Open heart, open mind, but not open book. Memorized monologues. Drawing out hidden talents to do justice to the chef's creations.
Consolidating, communicating and teamwork. Maintaining a professional appearance. Decreasing visits to the dish area, increasing time to service guests.
Meticulous awareness of what diners need but also what they do NOT need. The art of keeping tables crumb-free, moisture-free and appropriately set--each and every course.
Drilling down on which guest-needs come before others and why. Averting the disaster of a mini-hostage-crisis of condiments!
Asking the right questions with keen sensitivity to guest allergies and preferences. Revisiting diners' choices, if necessary. Using timing standards to one's advantage.
Traditional pairs and why they complement. Non-traditional, alternative or unique pairs to explore. Matching the wine list to the menu.
Building confidence, buying into the system, and trusting one's own hands. Tweaking small habits to yield big results. Taking ownership while promoting teamwork.
Learning to view mistakes--which are inevitable--as merely challenges with a brighter potential. Honest interactions, inventive service priorities, and sincere follow-up.
Private Dining Maitre D is a hole-in-one curriculum offering for restaurant service staff, designed especially with private clubs in mind.
We believe in the ongoing development of restaurant processes and dining room service standards, via incremental and breakthrough improvements!
Private Dining MD is essentially a deconstructed version of an impeccable service manual, which includes the design and delivery of hard-planned, IN-PERSON courses, all sprinkled heavily with decades of unique lessons learned.
“Scott is a wizard at leveling up staff members, from improving basics, to establishing firm fundamentals. His understanding from his years in the service industry allows him to develop team members into stars, with a sense of purpose and skill.”
"Scott's breadth of knowledge is only matched by his passionate dedication to doing things the 'right way', and it is literally *impossible to imagine our opening success—or even just our opening, period—without him. Scott is far more than just an asset; he is a staple!"
Within minutes of first working with Mr. Payne, he had already illustrated how something as simple as the handle of a coffee cup, can potentially make or break a dining experience! I constantly cite this lesson-learned because I use it to pinpoint the exact moment when I stopped merely toiling at *jobs--and started critically thinking in what has now become my fine service career!
"Scott was an instrumental team member in our opening process. His expertise in organization, with a systematic approach to setting our restaurant up for success, was key to our initial success. He is a master at general steps of service, from all positions both front and back of house. Humble enough to roll up his sleeves and get down in the dish pit, but polished enough to execute a flawless wine service with the knowledge to back it.