50 Things I Learnt From Watching Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

Recently, approximately around the same time I started working from home and having dinner before 8, I have started watching (for some absurd reason probably linked to YouTube's recommendation algorithm) Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.

I have been watching it in the most peculiar way, as though it is a daily show. I have even formed my own appointment time to watch the show at around 6:30-7:00pm, whereby I pop on an episode and watch it over some dinner. 

I don't understand how I have formed this habit but in the absence of appointment-based viewing in my life, it appears as though I have made my own routine for binging. Maybe the hype around binging is waning slightly and we're returning to a mix of both binging and normal viewing. Nonetheless, It's weird but it reflects how important routines are to people and how appointment-based viewing can be kind of lost in a world of streaming services and video on demand.

Lamentations aside, in watching Ramsay go into restaurants to break them down and rebuild them, I have learnt a few things. I thought I would write them down and share them. You might find them as interesting as I have.

These findings are centred around three themes: The Products, The Customers, and The Teams.

The Customers.

1) Get feedback from customers. 

Ask them if they know the business, if they've eaten there before, would they eat there again and what their overall experience was the last time they visited.

2) Accumulate customer feedback and data to validate a hypothesis with evidence. 

Collate the customer’s feedback, particularly to enlighten Restaurant owners who are reluctant to accept the truth from people with their rusted-on opinions and reluctance to change. Therefore, using this feedback as an almighty way to break down their resistance.

3) If people send food back, it's not because it is good. 

Be receptive to the feedback coming in, take it in, find the pattern and fix it. The quality game is not to push out the most dishes, but to have the least return.

4) Don't lie to your customers. 

If you say something is fresh and it isn't, simply do not say it is fresh! You mismanaged their expectations and as a result, increased the likelihood of the dish returning more than the customer.

5) Word of mouth is magic. 

Get food critics, VIPs, etc to come and experience the new restaurant. They will talk about it.

6) Be customer-centric. 

This is different from the "customer first" adage. Your role is to serve the customer. They have come to your restaurant with an expectation in mind, that they will have a delicious dish and a pleasant experience, that they want to come back to experience it again and with friends. It's a good sign if you start to recognise customers.

7) Simplify. 

Cut the menu down. Make it easier to pick and easier to cook. Don't be everything to everyone as everything will be mediocre if you do this.

8) Collect data to make decisions. 

If you think something is your most popular dish, is it really? Does your POS system allow you to determine this? If not, what data do you have other than anecdotal? Here's a tip, if you hate doing something, you will think you do it more frequently than you actually do.

9) Pay attention to the locals, the surroundings and the competition. 

You might think you have a great culinary idea but there may be no demand for that in the area. One episode was in the English countryside where there was a fine dining restaurant. The locals there preferred to have a gourmet pie than an expensive french fine dining experience.

10) Dishes that come back are a learning opportunity. 

Customers do not send things back because they are being difficult, they send them back because you did not meet their expectations. It's your job to understand why and take action on how to fix it.

?The Product:

11) Play to your strengths and focus on what you do best. 

If you don't know how to do something, don't do it, especially when it comes to seafood.

12) Keep your shit clean and tidy!

How do you think a customer would react if they saw your kitchen and cool room? If it's in shock then you need to clean it. Immediately. 

13) There is always room for improvement. 

Never say something is the best it can be. There is only one "best" and if it were you, both you and the rest of the world would know about it. Even if you believe your food is 10/10, knock it down a couple of notches to leave room for improvement otherwise what is Ramsay doing in your restaurant? Coming to give you praise? Last I checked the show wasn't called Ramsay's Kitchen Pleasant Dreams.

14) Sample the product, provide feedback and monitor how the feedback was received. 

Deliver this feedback in person later to reiterate the message. Make sure the feedback you had before is congruent with the feedback delivered later hence resulting in no surprises. If you think you will get different treatment to others, have a proxy to extract feedback for you. For example, send a local foodie to give you feedback on the food rather than getting a specially made dish.

15) Use local first. 

It is usually the freshest. That's what makes the restaurant special, the locale. If I am visiting a coastal fishing town, I would expect to have fish from the region, not another country.

16) Think profitably, not greedily. 

