What was your favorite part of the La Chanterelle experience?
Building a connection with other students. We learned together, made mistakes together, and grew together, all in an environment that allowed us to be ourselves.
Describe a time when the La Chanterelle experience helped you overcome a crisis of confidence or helped you with an a-ha moment.
One of the most important transferable skills that you learn in this classroom is how to decide in 30 seconds. We chose a hospitality career to become managers. More times than I can count, making these 30-second decisions has been crucial to my development and confidence on my path to becoming a manager. This classroom takes the “timed test” we experience on paper and places it into your hands. The practice of deciding what food can be substituted on a dish when a delivery may not have been correct; or a surprise allergy where you must decide how to ensure that guest has an amazing experience as any other; or when a cork breaks as you’re opening a bottle. I could go on and on about practical situations in which those 30-second decision-making skills that La Chanterelle taught me have made an incredibly impactful positive contribution to my success and confidence.
Where do you currently work and what are your job duties? How does your current role align with your major and your lessons from La Chanterelle?
I currently work at Ledger restaurant in Salem, Mass., as the Assistant General Manager. My job duties include ensuring guest satisfaction, a dedication to employees, encouraging beneficial communication between departments, and managing the internal operations of each day while being present on the restaurant floor during service. I’m grateful every day for the education and confidence my hospitality degree and La Chanterelle have given me.
Did you always know you wanted to go into hospitality? What do you love about the industry?
From a young age, I knew that hospitality was the path. I want to make people happy. To give them that moment they deserve where they are treated as someone special. Above all else, this is what I love about the industry.
What are the takeaways from La Chanterelle that you use often in your current role?
As a restaurant manager, it’s my responsibility to not only ensure guest satisfaction but also that of the employees. La Chanterelle fully engrossed me in each role of the restaurant industry. Due to this educational experience, I have a greater understanding and respect for the employees. I assist in all areas of operation. It’s not just that I was taught how to, but I was taught that you do. No job is too small. [La Chanterelle General Manager] Ryan Blodgett will always be the first one to lend a hand, without being asked. He taught me that managers are not people who stand on the sidelines, but that they give all that they have, everywhere that they can.
Another takeaway is understanding how to be in the moment while simultaneously taking a step back and seeing the big picture. This is crucial to management. A restaurant, or any workplace, has a multitude of moving parts, each with its own timeline. To be a manager, you must be able to comprehend every step of the process while it is in motion, and to not only look one step ahead but to see five, 10, and 20 steps ahead. This way, you can decipher the moves necessary to ensure a solution when something goes wrong. La Chanterelle taught me this.
What was your favorite memory from La Chanterelle?
My favorite memories from La Chanterelle are not ones where everything went perfectly. The memories I cherish, are those where I made mistakes. La Chanterelle is a classroom, it is where you learn without fear. There are moments when you take a risk and you beam with pride because you have created the most beautiful dish you have ever made. However, the moments when you drop a fork on a guest’s lap or burn the chicken you’ve been working on for hours, those moments taught me more. The professors provide an environment where making mistakes is okay, it is not about being perfect, it is about learning. Their supportive and educational responses to my mistakes are why I cherish those moments the most.
Where do you hope to see La Chanterelle in another 30 years?
I hope to see La Chanterelle flourish. This is a unique classroom that all students, not only hospitality, exceedingly benefit from. The transferable skills gained here will guide each student to success in the future. I hope to see this classroom become well integrated into the curriculum of every major and every student.
What advice do you have for current or prospective students considering either the hospitality program or taking the La Chanterelle course?
My advice to all students, current and prospective, is to not have fear. This classroom will ensure your confidence and pride in yourself. My advice also is to work hard. La Chanterelle will guide you in discovering parts of yourself that you may not have known existed.