So it has been awhile since my last post, but I thought it would be a good time to fill everyone in on the happenings around MCC F&B. Since my last post, we have since closed the pool for the season among several other things. I would like to take this time to thank all of our lifeguards for their dedication and hard work throughout the summer and going through some hot, miserable days on stand. I thought our managers did an outstanding job of keeping the pool well maintained and clear for the patrons. No doubt, one of our better years overall. We wish each well in their future endeavors and hope to get several lifeguards back for next pool season.
One of our current undertakings as a department is branding Manhattan Country Club. This is one of the more important initiatives I have for our professional staff because it allows us to look and feel consistent from one document to another. Everything from the placement of our logo to the font sizes and text of banquet packets, training manuals, articles, pamphlets and specials must be consistent and provide a uniform message. As you might imagine, this is a fairly expansive project and it will take some time to sift through from front to back. While these forms and documents may not always be pertinent to every member, they will send a powerful message to folks that utilize MCC we are serious about our business.
Also in the works is a new wine list. Our current list is out-of-date and a bit too extensive for what our membership is utilizing. I have been meeting with several different vendors and sommeliers over the last few weeks to sample products and pair wines with our cuisine. There are a ton of options out there and it is my goal to come up with a few home runs that the membership will both enjoy and share with their peers. With any change, we have to look at the numbers. There are some obvious stars as well as a few dogs that just are not worth keeping around on the new list. I understand how difficult it can be to satisfy everyone and I fully intend on working with the membership and my staff to find suitable alternatives for every pallet. Designing menus is one of my favorite projects and I have several new concepts in mind for the presentation of the wine list. Stay tuned on that front...
Another area where we have been hard at work is in training and educating our staff. The large majority of our staff has been with MCC less than four months and their progress in that period of time has been stellar. While there is still a ways to go in their development as high quality servers, we now have a foundation from which to build on our level of service. That being said, we are now in month four with our new point-of-sale system, IBS, and I believe we have many of the kinks worked out internally and externally. There are still some functionality and user friendliness issues that could be improved from a software standpoint, but those are well beyond our control as a user. We will continue to hone in on our delivery and consistency with regular meetings and updates.
The last topic I would like to cover is theme nights. Many of our new members, including myself, have never experienced the famed "chicken night" or "pizza night" that previous Chef's at the club were known for not so long ago. Several of our members that have been around the club seem to be quite fond of these theme nights and I have been approached about such nights on more than one occasion during my stint as F&B Manager. We are looking at the calendar for the remainder of the year and do intend on giving these a shot. I have always been a fan of themed meals and know they would be a great service and added bonus for our membership. Updates will be available in newsletters and e-blasts on our progress with theme nights. That's it for now. As always, let me know if I can be of any assistance to you. I'm happy to help. Have a good week.
