The Woodshed is BACK!

[BroadHopper]

What bothers me is that the local community college has excellent courses in hospitality and cuisine. I had the pleasure to dine at thier restuarant at Belmont Mill building and I am very impress with the professionalism.

For some reason the graduates are not considered prime employee material and local restuarants choose to hire inexperience help. Economics? I'd rather hire a qualified student and pay a little extra to develop outstanding service that will result in satisfied customers, than hire unqualified people off the street and suffer the consequences of unhappy customers.

Southern NH University also has an excellent culinary school. Stop by their multi million dollar hospitality building for food to die for.

I know this is off topic but there is no excuse for local restuarants to hire folks that are not trained. Most of the students would love to stay in the area but no one is hiring them.

[lovetheforum]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

What bothers me is that the local community college has excellent courses in hospitality and cuisine. I had the pleasure to dine at thier restuarant at Belmont Mill building and I am very impress with the professionalism.

For some reason the graduates are not considered prime employee material and local restuarants choose to hire inexperience help. Economics? I'd rather hire a qualified student and pay a little extra to develop outstanding service that will result in satisfied customers, than hire unqualified people off the street and suffer the consequences of unhappy customers.

Southern NH University also has an excellent culinary school. Stop by their multi million dollar hospitality building for food to die for.

I know this is off topic but there is no excuse for local restuarants to hire folks that are not trained. Most of the students would love to stay in the area but no one is hiring them.

This is not a fair assessment unless you know for a fact that local restaurants are not hiring graduates from local colleges. Also the restaurant industry in the winter months are slower. I do not know any industry that actively hires in the "off season" as the hospitality industry does.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by lovetheforum

This is not a fair assessment unless you know for a fact that local restaurants are not hiring graduates from local colleges. Also the restaurant industry in the winter months are slower. I do not know any industry that actively hires in the "off season" as the hospitality industry does.

I agree, Broadhopper you're way off track on this one. First of all there are probably a hundred if not more applicants for one of these jobs. The business doing the hiring is going to weed through all the applicants and narrow it down to just a few then finally the one. Many times jobs are filled by those more experienced because the job requires someone who can hit the ground running.
As with any other job, sometimes you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
As for seasonal jobs, as much as I hate to see new faces in town during the summer, many of which are on work visa's, taking jobs that the locals could be working at, many of today's youth just do not want to work. They expect to be paid way above what they are worth and then they just do not want to work. But on the other side of the coin, who wants to take a job in a tourist area knowing full well they will be laid off in the fall.
Lots of variables to consider BH.

[wildwind]

The point was the food was awful and the service was questionable for the price. That falls back on management no matter how you make excuses!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

What bothers me is that the local community college has excellent courses in hospitality and cuisine. I had the pleasure to dine at thier restuarant at Belmont Mill building and I am very impress with the professionalism.

For some reason the graduates are not considered prime employee material and local restuarants choose to hire inexperience help. Economics? I'd rather hire a qualified student and pay a little extra to develop outstanding service that will result in satisfied customers, than hire unqualified people off the street and suffer the consequences of unhappy customers.

Southern NH University also has an excellent culinary school. Stop by their multi million dollar hospitality building for food to die for.

I know this is off topic but there is no excuse for local restuarants to hire folks that are not trained. Most of the students would love to stay in the area but no one is hiring them.

My granddaughter graduated from Southern NH University with a degree in Culinary Management. While she was a student there I went to The Quill for lunch many times. The students run every aspect of the restaurant, from meal creation to guest seating to serving.

A lot of the students who graduate from there go into the catering business because that is where the money is. That's what she is doing and has gone to many McMansions on Lake Winnipesaukee to do catering. I could tell you some very interesting stories (but I won't). They also try to get jobs at Inns where they can learn about memorable cuisine, and world-class service.

My daughter also graduated from Southern NH University with a degree in computer science and accounting. It's a top notch school.

[Heaven]

I have eaten at TVI which is a culinary school in Saint Paul many times (years ago), so I am a bit surprised at the high cost of the dinner meals at The Quill. The lunch prices are not listed. What is the general amount?

[BroadHopper]

I have to agree with the both of you. I also need to look at where the colleges are actively placing their graduates. I do know of a number of well established restaurants that have local graduates on their staff. I find it hard to believe that restaurants today can have a staff that has no clue what they are doing! And I see this frequently, and they are not 'fast food chain'.

