...As someone who spent seven years in the hospitality industry and who now manages multiple teams, the way leaders treat their teams is very important to me. While munching on one of her dishes, I observed René demonstrating some model leadership traits. She led by example in rolling her sleeves up and doing the hard work. She encouraged her newer staff members (I remember meeting her niece) to jump in and give the serving role a try. Finally, she worked hard and was professional while still enjoying herself. It doesn’t take long to see that René is passionate about her craft - something that rubs off on her team members.

               If that wasn’t enough, as the event was ending, I stepped back by the service area and asked René if there was a “doggie bag” that I could take home. Unbeknownst to me, the team had pretty much packed up the food and was breaking down equipment behind-the-scenes. It didn’t matter to René - even though I insisted that she not worry about my request, René asked me to wait for her as she went to the back to personally arrange a take home plate for me. I find the combination of all these qualities - amazing food, hard work, personable and professional demeanor, ability to have fun, attention to detail and a guest-first mindset - is rare in an era of hospitality where some entrepreneurs cut corners, watch clocks and treat their team members like anything but co-owners of their company’s success...

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