As a successful and experienced restaurant entrepreneur, and owner of two restaurants in both Dresden and Historic Roscoe Village, John Larson had a lot of knowledge to share last week when he met with a younger generation of budding cooks.
Tri-Valley Middle School Cooking Club students were treated to a presentation by both John and the general manager for The Warehouse Restaurant Dresden and TV graduate with 15 years in the restaurant business, Heidi Ross. A tour of the kitchen and a demonstration on how to pre-prep a brisket, cook it in the smoker and properly carve it lead by Chef Nate Noland followed. Nate is also a TV graduate and brings 15 years of experience as well.
“This is a people business” John explained when talking about hospitality, just one of several important facets of the restaurant business that he focused on in his presentation. Heidi further explained about the importance of how to properly treat guests. “People always remember how you made them feel”, said Heidi.
Safety, safe food prep, marketing, cleanliness, and the menu were all topics that were focal points of the presentations. John’s encouraged the students to go after their goals in the food service industry with these words, “Don’t be afraid…embrace it…study it.”