I also have to agree many young folks will not work unless the pay is to their likings. That is why many seasonal restaurant staff have visas form South America, Caribbeans, or South Africa. I find them very pleasant and well trained. Establishments even pay their room and board!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Heaven

I have eaten at TVI which is a culinary school in Saint Paul many times (years ago), so I am a bit surprised at the high cost of the dinner meals at The Quill. The lunch prices are not listed. What is the general amount?

My wife and I paid $10.00 each for a three course luncheon. They were all fancy dishes of different country cuisines. As you walk in the Restaurant they have each meal in a dish on display so that you can see what you are getting.
It is a lot of fun because the students try real hard to do a good job and are very pleasant to talk to.
I never had dinner there but they charge $25.00 each for the meal. If dinner is as good as their lunch, then I would say that you will get your monies worth.

I must add that I was willing to pay whatever they charged because it had to do with my granddaughters education. It was the same way when my daughter went there for her education, I did whatever it took to be involved with their activities.

[Acrossamerica]

Most graduates of the various hospitality programs are not really interested in being on waitstaff. They are seeking larger positions. However, a good waiter or waitress can make more money than most managers. Unfortunately, they never get to that place because owners and managers fail to understand how to train the staff. They do not know fine dining service and how can one know that if they have never been out of rural NH. It does not come naturally it must be taught and most restaurant owners are more comfortable on their Harleys than they would be serving a five course dinner in a five star restaurant. I know that sounds snobbish but think about it. If you have never used linen table clothes at home or fine china and stem ware, have never been taught how to set a proper table, how to serve and clear, how to crumb or how to serve a flawless multi course meal to several people all whom dine at a different pace and have ordered different entres you will be frustrated by the process and leave the business of waiting. In the mean time the owner is losing thousands of dollars of basically free money because the staff has zero idea of how to gently up-sell the menu and have the guest leave the place with an exceptional experience.

There is a huge difference between eating out and dining out. Unfortunately that is lost on most restaurant owners.

[Pineedles]

These "reviews" are becoming worthless!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

These "reviews" are becoming worthless!

Don't read them then.

[wildwind]

AGAIN...SO WHAT about who went where to school?? The whole point was about the WOODSHED and the food and the service. If you'ld like to spend 150.00 for an awful meal experience GO AHEAD! If I had read this first, I would have known what to expect or wouldn't have gone at all. THAT's IT!

[lovetheforum]

Originally Posted by wildwind

AGAIN...SO WHAT about who went where to school?? The whole point was about the WOODSHED and the food and the service. If you'ld like to spend 150.00 for an awful meal experience GO AHEAD! If I had read this first, I would have known what to expect or wouldn't have gone at all. THAT's IT!

We get your point. It's sounds like you have a bigger beef with the woodshed than a bad experience. To post 3 times about the same visit seems excessive.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by lovetheforum

We get your point. It's sounds like you have a bigger beef with the woodshed than a bad experience. To post 3 times about the same visit seems excessive.

I agree, make your point (in like, one post) and let it be. We all have different tastes and expectations. I'm happy to hear what you say, but only once.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by wildwind

AGAIN...SO WHAT about who went where to school?? The whole point was about the WOODSHED and the food and the service. If you'ld like to spend 150.00 for an awful meal experience GO AHEAD! If I had read this first, I would have known what to expect or wouldn't have gone at all. THAT's IT!

I guess the only reason that we started talking about "who went where to school" was because you said this in your post: "The waitress was attentive but needs a few lessons in proper service."

I agree with you but it's tough to get highly trained young people to work so far away from "where the action is". The Woodshed might be known to most locals but not to people who just got a 4 year culinary degree.

There is no excuse for bad service and it's too bad that you had such an experience.

[wildwind]

I have absolutely no other beef with the Woodshed. We used to frequent it all the time until it went down hill. We were so hoping the things had turned around and I could give it a wonderful recommendation. I try to use the forum resturant review for what the name says....that's all. When I try a new resturant or go back to an old favorite I try to educate myself on what to expect. That's all! That's what I thought it was for!!!

[Wolfeborough Diner]

I am so glad to hear all the great reviews about the Woodshed being up to top quality again. I had gone a few times in the recent past and been disappointed now that it appears to be up and running like a well oiled machine I am def. going back!