Chefs, Avoid Multiplying By Zero
I’ve written before about the concept of “multiplying by zero” in your personal life. Think of these as equation-destroying decisions that have immense consequences:
Driving drunk
Not setting an alarm before an interview
Serving food that isn’t safe
The idea being: the other little details can be slightly off or with a certain margin of error, but if you multiply anything by zero, you end up at zero.
Examples
I was watching Max Shapiro’s Instagram recap of his meal at Noma, and had a similar thought with how there are “multiply by zero” elements in a tasting menu experience. Spoiler alert: he didn’t enjoy several of the dishes.
You might try this thought exercise this week by asking yourself: “where are those moments in my execution?”. You might already call these “non-negotiables” or “rules”, but I find this reframe to be helpful because it can give a lot of clarity on what you should actually focus on.
For Max, it was the fact that multiple dishes in the menu at Noma just didn’t taste good.
Think about all of the elements being executed during a meal like that:
The chairs you sit in
The spoons used on the soup course
The flower arrangement next to the host stand
The paper products used in the bathroom
The placement of the overhead lighting
The list goes on.
The thought and care that goes into each of those details can be staggering; but I’d argue that none of them on their own, if executed or presented poorly, will multiply by zero.
Now, let’s look at some examples of productive elements you should prioritize:
Does the guest feel valued and “seen” during the experience? Replace this with language that resonates with the experience you want (ie: taken care of, respectful of time, answered questions, etc.)
Is the food delicious? (Note: not pretty, “cool”, soigné, or “innovative”)
Is the environment pleasant to spend time in?
Are expectations being accurately met on objective measures? (ie: If you’ve marketed a 14” pizza, do I get a 14” pizza? If you say you’re sourcing line-caught fish, is that what I’m eating? If the menu says 1lb of brisket, is that what just got placed on the table?)
Have you taken the necessary sanitary precautions to make sure I’m not going to get sick?
When I think of unpleasant experiences I’ve had, or heard about from friends, 98 out of 100 fall into one of those buckets ^^
Side note: This is why Grant Achatz talks about how he prioritizes “deliciousness” over everything else when he’s creating a new dish. If it’s not delicious, who cares about what hydrocolloid or piece of equipment we used to create it?
Binary vs Continuum
These elements are so sneaky because none of them are “binary” - they’re on a continuum for the people in charge of executing them.
It’s not: “are we making the guest feel seen or not”.
It’s: “to what extent are we attempting to make the guest feel seen?”.
When you’re working in restaurants, sometimes it’s a case of “just do your best” and hope for a positive outcome.
However, customers will distill it down to a binary outcome.
Either the food was delicious, or it wasn’t. I either enjoyed the environment or I didn’t.
The lesson here is: list out your “potential zero’s” and identify where the "water line" is on each element. If anything falls below that line, you’re risking a bad customer experience. Then, you can focus on the fancy details.
P.S. - Notice I didn’t mention price once during this monologue. The funny part about each of those productive elements is that they can actually bridge the gap between price and value. If you charged me $45 for a burrito, but I had a great conversation with a FOH team member, the burrito was delicious, I could taste the difference in the ingredients that you say you’re using, and I had a phenomenal time in the space, I would probably come back again for that experience, and I’d also bring a friend.
This burrito analogy is over the top to illustrate the point, but think about how cocktails get priced, or how the mark up on a bottle of wine works. Use this to your advantage.
In Summary
In the hospitality industry, avoiding "multiply by zero" mistakes is crucial.
These critical missteps, like compromising on food safety or neglecting guest comfort, can nullify all other efforts.
Focus on key aspects like making guests feel valued, serving delicious food, ensuring a pleasant environment, and meeting expectations accurately.
These foundational elements can elevate the dining experience, turning even high-priced offerings into perceived value, ensuring customers leave satisfied and likely to return. Said another way: prioritize these core components before embellishing with finer details.