FSR January 2023

Welcome

ToBe of Service IN DECEMBER (aka the season of giving and goodwill), I watched two very different chefs share their thoughts and philosophy around hospital ity. rough their words and actions, both chefs revealed just how deeply ingrained the desire to serve is in the restaurant industry—though they did so in very different ways. e first was chef and humanitarian José Andrés, who appeared on a virtual forum to discuss his career and non profit, World Central Kitchen. I won’t go into the details here (you can read the story online at fsrmagazine.com/Andres-on-Ukraine or check out an abridged version on PAGE 9 ), but suffice it to say, Andrés’s drive to be of ser vice and to take care of others goes far beyond his restaurants’ four walls. And that’s the case with many other chefs and foodservice professionals. Just days after attending this online forum, I watched the new horror/ satire film, e Menu , in which Ralph Fiennes deftly portrays a chef who is, for all intents and purposes, the very antithesis of Andrés. In an over-the top, unrealistic manner, the film explores what happens when a sense of hospitality sours into hostility. And yet, for all its darkness, the movie still circles back to that deep-seated need to serve others and the strong bonds such a dynamic cultivates. Open any issue of FSR , and you’ll find that a generous spirit is indeed the through line, whether it’s a story about collaborating with other chefs ( PAGE 15 ), improving breakfast with specialty cocktails ( PAGE 23 ), or learning how to better serve guests after slipping up ( PAGE 51 ). Our 2023 Breakout Brand of the Year, Eggs Up Grill, credits its success to many factors, but hospitality is perhaps the most important ( PAGE 28 ). Similarly, many of our NextGen Trendsetters emphasized that innovation should never come at the expense of exceptional service ( PAGE 36 ). Most foodservice folks won’t go into war-torn countries like Andrés, but that same spirit of generosity is already present in restaurants across the globe. For all his madness, Fiennes’s chef in e Menu is right in his obser vation that dining is an ephemeral experience; its fleeting nature makes it all the more special. A dinner may be brief in the grand scheme, but the desire to nourish is innate and enduring. Need proof? Look no further than your peers and your own restaurant.

Nicole@FSRmagazine.com FSRmag @FSRmagazine

On the Cover This month’s cover of Eggs Up Grill CEO Ricky Richardson was shot by photogra pher Laura Fritz . Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Fritz specializes in family and portrait photography. This is the first time her work has appeared in FSR . To learn more about Fritz, visit her website laurafritzphotography.mypixieset.com or follow her at @laurafritzphotography on Instagram.

Nicole Duncan ED I TOR

NICOLE: LIBBY M C GOWAN / LAURA FRITZ

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

JANUARY 2023