This week we are focusing on our second favorite thing to fashion—food! Dig in as we highlight some of CollegeFashionista’s favorite places to eat and the foodie-entrepreneurs behind the brands all week long! Get in the action by sharing your favorite treats, sweets and even meats using the hashtag #CFeats.
The crispy Brussels Sprouts from Stella Barra. The poached eggs and quinoa cakes from Beatrix. The Rice Krispie treat and chocolate chip cookies from Summer House Santa Monica (or literally anything from their bakery). Seriously, I think all my favorite dishes come from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) kitchens.
What started with one restaurant in the ’70s has expanded to over 100 restaurants in seven states. Molly Melman, the daughter of the Founder of LEYE, grew up in the restaurant industry. After pursuing her passion for education, Molly brought her teaching skills back to the business as a partner and divisional training manager for some of the group’s hottest and most innovative restaurants.
We caught up with Molly as we discussed the hard work, research and passion behind her already successful career.
CollegeFashionista: Where did you go to school and what did you study?
Molly Melman: I went to the University of Michigan and double majored in English and Psychology.
CF: How has your background in education helped you in your current role?
MM: My background in education has helped tremendously in my current role as a divisional training manager. Teach for America taught me so much about organization and teaching methods. When I came back from New York (where I did TFA) and started working in the restaurants, I realized that Lettuce was really due for an update in our training department. I ended up using a lot of the systems I had developed while teaching kindergarten. This made the training process a lot more hands-on and interactive. Newly hired employees were now able to learn by doing jobs rather than listening to trainers talk about how to do them.
CF: What is a typical day like for you?
MM: My favorite thing about my job is that it is completely different every day. I move around a lot depending on the needs of each restaurant. I do the front of house training (servers, bartenders, hosts, runners, bussers) at our divisional restaurants. If I am doing a new-hire training class at one of our restaurants, I spend the week in that store, where training during the day consists of teaching service, having food tastings and wine tastings, explaining financials, etc. During this first week of training, the new hires have their first experiences on the restaurant floor, following a seasoned pro who shows by example what the work of his or her position involves. During that time, I will oversee service.
If we do not have a current training class, my day is spent at our divisional office updating training materials. I also hop around to all of our restaurants and check in with the chefs on new food/menu items, I check in with all of the managers at our different stores on staffing needs and recent new hires. And I’ll try to watch service at a few stores—especially if there are new servers on the floor. I also always look through all reservations for all of our restaurants. If there are any big events going on, I will try to be there. And I can stop in to see any VIPs or people I know. It helps me prioritize my night.
CF: What is it like working with your family?
MM: I have a lot of fun working with my family. I think we balance each other really nicely and know each others’ strengths and weaknesses. We also know when someone is having a bad day and can help pick each other up. Do we disagree at times? Sure. But I think we have developed really great ways to work through those disagreements to turn them into positives.
CF: Each restaurant you guys open is an instant hit. What are some things you consider before opening a new type of restaurant?
MM: Our dad always taught us that 90 percent of a restaurant’s success happens before you even open the doors. We are firm believers that we want to open to the public completely ready—all design work is done, and the staff is so trained and practiced that they are confident and comfortable with their first guests. The kitchen has practiced their food prep and timing. We put a lot of hours into the hiring process. For us, hiring the right people is the most important first step to a great staff. We spend so much time training and practicing during pre-opening events that when we do open our doors to the public, we are a well oiled machine. And we’re not afraid to make quick and fast changes. If we get feedback on something guests do not like, or if something isn’t selling—we will change it immediately.
CF: What is your favorite dish from any of the LEYE restaurants?
MM: I have different favorites from each of the restaurants—some of my go-to’s: I love the kale salad and meatballs from RPM Italian; I love the stone crabs and tomatoes from Joes Stone Crab; I have the Brussels Sprout salad from Hub 51 about three-four days a week for lunch—it never gets old!
CF: When you aren’t eating at one of your restaurants, what are you cooking at home?
MM: When my husband and I cook at home, we cook pretty simply. We love to grill, especially during the spring/summer—we have a regular rotation of steak, chicken and fish—paired with a big salad and veggies. If we’re looking for comfort food, I love to make Turkey Meatloaf or different pasta dishes.
CF: How do you juggle the busy schedule of a restaurateur while still having some personal time for yourself?
MM: That was something that took some time to establish. The hard part about the restaurant business is that you need to be working when most of the world is off and going out. When I first started as a manager I was working the closing shift at Hub 51—4 pm to 4 am most nights. That definitely took some getting used to. Now in my current position of training, I am able to work more normal hours—typically I work 10 am to 7 or 8 pm. I check in on the restaurants and can get home for dinner. Juggling a busy schedule is all about being very productive while at work—and then trusting our amazing teams at night.
CF: What advice do you have for college students wanting to pursue a career in the hospitality and/or restaurant field?
MM: If they haven’t working in a restaurant before, I suggest they be willing to start in any position just to get a foot in the door. If your dream job is working in catering—start off hosting and serving. Some of our best managers started at the bottom and worked their way up. The most important part about the restaurant business–or any business for that matter–is you have to love what you do. It’s a hard business to put a lot of hours into if you don’t love working in a restaurant. I also think it’s important to constantly surround yourself with people who can show you something or teach you something new—if you do not know about wine, surround yourself with people who can teach you about it. Lastly—go out to eat a lot! You learn a lot by sitting in a restaurant and seeing what other people are doing. It helps give you great perspective.
