Featured Intern: Manager for a Day

By Amanda Sauceda

One more week in foodservice to go!  This past week I was gearing up to be the retail manager.  Slowly but surely I started to take on more duties and learn about the finer points of being a manager.  I think the biggest piece of information I took away from learning each area of foodservice is that you need to be able to think fast because nothing always goes according to plan.  For instance, there will always be a last minute menu change, which in turns means new signage that must be created, or a late tray that needs to be made and sent up for a patient. 

Time is of the essence in any foodservice establishment because if things run a little late that means food doesn’t get out on time and services that customers or patients rely on are delayed.  Not only is time crucial but there is also an added layer to be efficient with time and space.   Being efficient with one’s time is something that comes to mind automatically but it can be easy to overlook space constraints.  For example, you might think you’ve developed the most efficient schedule only to realize the time you had blocked out for the catering associates to assemble to-go lunches can’t happen because production is using that space to prep for lunch.  So really the trick to being a good manager is to know the operation and maximize his or her assets to be as efficient as possible.  One of the most valuable things about this internship is being able to see each area of the operation so you can come to see how they run their schedule and look at it with fresh eyes to suggest ways to improve it.

My final day as the retail manager was busy since I got pulled into many different directions but it went great.  I incorporated all the information I learned over the past couple weeks to make sure everything ran smoothly and I was available for the retail staff.  Of course there was the expected last minute menu change but it wasn’t a problem since I worked ahead on the signage the day before.  I’m very fortunate to have had such a good experience working in foodservice, my mentors have taught me so much.  Now on to my final week!