Giving people less quality food for a greater price is not profitable, it erodes the perception of value. Basics done well are an easy way to make a profit. The formula for this is: local quality goods x simple flavours = profitable dishes.

17) Get the basics right before you attempt the complex. 

You need to walk before you can run. If you cannot make mashed potatoes well, how much success do you think you'd have with something more complex?

18) Less is more. 

I hate this phrase, but it is true. Less complex dishes give greater clarity of flavours. Less complex tactics give clarity to the idea. How many things can you reduce the complexity of before you arrive at the purist simplicity?

19) If you accept shit, people will give you shit. 

You get what you accept. If you let shit go out, you will keep getting shit from those that dish it out. There needs to be someone responsible for quality control who does not let crappy food go out. If they do, it's a slippery slope to more crap.

20) Make it nice or make it twice. 

If you don't want a dish to come back, make it the best it can be the first time. You have no idea how much money is wasted on dishes returning. Just goes to show, if you nail the brief, you will only have to answer it once and thus be significantly more efficient.

21) Over time you may lose focus of what great is. 

It is really hard to stay focused over extended periods of time meaning your dishes are likely not what they used to be because you are fatigued and stressed and haven't changed them in forever.

22) Keep it exciting by creating specials. 

You don't need to have the whole menu available all the time, you can introduce specials every day or week. That way you can mix it up for yourself and keep it interesting.

23) Adapt or die. 

The businesses featured are often close to financial ruin. The business owner needs to accept that they need to change and this can often be a bitter pill to swallow. Ultimately, they need to take a zoom out and look at their situation and ask, did I get here because everything I was doing was great or did I get here because nothing I was doing changed? If you keep doing what you have always done, you'll keep getting what you have always got. Except when it comes to CPCs in search.

24) Change regularly. 

Otherwise, it gets boring - for you and your customers.

25) Never ever skimp on quality. 

Don't cut corners, they will eventually catch up with you in one way or another - be it less returning customers or more returning dishes.

26) Quality and Quantity are not interchangeable. 

A small quantity of quality food is not the same as a large quantity of low-quality food. What would you rather spend $20 on: 4x Pizzas or a 1x bowl of hand-made ramen?

The Team:

27) There needs to be a boss. 

Both in the kitchen and in the front. They need to be assertive and confident, but definitely not an arrogant dick.

28) Ego needs to get out of the way if you want to work for the customer. 

You work in the service industry. You provide a service to your customers. It is important to be grateful for them and treat them with the utmost respect.

29) Get feedback from the staff and teams. 

Break people up into groups to get their feedback. There are always separate parties involved and different parts to the story so get feedback from them individually, especially if there is tension.

30) Establish the team's confidence to have an open dialogue. 

Get the team with the most feedback to provide it to you in an open forum - just you and the team. After they have shared their thoughts, tell them they need to relay the feedback back to the person they are discussing. Tell them you'll have their back when they deliver it, and make sure you hold true to that.

31) In a confusing hierarchy, let people show you who they think is the boss. 

If there are a lot of people in a team with no clear leader, give everyone a pebble and a bucket. Tell them to put the pebble into the person they think is the boss. It will demonstrate clearly a lack of hierarchy and leadership and give you an idea of the areas to consolidate.

32) Lead by example. 

People so often look to the business owners and leaders. Leaders need to have an energy about them, take pride in their work, motivate their staff and be present. If they aren't having a good day, it is imperative that this does not toxify the environment. Negativity spreads throughout the workplace like wildfire.

33) Communication. 

More than just an awesome song by Armin van Buuren, but an essential component to a functioning restaurant in all areas from customer to kitchen. You are playing Chinese whispers so making sure each message is sent AND received clearly, - this is key.

34) No one person can do everything. 

You need to have a team, a bond, a reliance and trust amongst one another to be successful.

35) Don't take excuses - There are none worth hearing. 

For every excuse, there is an equal yet opposite reason as to why it is bullshit.

36) A specialist can teach you - as long as you are prepared to learn again. 

There is no harm in bringing an expert in for a period of time to get everyone trained and up to speed. Sometimes you need to bring in an external expert to build up the capability inside.

37) Use an ultimatum if you need to. 

