In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, the gastronomy sector faces a daunting challenge: retaining competent staff. More specifically, procuring well-trained service employees proves to be an uphill task. Those with limited training often necessitate extensive mentoring, predominantly in the areas of product comprehension and upselling skills. Especially in luxury dining establishments, service quality dramatically influences the entire dining encounter. As such, it is vital for establishments to ensure unwavering excellence, even when inducting new and relatively inexperienced team members. The recent pandemic further intensified this conundrum, with numerous trained personnel leaving the industry in pursuit of more predictable incomes and improved working conditions.
On this backdrop, I had the distinct privilege of meeting Benjamion Becker (he likes to be called Benny), a distinguished hotel clerk, seasoned restaurant manager, and Sommelier, during various wine events. Identifying the pressing needs of the gastronomic world, Benny introduced me to his new initiative, “Gastroutine.” The foundational idea: address and rectify challenges posed by inadequately trained personnel. Such challenges often manifest in the form of reduced earnings per table, deteriorating online feedback, and the ominous threat of dwindling patronage.
Efficiency is Key
Positioning itself as a premier online training platform, Gastroutine aims to swiftly and effectively familiarize newcomers with the craft of impeccable service. Currently available in both English and German—with plans to encompass more languages soon—the platform guarantees accessibility across a spectrum of devices, from traditional PCs to smartphones.
Mastery in Service: A Structured Approach
Gastroutine’s curriculum is ideal for newcomers. Encompassing nine modules, it provides 55 short lessons. These lessons traverse a vast spectrum: from foundational aspects like etiquette and demeanor, personal grooming, and procedural expertise (mise en place), to more intricate facets like advanced service techniques, strategic communication, sales finesse, and more. Embracing the contemporary microlearning pedagogy, Gastroutine segments its content into easily digestible 3-minute portions. This is further augmented with illustrative video content, totalling roughly four hours, though actual duration may vary based on individual engagement levels.
Upon course completion, candidates are evaluated via a 40-question examination that parallels the rigor of German IHK-Exams designed for certified restaurant waiters. Successful candidates are commemorated with a certificate, signaling their newly acquired proficiency.
Meet the Founders
While Benny’s passion and expertise form the bedrock of Gastroutine, the initiative also benefits from the entrepreneurial acumen of Christian Thum. An accomplished entrepreneur, Christian has steered multiple ventures to success and is adept at devising and implementing growth-centric strategies. Together, they envision Gastroutine as the gastronomy sector’s linchpin, seamlessly connecting establishments with a ready pool of skilled professionals. In essence, their ambition is dual-faceted: to robustly address the industry’s staffing concerns while simultaneously raising the bar for training quality.
For prospective clientele, Gastroutine offers a tiered engagement model, delineated as Single, Silver, and Gold packages. Each ascending tier unlocks a suite of additional benefits, ranging from cost efficiencies to access to multiple licenses.
Drawing insights from my own journey as a trained hotel clerk and Sommelier, I genuinely believe Gastroutine is on the right path of revolutionizing staff training within the gastronomy sector. Although the current modules are deeply anchored in foundational tenets, it’s pivotal to understand that lying a foundation is key to success for any business. Adopting a platform like Gastroutine can tremendously streamline staff integration, allowing businesses to refocus on their quintessential mission: delivering unmatched service experiences.
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This text was neither commissioned nor compensated. It reflects exclusively my own opinion.
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