sacred; something to be respected. No one tells anyone what to do during it."

SACRED STAFF MEAL

At Avenues in the hotel environment, the Staff Meal’s could be hysterical. Our guys would often dip into the craziest walk-in, one stocked with everything. We would take our frustrations on life out by making some pretty bad ass staff meals!

Here staff meal is sacred; something to be respected. No one tells anyone what to do during it. You can go and eat anywhere. There is not a forced communal experience. When it's was warm out a lot of people go and eat on the loading dock, or some head to the employee lounge to be alone. It is each member of staff’s 30-minutes to do exactly as they please.

WHO WE REALLY WORK FOR

The great myth is that when you own your own business and you have these employees that work for you. Hahahah, you work for them 24/7! Our talent pool we get is generally in their 20’s because they are the only people who want to work for us, being held to these big expectations and without a massive financial reward. If you think you can retain them by short-changing them you’re mistaken. You owe them everything you are. We are also their counselor, financial representative, best friend, worst enemy, this ain't not joke. Most of what we tell staff we’re hiring is what we’re not. We aren’t some pink cloud, unicorn universe. People leave here crying regularly over the smallest shit. So half of it is keeping everyone real before they get filtered in and then once they are here is us doing the best job we can to make it up to them for getting chewed on by me!

"The great myth is that when you own your own business and you have these employees that work for you. Hahahah, you work for them 24/7!"

WHO WE REALLY WORK FOR

The great myth is that when you own your own business and you have these employees that work for you. Hahahah, you work for them 24/7! Our talent pool we get is generally in their 20’s because they are the only people who want to work for us, being held to these big expectations and without a massive financial reward. If you think you can retain them by short-changing them you’re mistaken. You owe them everything you are. We are also their counselor, financial representative, best friend, worst enemy, this ain't not joke. Most of what we tell staff we’re hiring is what we’re not. We aren’t some pink cloud, unicorn universe. People leave here crying regularly over the smallest shit. So half of it is keeping everyone real before they get filtered in and then once they are here is us doing the best job we can to make it up to them for getting chewed on by me!

PLAYING GAMES

I fear Curtis might say that is all my influence down there, I’m not going to lie, I am the one who built it. When I get bored I tinker. In the winter when I can’t get out on my motorbike I focus intensively on the restaurant here; exploring what can I do to make the employees experience a more radical experience. If I was 25 and making this wage and working long hours at this expectation level the restaurant sets and the intensity it feeds on what would I need to help me get through the day? Maybe an X-Box a huge TV, a cool couch, massage rollers... done! You can solve so many of these problems at Costco. If we can keep the restaurant afloat, keep everyone making their money and I can hold onto the staff then I’m a winner!

The Golden Tee machine is no joke, it runs scores and never forgets a thing. So when someone does the longest putt that is called out and is replayed all day long. There’s massive competition down there. You’re also in the house of Call of Duty! There are about 15 of us with a clan and we are wildly competitive on it; it’s something we can all do together. On Saturday’s the house always throws down Jameson and Pabst Blue Ribbon for the staff. So when people knock off they usually hang around down there for a while then go home so they’re not out all night, spending their money and getting into trouble. I want everyone turning up the next day in good shape.

"I’d say for 80% of the people working here this is their first and perhaps only meal today. I have been in those same shoes where this meal means so much to you."

THE MEAL THAT MATTERS MOST – CURTIS DUFFY

Since we opened, the staff meal has been a very sensitive subject. It needs to be substantial enough for everyone, provide options and be somewhat healthy. I’d say for 80% of the people working here this is their first and perhaps only meal today. I have been in those same shoes where this meal means so much to you. It’s ironic you could be in that kitchen here and starve because the food we serve isn’t traditional; not like bread and lunch meats where you can make yourself a sandwich to snack on. It’s so important to give them a nutritious meal and that goes for me as well. We always do a protein then, salad, veggies, a healthy juice and finally dessert.

A HAPPY COOK MAKES GOOD FOOD

Another philosophy at grace is building a culture on things we didn’t have in the industry before, but ones we believe will make our employees’ lives better. We have locker rooms, and stock them with shaving cream, deodorant, toothbrushes etc. There’s no excuse for not being properly groomed here. Most places would see extra space just as a way to make more profit but we wanted to give back to our staff, to make everything as comfortable and homelike. The family meal is like this to. When someone works a 16-hour day for you, you need to give them something good to eat!

The culture downstairs is very import and is reflected in how the staff cook and take care of the guests. Because it comes full circle like that saying ‘a happy cook makes good food,’ and this also applies to the front of the house staff.

Also helps the staff mix and interact with one another, they are naturally segregated when upstairs working. We blur the lines to bring them closer and form a tighter team.

There’s also a laundry room, we invite the staff to do their laundry here. So on their day off they can have more time to do what they want as some of their chores have already been done. So they’re able to enjoy their days off a little more and enjoy life more. It’s its own reward, but the goodwill comes back.

At the end of the day, all his helps us as a business owners. When you can get the most out of your employees everyone wins. We also want our people to take some of the positives of this culture with them when they move on so the industry as a whole becomes better model than when I was a young cook. We are just a small piece of this puzzle but we are still trying to make some positive changes, create good ripple effects.

THE MENU

Korean steamed buns

Beef marinated in ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and cooked on a wood fired hibachi bbq (made by one of the sous chefs David)

Pickled veggies

Roasted cashews

Broccoli

Cookies

Juice - coconut and tamarin

Find Grace here!

Thanks to Colin Goedecke, The story developer