The Lost Art of the Maître d’: Why Restaurants Need to Bring Back a Front-of-House Focus
🍴 Over past decades, the Maître d'hôtel's role in restaurants has diminished, with focus shifting to celebrity chefs. Historic figures like Jeremy King, Jean-Claude Breton, and Silvano Giraldin exemplified the importance of hospitality in enhancing dining experiences. Modern service often feels robotic, affecting guest loyalty and emotional connections. Personalized, guest-driven service by a Maître d’ can increase spending and return visits, creating lasting memories beyond the food itself. Reinstating the Maître d’ is argued to be essential for the soul of restaurants.
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