Food Meet with Mr. Sandeep Dhiman
M.F.K Fisher has rightly said, first we eat, then we do everything else. The one hour food club meeting at 5 pm on 16th January was kick-started by food-enthusiast and guest speaker Sandeep Dhiman, manager at one of the biggest hotels in the city,” J.W. Marriott”. He manages Spice Kitchen, one of the finest restaurants housed under the uber-popular Star hotel. Under him, the Marriott chain of hotels was also the first to come up with the idea of home deliveries by 5-star hotels which saved a lot of jobs and generated good revenue. The way he answered all the questions and shared information about the working process of the hotel was very informative and inspiring. When asked by Ashish sir about impressing the customers, he said that in his personal opinion the best way to leave a good impression on the customers is to break the ice, personalize their experience and build a relationship. Their expectations of having a hospitable environment, good food, good vibes should also be kept in mind. He also shared how they handle busy weekends. They did this by dedicating one person at each desk, a hostess to promptly track all the reservations and Sandeep himself standing at the restaurant personally managing the guests on any busy day. He believes in being honest with the customers when they are waiting at the restaurant. Creating a balance between the staff, chef and the customers is must for a great environment and experience. He also told us about the internal ration delivery app at the Marriott chain of hotels when asked by a student about managing daily quantities. Being attentive and alert while at work and taking care of the minute details is also very important for survival in the hotel industry. When asked about his personal preferences, he confessed to being a spontaneous person who is a great food enthusiast and believes in exploring the local cuisines of any place. This talk was extremely insightful and getting to know what goes on behind the scenes at the hotels was a real eye-opener and enriching experience.