One of the primary things I try to accomplish with these blogs is to provide a valuable reference source for the hospitality industry.  I try to compile information and make it available to servers, managers, and foodies.  So many sources of information are available online, but most are not designed specifically for servers.  I try to find information from these sources and condense it to just the information that is relevant to the service industry.  It is not always successful, but I try to keep it as an objective.

It just seems that every time I get close to achieving this, Rene over at Crazy Waiter raises the bar.  I have spoken highly of his blog in the past.  Some might remember the sheer awe I was struck with when he introduced his Server Quality Knowledge Base.  I am still amazed at the number of resources he has compiled.  If you are as much of an information geek as I am, you will feel like a kid in a candy store.  At the time I first mentioned it here it was just over 200 sources deep.  I checked in on it today and it has grown to over 500 articles.  If you are looking for scholarly research on any hospitality related topic, this is an incredible source.

Last week, he impressed me yet again.  The Crazy Waiter (& Friend’s) Hospitality Words is truly impressive.  100 hospitality related terms and phrases translated into 11 different languages.  This is presented in a professional and polished manner.  These go well beyond just simple Google translations.  The phrasing is designed to allow you to approach guests and speak to them using not only the proper words, but also in the proper way.

If you frequently serve guests with limited English, this will allow you to provide better service.  It will allow you to impress your guests without a great deal of extra effort.  Even if you do not use it frequently, it is a valuable resource that is compiled in an easy to use manner.  This could not have been easy to create.  Well-deserved tip of the hat goes to our European server friend for making our jobs easier.

Another site popped up on my radar yesterday.  A business school directory site named www.Bschool.com came up with their list of the top 60 blogs about the restaurant industry.  Many of the sites on my new blogroll are featured   as well as four of the six blogs I write.  There are also many more to discover.  This is a way to find some great sources of information that others are making available.  I am still making my way through this list and finding some great new sites.

On a final note, some of you might have noticed a brief break in my daily posting schedule.  Valentine’s Day really took it out of me.  Pulling a week’s worth of hours in a three day period has wiped out my body and my immune system.  I took a day off to plan a wonderful Valentine’s meal for my lovely girlfriend.  I have finally made it to my weekend and am working on some great stuff for next week.  This will also include a recap of what actually happened on my Valentine’s Day shift.  I predicted a perfect storm, come back for my recap to find out if it was a slight shower or a tsunami.

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