Welcome to In the Weeds, a new publication covering the business of independent restaurants.
When Kristen Hall sat down with her team at La Fête in Birmingham, Alabama, and told them Michelin was inspecting the restaurant, she welcomed questions. When the restaurant won a Bib Gourmand award, she wanted to hear what her team needed to continue serving excellent food and hospitality at an increased volume.
From my conversation with Kristen, it was clear how important it was to keep her relationship with her team strong as they rode the rollercoaster of Michelin attention. One way she kept that strong relationship was by bringing her entire team with her to her James Beard dinner on Bastille Day. She ended up buying guest tickets for most of them.
“My goal is to take accolades or take opportunities and make sure that my entire team gets to participate,” she said. “For me, being a chef and owner is very participatory with my team.”
Also in this edition: I spoke to the Food & Wine Best Restaurant Winner about their usual business model, Michelin won’t be partying in Texas this year, and New IRS overtime rules are now in effect.
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Kristen Hall at La Fête | Photo credit: Mason David Erwin
Kristen Hall knew Michelin inspectors liked to ask questions. So, when she received the email from Michelin informing her that La Fête, her Birmingham, Alabama, restaurant, was under inspection, she made sure her team was armed with information. They were welcome to discuss what the inspectors might ask them and any other questions they had about the Michelin process, just as they’ve always been encouraged to ask about the business.