For Restaurant’s Staff, Culture Is on the Menu
Nine well-dressed twentysomethings sit around an oak table inside an elegantly appointed private dining and conference room at Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square. They take in a video of a talk by neuroeconomist Paul Zak about how friendly gestures cause the body to emit oxytocin, a chemical that makes pleasant people more likeable.
It’s not the usual training for a restaurant’s staff.
Training for employees of Eastern Standard is not just about how to pronouce “moules Provençales” and the right way to pour wine. It includes a unique repertoire that seeks to make employees fully versed in the culture and politics of our times. How? Think book reports about historical figures and their neighborhood, as well as field trips to other cities to study culture and ambience, and group discussions about the meanings of life.
“Learning about life,” chef di cuisine Matt Audette calls it.
The idea is for restaurant staffers to be able to be as urbane and well-informed as the customers they serve.
“You never know around here,” Audette said. “I’ve been a chef about eight years. Before I came to Eastern Standard eight months ago, I had never seen anything like this. Learning meant what was new for that day. Here learning is about what’s interesting, whether or not it’s immediately relevant. I swear there’s a certain swagger here, because the staff feels smarter — is smarter — because of how we do things.”