Food brings people together. This can come in the form of a humble cheeseburger, a well-appointed buffet, or a served meal with all the accompaniments.
Meals have shifted in recent decades away from the home and out into the wider world. The most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows us that 56% of total food expenditures occurred for meals outside the home.
Couple this with the dwindling amount of “third places” in neighborhoods where people can gather, and that puts added pressure on restaurants and food service not just as a place for nourishment, but for community as well.
The term “third place” was coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg in 1989 to describe a place outside the home or work where you can relax and hang out.
Previously, third places might have been parks, libraries, churches, barber shops, bowling leagues, community centers, or coffee shops. As some of these have become fewer in number and less relevant to people, restaurants, cafes, and dining services have picked up the slack.
As more of our population self-declare as “lonely” and “anxious” these places for people to connect become even more important.
So why share all of this? Because the stakes are higher than ever in the restaurant business and expectations from guests continue to increase and evolve. Food Network, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram open the world to prospective diners, and they are calling out from all generations and backgrounds for what is new, fresh, delicious, satisfying, and comforting.
That sounds like both a great deal of fun and a challenge for operators.
We can help!
We are pleased to announce the launch of our newest practice, Food Craft©, focusing on the art and science of culinary in all markets.
We bring a wealth of expertise in the following areas:
Contract foodservice in the away from home markets, including corporate dining, higher education, sports + leisure, healthcare, and senior living.
Catering and VIP culinary events.
Table service and fine dining.
Guest experience and hospitality skills training.
Food safety and kitchen management.
Culinary trends and innovation.
Building profitable and cost effective dining programs.
Client-side leadership and contract management.
Sustainability.
Employee engagement and retention.
We will help you create world class dining experiences for guests, regardless of market, that delivered safely, consistently, and profitably.
Here is a quick preview of how we can help.
CULINARY OPERATIONS REVIEW
We can help with anything from mystery shops to comprehensive program review. Our team of experts will use our proprietary Craft Success Matrix© and assessment tools to help you identify areas of success and opportunity. Our suite of technology enablers will help you monitor your ongoing success through customized quality assurance audits that get everyone involved in tracking progress.
FOOD SAFETY
We can help you evaluate your current food safety progress and plot a course toward exceeding your goals and standards. Our team can help with measurement, planning, training, and accountability.
CULINARY STRATEGY
We can help bring your culinary strategy to life with industry trends, professional evaluation, and long-term programmatic planning. From menu to performance to profitability, we have a solution for you.
HOSPITALITY TRAINING
Our team of professional experience and training experts can build your virtual and in-person training modules, and help you deploy and deliver the content to your team.
Together we can help you deliver the best experiences for your guests, patients, employees, students, fans, and travelers.
Reach out today to learn more about our offerings and how we can help you thrive in this ever-changing culinary marketplace.
PRACTICE LEADERS
Tony Johnson | Chief Experience Officer
Tony Johnson, 4xi’s Chief Experience Officer, leads FoodCraft©. Together we can build culinary programs that deliver safe, innovative, profitable menus to guests of all ages and in all markets. Tony brings his long experience in culinary, food service, and hospitality to help restaurants and food service operations thrive.
Christy Cook | Chief Sustainability Officer in Residence
Christy is a globally recognized expert in corporate sustainability with a specialized focus in zero waste. Christy is a veteran of the Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and sustainability space where she has been working for almost 20 years. Her background is in corporate sustainability and working directly with clients to improve their sustainability performance.
She went from creating sustainability solutions at one college campus to 8500 sites in North America across seven business sectors for the 19th largest employer where she also developed the foundation for the largest food waste prevention program in the world.
Ann McNally | Operations Coaching & Growth
Ann is a soft service subject matter expert with over 25 years of onsite hospitality experience working on both the client side of the business as well as on the operator side. She has worked in the airport, education, and corporate services sectors. As a former Vice President of Amenities at Morgan Stanley, Director of Contract Soft Services at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Vice President of Business Development at Sodexo, Ann offers a unique way of looking at the business from both the client and operators view.
4xi Global Consulting & Solutions is a team of talented leaders from both the client-side and service provider side, impacting the Human Experience (HX) for people at work, in education, rest, and at leisure.
We believe in a people-first, experience-led philosophy. Whether client, employee, or guest – their experience is the fundamental foundation of success.
We work with corporations, service providers, and innovators:
Strategic Advisory & Special Projects (SPx)
Headquarters Fractional Support On-Demand
Evolving Experiences© - Employee (EX) & Customer Experience (CX)
Design4Life©: Environmental, Physical, and Experiential Design
Global Amenities Strategy, Design & Operations
TRUE NORTH©: Strategic Partnership & Growth
Sustainability Simplified©: Supply Chain & Innovation
Market Research Reports & Benchmarking
Project Management Office
Food Craft Culinary Consulting
CREATE. : Graphic Design and Creative Services
DATAxi: Data Ingestion and Visualization
Explorers Innovation Directory: Gateway to Innovation
4xi is proud to be Chair of WORKTECH Academy for North America and a member of its Leadership Advisory Board. 4xi is a Global Ambassador for WORKTECH Academy.
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