Henry Bousquet Foodservice Consultant

Good to Know

The good news: According to the National Restaurant Association, ‘38 to 40 percent of food dollars are spent on meals away from home. That means potentially millions of choices are being made over where and what to eat.’

The not so good news: ‘ H.G. Parsa’s Research published in the Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly in August, 2005 had found that about one in four restaurants close or change ownership within their first year of business. Over three years, that number rises to three in five. While a 60% failure rate may still sound high, that’s on par with the cross-industry average for new businesses, according to statistics from the Small Business Administration and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.’

The Goal

So you have the human resources maybe? What I can provide for you is the guidance, and experience of a seasoned restaurant professional with years of feeding this regions clientele. I know the food business in the south coast, from Plymouth, Massachusetts to Southern Rhode Island and can create a living breathing menu that will entice and invigorate your staff and pique the interest of your clientele. I’m in touch with the recent trends in food, food sales, systems development, and can be creative in the use of the resources on hand. I’ve done all the homework and professional development, for you. I can help reduce your learning curve saving you valuable money and even more valuable, time.

Your goals might be:

• Improving kitchen systems, with a re-design or training. Test new ways to do things, find high quality, high value products and build a menu with better contribution margins.

• Improve Timing. Use communication between the front and back of the house to pace meals according to diners’ preference and what makes sense for your concept.

• Use more interesting, fresh ingredients in different ways to excite clientele without losing the established customer base and your reliable sources of income.

• Create a unique menu with some signature dishes. Re invent the current menus, with an eye for future growth and changing tastes.

• Train your servers to be sales people.

• Make the connection with services your purveyor’s are providing but your Marketing Associate/ Salesperson may have forgotten to tell you about.

Your Commitment

Exactly how long it will take is dependant on your willingness to embrace change. I’ll work during live shifts to determine the “how’s & whys”, and I have the ability to connect with management to implement the changes, make new policy, audit current practices and explain how and why things work in different ways based on the situation.

Don’t need a consultant? Turkey’s always dry, cookies fall flat? Your cousin wants you to be a partner in his breakfast place? Want to open your own franchise store?

Ask the Chef a question in my Ask the Chef blog post! I’ll answer in a timely fashion, 2 to 3 days if not sooner and with the best answer possible.

Experience

A Detailed Work History for Chef Henry Bousquet

2006–Present Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School New Bedford, MA

Culinary Arts Instructor & Chef

• Responsible for teaching the MA Curriculum Frameworks for sophomores.
• Creative use of product on hand.
• student record keeping, inventory, and instruction & implementation of sanitation standards.

2003–2007 Haute Cooking Inc. dba Cobblestone Restaurant New Bedford, MA

Owner,Operator & Chef

• Increasing brand awareness.(launched catering division)
• Installed systems to promote consistency in food service.
• Maintain financial records, inventory, and sanitation standards.

2003–2003 Margarets Restaurant Fairhaven, MA

Sous Chef

• Managed staff, inventory and sanitation procedures.
• Utilized product through effective special creation.

2001–2003 Four Corners Breakfast & Catering New Bedford, MA

Owner,Operator & Chef

• Increased sales from previous owner.(launched catering division)
• Installed systems to promote consistency in food service.
• Maintain financial records, inventory, and sanitation standards.

1999–2001 New Bedford Country Club Dartmouth, MA

Sous Chef

• Managed staff, inventory and sanitation procedures.
• Utilized product through effective special creation.
• Created menus for special functions (ie. wine dinners, Galas, beer tasting etc.).

1997–1999 Restaurant & Pub Ninety-Nine Dartmouth, MA

Rounds Cook

• Assimilated menu specs quickly.
• Employed corporate systems for sanitation, quality control, and portion control..
• Learned all areas of back of the house from dishes & prep to chefs duties. Safety Committee and corporate trainer certified.

1997–1997 Walt Disney World Resort- EPCOT Orlando, FL

Culinary Assistant

• High Volume Cooking in a Multi Unit Operation.
• Kept accurate HACCP Records, and participated in a weekly classroom seminar.
• Responsible for food production in assigned area, worked with WDW Catering.

1991–1997 The Pasta House Restaurant Inc. Fairhaven, MA

Prep Cook, Line Cook, Sous Chef

• Managed staff, inventory and sanitation procedures.
• Became proficient in each station from prep to sauté in a fast paced 5 star Italian eatery.
• Left in 1993 to work for Kate Cory’s of Westport and returned in 1996 when it closed.

1993–1996 Kate Cory’s at Bittersweet Farm Westport, MA

Rounds Cook, Chef’s Apprentice, Waiter

• Worked with chef to learn basics from meat cutting to stocks and from scratch cooking.
• Learned and practiced meticulous execution of sanitation, quality control, and portion control standards in a 5 star American Regional eatery.
• After Kate Cory’s closed, Chef Kane opened his own place “Marguerites”, and called upon me to assist him in opening and training his staff.

1990–1991 The Candleworks Restaurant New Bedford, MA

Dish Washer, Prep Cook

• Washed dishes, pots and pans, floors and general upkeep as needed.
• Cleaned and cut vegetables, made salads and learned cold station prep.