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Culinary Currents
December 2005
Kraig Thome, Executive Chef, The University Club:
Members First!
By Peter Langlois
Kraig Thome, Executive Chef for ClubCorp, Houston, Texas,
admits he is a dictator when it comes to running his kitchen. He told me:
“I have to be (a dictator). When I establish a standard cooking time at
lunch is eight minutes, I can’t back off. I can’t back off at dinner,
either. Each year, I have 600 opportunities (The University Club is open
for lunch and dinner 300 days a year) to prove to our members they’ve made
the right choice joining the club. I have to make sure we deliver on our
promises, not just when members have parties or events, but every single
day.”
Chef says the same is true when it comes to staff being
in uniform. “I can’t compromise there either. When I send someone home,
everybody gets in line. I can only imagine what would happen if I let
somebody slide.”
For Chef Kraig it’s all about very high standards. “It’s
up to me and my sous chef, but especially me, to set the tone. After all,
I am the leader.” If this sounds like to be a successful chef, you have to
be a control freak, I’m absolutely buying into Kraig’s perspective. But
here’s a curious twist about enforcing standards: Kraig has had no
turnover in his staff for five years, except for sous chefs, whom he
trains and sends out to other clubs. If you aspire to be an executive
chef, I’d say this is a terrific example to emulate. He takes ownership
and responsibility for everything.
I’ve known Chef Kraig for some time, and I’ve never known
him to be anything but intense. Ask Kraig and he’ll tell you convincingly
he has the best gumbo in the country. I’d bet he’s tried several hundred
gumbos over the last few years, searching for the best. “It’s all about
the roux! “ he tells me. “Roux is so basic to classic cooking in our area,
and yet it’s consistently under cooked. Getting it the right shade of
brown by cooking it through at the right temperature is essential to
making gumbo. Don’t rush it. I also customize the ingredients to fit our
members’ taste profile, not mine. It’s members first here.”
“We have a gumbo club. In fact, there’s always a pot of
roux working on the stove. Our members not only want to enjoy eating
gumbo, but they want the secrets to making it right. I tell them
everything, every step. They take it all in, and I’m sure intend to make
it at home, but they’re always back at the next session.”
I asked Chef what he saw changing in the last year or so.
“The Atkins thing and all those crazy diets are thankfully over,” he said.
“Our members get it. They are educated about making choices for themselves
with a balanced approach. It’s not about eliminating total food groups. Of
course, if a member is on a special diet, we’ll follow that exactly, but
we’re finding people just aren’t being swayed into believing any of these
fads anymore.”
This dedication carries over into his personal life as
well. A pinball buff, he has a small arcade in his home. And he carries
the passion from work into his relationship with his lovely wife, Leticia.
Would you believe he packs her lunch for her three days a week? “The other
days, we meet for a late lunch during my afternoon break.”
By the way, I’ve seen the dictator melt to putty when
Leticia casts her eyes in his direction. I think that’s his real secret:
He’s absolutely focused on pleasing his members (and his wife). In our
business, that’s a great plan to not only satisfy guests but also to excel
at your job. Here’s to being a kitchen dictator!
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Peter Langlois is founder of
www.RestaurantU.com: Tools of the Trade for Business, for School, for
Free!,co-editor of
Weekly Restaurant Connections (e-Newsletter), Culinary Instructor,
The Art Institute of Houston-Culinary, and Management, Marketing
and e-business Facilitator at The University of
Phoenix (Houston). Langlois is also a Malcolm
Baldrige 2005 Ambassador. He has a Political Science degree
from Michigan State University (Modern International Chinese Relations)
and an M.B.A from the University of Houston (Marketing and Business
Strategies). If you enjoyed this feature, you’ll probably enjoy his free
newsletter available on
www.RestaurantU.com.
Contact information: 832.860.5595 or
peter@restaurantu.com
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