Ramsay uses this one often. "I am here to help you, if you don't want my help, I'll fuck off right now." This becomes especially powerful if you have been called in to help - it doesn't work if you are forcing help on someone that doesn't think they need it, or your feedback is still seen as unwelcome.

38) Give everyone clear roles.

If you do not tell anyone who's the boss, everyone will think one of two things: 1. That they are the boss and their opinion is the most important or 2. That they feel unheard and that speaking up is futile. Avoid this dilemma and give people clear rankings and a forum to be heard. Decisions don't get to be made by everyone, but it is important that everyone feels that they can share their feedback and opinions.

39) Get rid of tension points between teams. 

Conflict creates communication blockages and ego challenges between team members. It doesn't make the job more enjoyable or smoother. It doesn't make people do a better job, or want to work harder, or even come to work. It creates inefficiency. If they refuse to work together and work through their differences, either change the responsibilities, the roster or other more serious measures.

40) Choose the appropriate feedback style based on context. 

Change the feedback style from discipline to nurture based on the stage of learning the recipient is at. If the chef is rebuilding, accepting feedback, trying and is embracing change, nurture them and provide them with positive reinforcement. If they are being hard-headed and resistant, you will need to break them down further before you rebuild them.

41) Find the problem in the service chain. 

There are finite areas where the problem can exist from the food supplier to the customer's dining experience. Ask questions at each transition point to ensure the handoff between parties involved is as efficient as they can be.

42) Don't assume you know; assume you don't. 

You can never be quite sure if the only validation you've had is your own and the people are too scared to tell you the truth. You may need to ask and find out stealthily if you want to get the honest answers.

43) Don't be afraid to be assertive. 

This is not the same as aggressive.

44) Draw out people's passion and commitment to being the best they can be. 

If they don't want to do this, they probably don't want to work, and if that's the case they aren't going to be supporting you on the long and difficult road to success, they are probably just there for the free ride.

45) Be open to hearing feedback. 

If you are closed off for receiving feedback, you will find it much harder to improve. Let go of the fear of being wrong because if you hang onto it too dearly, you might as well get comfortable with your head in the sand.

46) Don't burn the candle at both ends. 

Fatigue will leave you frustrated and angry, and eventually, you will give up. Your relationship, business, morale, team, attitude, mental health, happiness and reason to live may become diminished and eroded over time. Some of these things never recover if you're not careful.

47) Don't be a hero, let people help. 

You are not the best at everything, always. There are people better than you at things - elevate them to take it off your hands so you can focus on other things. If you train someone well, they will probably become better at it than you and that's a good thing. Sometimes you need to delegate to elevate.

48) Have regular huddles and feedback sessions with the team. 

Make sure they are all happy and on board with the changes that need to be made. Give them positive feedback and encouragement. Not everything needs to be bad. Thank them for their hard work regularly.

49) If you fight or resist change, you are wasting precious time. 

Embrace change as early as possible, it is hard, but be mindful that when there is finite time and deadlines to achieve a willingness to change helps quickly push the process along. The mindset needs to change from "resist until Gordon goes away so I can stay where I am" to "go with the flow, accept my flaws, and get on with it". Go with the flow to grow.

50) Be good to one another. 

All people have complex and vivid lives. The workers and customers. Treat them with respect and allow them to speak and have a voice. They want to be part of the success with you, both by trading their time for payment and their money for food. Thank them, all of them have played a valuable part in the equation.

In summary

There are a lot of lessons to be had from watching businesses in crisis try to find a way to fix their problems, from the approach, the formula, the areas to improve and so forth. As time progresses and we get through the COVID-19 crisis and the economic recession that is following, I am predicting that there will be an over-emphasis on efficiency. Often, the efficiency plan will be a knee jerk reaction of cutting and consolidating things frivolously. After this, there will likely be a stage of rebuilding for many. 

We are all going through our own kitchen nightmares, one where we need to find blockages and resistance to change, improve communication and simplify things. If this is the case, we need to do it boldly, methodically and respectfully.

Let's all prepare to change the furniture and the menus at our metaphorical Restaurants and embrace the evolution we are being extruded from when returning to the new normal.