Who’s behind this story:
About Michael
Michael Ziff’s love for hospitality was awakened during his first job at the Windsor Arms Hotel, a well-known Relais et Chateaux in Toronto. He was trained and mentored by a team of European professionals and his service style is still informed by those early years. He went on to work as a Restaurant Manager and Wine Director in restaurants in Toronto as well as three years in New York City during an important time in North America’s restaurant evolution. Ziff eventually arrived in Vancouver where he opened Chambar Restaurant, which became an important incubator for the independent scene in that city. Michael left the industry and co-founded a successful clothing and retail business, but after a four-year hiatus from hospitality, he returned to reopen Chambar’s newly expanded location and manage the celebrated Vancouver restaurant Hawksworth.
His proudest moment was opening and establishing St. Lawrence Restaurant, which immediately landed on best restaurant lists in Vancouver and Canada and was then awarded a Michelin Star; it is currently one of Canada’s most celebrated restaurants. During his years in Vancouver, he often toured the Okanagan wineries and came to love the region. He finally made the move to open and establish Home Block Restaurant at CedarCreek Winery and then settled in Penticton to re-imagine the culinary and hospitality program at Poplar Grove Winery.
Born in Montreal and raised in Quebec City, Michael is fluent in both French and English and believes food and language are the foundations of culture.
story: Process
Observation
- The process begins with a pre-service site inspection to see the room when it’s quiet and empty to get a sense of how the room speaks to incoming guests.
- Followed by Service Observation when Michael joins your team for one, two or three days and observes all aspects of service and culture.
- Michael meets with key management to discuss general hospitality and identify any issues they wish to resolve or successes they wish to maintain.
Summary
- story: will provide the client with a thorough assessment of the operation based on observations.
- the summary will identify any areas of service that require improvement; efficiencies to help the staff better execute; staff feedback and ideas that may have not expressed to management.
- Suggest ways to tell you story in non-verbal ways with elements of service and detail.
- Teach your staff how to tell your story in some way during every guest interaction.
- Create a ‘Standards of Service’ manual unique to your operation that is consistent with your story.
- Train staff to establish both your new standard and foundational elements of service to create a consistent and recognizable elevation to your guest experience.
- Basic wine and beverage training to improve knowledge and provide your staff with a working vocabulary to better sell.
- Offering management tools on how to improve their leadership roles, guest experience, dealing with issues, staff interactions and feedback, etc.
- Craft robust staff and training manuals to better communicate all aspects of the operation.
- Issues may arise, and how quickly an establishment responds is key to long-term success. story: will be there for you and your management team for phone calls and in-person assistance in working through any hurdles that may arise during this period of a hospitality refresh.
