Back to School with Cura!

With the back-to-school season underway, Cura team members are embracing continuous learning to enhance guest experiences. Our tools ensure our foodservice team members’ skills remain sharp, relevant, and on trend. Through Rouxbe, the world’s leading online culinary school, team members build professional culinary expertise through instruction led by industry experts.

Indepth training offers:

• Hospitality Standards & Customer Service: Building guest relationships, handling feedback, and delivering consistent customer experiences.
• Industry Foundations: Understanding the scope, history, and current trends of the hospitality and tourism sectors.
• Professional Ethics & Growth: Applying professional codes of conduct, exploring culinary career paths, and utilizing industry associations for lifelong learning.

• Menu Architecture & Design: Layout strategies, item placement, and typography to drive sales.
• Target Audience & Market Alignment: Tailoring menu offerings and price points to specific demographic and operational models.
• Standardized Recipe Creation: Developing consistent, scalable recipes that balance customer appeal with profitability.

• Procurement & Food Specifications: Writing precise vendor specifications and placing structured food/non-food orders.
• Receiving & Quality Control: Inspecting incoming shipments for freshness, temperature compliance, and accurate weights.
• Inventory Control & Food Safety: Implementing HACCP protocols, proper storage techniques, and stock rotation (FIFO) to minimize waste.

• Yield Testing & Recipe Costing: Calculating usable yield percentages, edible portion costs (EP), and as-purchased costs (AP).
• Financial Expense Tracking: Monitoring food and beverage cost percentages to protect profit margins.
• Menu Engineering & Pricing: Analyzing sales mix to balance high-margin and high-popularity menu items.

• Leadership vs. Management: Transitioning from an operational line worker to a supervisor using situational leadership styles.
• Staff Communication & Conflict Resolution: Setting job descriptions, managing team dynamics, and resolving workplace conflicts effectively.
• Performance & Stress Management: Applying motivational techniques, delegating tasks, and maintaining kitchen productivity under high stress.

• Front-of-House (FOH) Service Styles: Executing various service models (American, French, Russian, buffet, family-style).
• Bridge Between FOH & BOH: Coordinating ticket timing and communication between line cooks and service staff.
• Guest Relations & Upselling: Training servers on menu sales techniques, handling guest complaints, and implementing POS/dining technology.

• Beverage Cost Control: Managing inventory, pour costs, and waste for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage programs.
• Menu Pairing & Marketing: Integrating wine, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic options into food menu planning to increase average ticket size.
• Compliance & Responsible Service: Implementing liability standards, inventory security, and legal requirements for beverage service.