The forest floor

Imagine a red button appeared that offered you three hours to take a break and step away from the day. You think it sounds like a good idea, press the button and suddenly, you’re transported into the middle of a vast stretch of untouched forest. The smell of moss and vibrant life lifts into the air and brings you forward into the sunshine piercing through the high branches while warming the side of your face. You look ahead and see the perfect log with the perfect seat. You sit down and close your eyes. This is dining.

Dining is personal

Dining is whatever you want it to be. Go out to dine to step out of your everyday routine. Go to be entertained, enjoy some food, have a drink, go home and go to bed without giving one thought to the dining experience you had a couple hours prior.

But, you can also hone in on your senses from the moment you walk in the door. The look of the restaurant as you first enter; The sound that welcomes you in; The smell, touch and taste as you go from the host stand, to the bar, to the table.

Walking in

This is one of my favorite moments of the night — the first impression when you walk in. How does the energy feel?

Energy permeates through every stitch of fabric, bounces off lighting, consumes the staff that works there, and either delivers or falters in spirit. It’s what makes restaurants feel alive or dead upon arrival.

You don’t need expensive materials to complete this. Just an idea that people believe in.

Hi.

The first face you’ll meet in any restaurant is likely going to be the host. The host then sets the tone for the rest of the night. It can be quite difficult to master the multi-tasking a host performs. So much is riding on a person’s first impression, and restaurants leave it up to a host - who by all accounts is underpaid and underappreciated - to welcome strangers in to their concept and hope they stay long enough to dine.

The table

Like a conductor with an orchestra…Once a guest enters the restaurant, the staff becomes aware of that guest based on time and feel. Restaurants are well oiled machines that are in more control than you probably think. Host stand delivers direction, anyone stops to ensure the guest has a menu if they’d like one while they wait, water is presented within three seconds, and what experience they’d like, the restaurant will accommodate to their best abilities.

Hey, there’s a lot of people out there, and a lot of those people are different. Any restaurant should celebrate these differences and connect the restaurant’s energy with their energy to create a unique experience.

Stepping away

A great piece of advice I received while working for Brendan Sodikoff of Hogsalt restaurants back in Chicago: “If you like a place, go to the bathroom and check it out. Because if they take as much care into their bathrooms as the rest of the restaurant, they’ll likely care for the guest in the same manner.” That’s obviously not to knock the hole-in-the-wall places that can’t afford anything other than the product they place in front of you, but more of a nod to attention to detail.

The afterthought

Everything was so well executed and thought out that it’s not until you’re sitting at your desk at work the next day you realize what a great experience you had. It was unique. It was special. Something you’ll never forget.