CULINARY VIBE - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Most kitchens are the heart of a catering company. Food is at the core of the business model and typically one of the top expenses that catering companies have. An inefficient kitchen or one plagued by high turnover can put extreme stress on the entire organization and can even lead to going out of business. This module will focus on how to set your culinary team up for success through a variety of topics such as:

• Kitchen structure and responsibilities

• Building a feedback culture among employees

• How to create a 90-day, modular training guide for new hires

• Having successful 1-to-1 evaluations/meetings

• Creating a pipeline of talent

• Systems and processes for daily operations

• Organization of space including cooler

• Developing a menu innovation process

• Production for events, quantifying and batch production

• Ordering systems, menu pricing and cost containment

• Utilizing catering software to its fullest potential

• Training sales team how to build, price and streamline menus

• Creating fun on a daily basis

SALES/COORDINATION VIBE - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Although many sales people work independently, a cohesive sales team can help to grow your sales exponentially. It’s crucial to make sure everyone is working in the same direction and willing to support one another throughout the year while working toward both team goals and individual goals. During this time, you will learn more about how we hire, train, manage, and reward our sales team. Specific topics will include:

• Pay structure and how to motivate individuals while encouraging team camaraderie

• Responsibilities and roles of the sales and coordination team

• Determining your ideal clients and why it matters

• The sales process, the “why” and “how” of qualifying, and how to say “no”

• Sales data and key indicators along with access to spreadsheets for tracking

• Tastings, when and how to do them so you stand out

• Motivating senior sales people and pushing them over their plateau

• Interviewing for great sales people

• Maximizing referral sources

• Building partnerships vs. discounting

• Working with culinary on menu inspiration/innovation

• Team goals and rewards

WAREHOUSE/PRODUCTION VIBE - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Whether you have a current warehouse operation or are looking to add one, this module will help you determine the best solution for your organization. The Footers’ warehouse and production team of 5-7 members loads and unloads all trucks, manages and cleans over 500 inventory items from plates and glassware to 6’ grills and large convection ovens and is responsible for vehicle maintenance. Additional topics include:

• Transitioning to a full time production team

• Roles and responsibilities of production team

• Structuring roles for longevity and advancement

• Organization of the warehouse

• Essential systems, processes and procedures

• Offering rentals in-house

• Storage and transport tips and tricks to protect your investments

• Truck loading procedures

• Accountability and truck evaluations

• Buffet décor (how to sell it, store it and train team members how to use it)

• Owning and maintaining vehicles

• Owning and maintaining cooking equipment

• Must have tools/equipment in your warehouse

• Having fun in the warehouse

SERVICE/TRAINING VIBE - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Great service is paramount to the success of a catering company. We rely on our front of the house team to make a positive impression on our clients and their guests. Many times, part time employees may be the only people within your company that guests interact with, making it even more important that they understand and execute to your expectations. During this time we will talk about how to engage your front of the house team and discuss the following topics:

• Staffing ratios and scheduling needs

• Hiring process for front of the house staff

• Recruiting efforts and how to establish a pipeline of talent

• Orientation and onboarding to set a positive tone from day 1

• Training guides, manuals and evaluation tools

• Expectations and holding team members accountable

• Scheduling and avoiding overtime issues

• Getting FOH team invested in the success of an event

• Communicating with part time members

CULTURE VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Work culture plays a critical role in the retention and productivity of a team. It’s the ecosystem that makes some places great to work and other places toxic. Considering that we spend one third of our lives in the workplace, it’s no wonder that an attractive culture is now just as important to new hires as compensation. This time will be focused on giving you tangible ways to improve your work environment and helping you avoid some of the common mistakes people make when trying to create a great place to work:

• Develop your mission, vision and values

• Culture Club

• Reward and Recognition programs

• Building relationships among your team

• Creating fun in the work place

• How culture can lower costs and improve productivity

FINANCIAL VIBE - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

It’s been said that if you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know your business. Although you might not have a financial background, it’s crucial to have proper accounting and metrics in place to understand how your company is doing financially. During this time, you will get a chance to see how your numbers stack up against industry standards and have access to tracking tools that you can take back to your company. We will also discuss:

• Review of your financials

• Comparisons to industry numbers

• 7 numbers every caterer should know and creating your own scorecard

• Tips on how to better utilize software

• Suggestions on how to improve process efficiencies and lower costs

• Event billing and channels to ensure timely collection

• Negotiating with vendors and building partnerships with them

• Building strong venue relationships and managing monthly commissions

• Generating monthly reports for a clear picture of company success

• Communicating financial information to your team

• Access to Trailing 12 spreadsheets for tracking of key indicators

HIRING - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

One of the most important jobs within any company is hiring new employees. Bad hires can be toxic and ruin your company, while great hires can quickly take you to the next level. During this time, we will review the most common hiring mistakes and teach you how to avoid making them. We will also dive in to:

• Creating a pipeline of talent

• Marketing for open positions

• Establishing a hiring process to ensure you avoid desperation hiring

• Interview tips, tricks and questions

• Group interview fundamentals

• Working interviews, putting candidates in the job before they start

• Assessments and how to use them

INNOVATION - 2HRS | VIBE DIVE - 3.5HRS

Companies with a culture of innovation consistently outpace the competition and are often recognized as places where employee engagement is high, and people work with passion every day. Contrary to popular belief, innovation does not always happen in the same way. Through the Innovation Quotient Edge (IQE) Assessment we will discuss the nine key triggers for innovation and how to identify them, so you and your team can deliver innovative thinking to your work and life on a daily basis. This will help get you on a path to shift your culture so that everyone participates in innovation:

• How innovation impacts your business

• Misconceptions about innovation

• Access to the IQE assessment to reveal your individual innovation power triggers

• Creating a culture of innovation, where all employees are comfortable contributing

• Team exercises to foster innovation

• Communicating and implementing new ideas

Vibe Dive will include:

• Access for up to 15 of your team members to take the IQE

• Heat map summary of your team’s results

• Tools for you to debrief the IQE with your team when you return home

• Specific suggestions curated based on your team’s results

EVENT LOGISTICS | ATTEND AN EVENT - APPX 3.5HRS

During this time, you will have the opportunity to attend an event with the service style you would like to see. You’ll learn how that event goes from production to execution and be on site with our team as it all happens. Specifics that you will see include:

• Review event worksheet with coordinator or party pilot

• Review Chef packet and fire guide

• Observe load out process from Footers

• See set up of field kitchen and overall event

• On plated dinners, training on 4 stack plating

• Observe service and communication between front and back of house team

• Training program for on-site event chefs

• Difference in approaches for larger events (500+)

• Pre-shift meeting