Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly do you do?

Fundamentally, I help restaurants and culinary operations improve the quality of their food service. Reinforcing techniques and skills to develop culinary teams. It's important that I help them to understand the importance of execution, and how to deliver the highest-quality food to their guests. 30 years in the industry has given me a commanding understanding of how all of the components in the restaurant industry interact. Whether it's walking them through the process of purchasing and receiving foods or labor and preparation, or the execution of new techniques, I bridge the gap between knowledge and experience, corporate goals and management objectives. Most importantly, I make it all come full circle to help your culinary team understand how to serve the highest quality food to your customers.

How do you set up culinary training?

By creating a curriculum based on what you want to learn, while understanding how it fits into your operation and routine. Menu design takes into consideration: customer volume, purchasing, service times, skill level and available equipment. I've taught at the University of Connecticut, Pacific Lutheran University, and Yale, to name a few. Courses have included: Italian, Spanish, Asian, Classical French, Latin and South American, healthy, organic and vegetarian.

How do we get in touch with you?

I'm easily accessible via phone or email. Simply reach out!
(845)-489-1175 - ken@chefarnone.com

How does Process Analysis/Evaluation work?

The starting point is understanding your operation, and specifically your goals and objectives. It's important for me to be a part of your environment. That way I can see how your team works, what their constraints and challenges are. Then I can create a plan that meets your goals and works with your team's strengths. Making the plan “Operational” is key. This allows your team to have the confidence to execute.

Can you work with our Chefs?

It's your operation - my objective is to deliver a new perspective, applying my experience to your environment. We work as a team, and I develop a relationship with the chefs, building trust as we go. It's important to offer constructive solutions so that they can succeed. I structure each project based on the client and the situation.

Are you hands-on?

It's all hands-on. In fact, it's vital that everything I do be hands-on. That is the best way to truly understand your operation. It's all about working with your people in their environment to deliver the message or objective that you have set forth.

Will you travel to my event/school/kitchen?

Almost anywhere!!! - The majority of my work is on site - NYC, Montreal, Denver, Seattle, LA, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Orlando, Houston, San Antonio, Palermo, Bangkok, etc...

What exactly is a Certified Master Chef?

It is an industry certification from the American Culinary Federation. It's the highest and most demanding level of certification offered by the ACF. It's an incredibly comprehensive 10-day exam that takes into account nearly every aspect of the culinary arts: menu writing, sanitation, cost control, wines and spirits, tableside cooking, human resources, international cuisine, classic cuisine, regional cuisine, charcuterie, garde manger, nutritional cuisine, baking and pastry. There are currently only 61 Certified Master Chefs in the United States.

Why take this test - If there's a means of measuring/evaluating my place in the industry, what I have spent my life doing, I want to attain it.

How do you stay on top of trends and deliver them to your clients?

I live food every day. Traveling on the road most of the year, and I eat in a wide variety of restaurants. QSR, fast-casual, casual, chains, ethnic cuisine and fine dining - I experience all of them. Watching what people eat, identifying behaviors and keeping tabs on menus is critical. You notice what guests are looking for, and take that into account when working with clients. Obviously being well read on the industry is vital. It might be natural events impacting crops and prices, or a shortage of a particular ingredient, or there could be high demand for a product based on the season. It's important to keep up on these market variables. Then today the healthy movement, organics and being green have created a whole new sector. You need to be aware of what that means for the industry and your operation. That's what I live for, and what I do.