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May/June 2023 XII MAGAZINE ones should be used first. They will also arrive in Italy. There are many reasons to plan for warehouse management. The first is food safety, then there is the fight against waste, with its environmental values. Finally, there is the economic aspect: with the current cost increases, which we cannot entirely pass on to our customers, we can no longer afford to throw away a product because it has reached its expiry date’. __________________________________ BOX Not only for fresh products It is a mistake to think that the FI-FO technique is only useful for fresh products. “It should be applied in all cases,” Pironi argues, “especially in products with a long expiry date, which have the MSL (‘Minimum shelf life...’). Fresh products normally have shorter expiry dates, so they are usually less prone to picking errors, because they have quick rotation and are used faster’. __________________________________ BOX Normative references Although FI-FO is not explicitly mentioned in any standard, this technique is mentioned in the Guidelines and voluntary certification standards. Annex I to Chapter 3 of the EU Commission’s guideline issued in autumn 2022 states: ‘3.4. Ingredients (supplier selection and specifications) e) The storage conditions in the establishment itself should take into account any instructions given by the supplier, the principles of FIFO (“First in, first out”) or FEFO (“First expired, first out”), accessibility for inspection from all sides (e.g. avoiding goods being placed directly on the floor, against walls, etc.).” In ISO 22002 in section 4.13.2 it is mentioned that ‘specific rotation schedules of goods must be observed. Example: First in, first out or first expire, First out’. __________________________________ AT PAGE 42 DID YOU KNOW? Away with the tablecloths, here comes the light service STARTING WITH THE STARRED RESTAURANTS, A MORE INFORMAL AND EMPATHETIC RESTAURANT, ATTENTIVE TO THE NEEDS OF A CUSTOMER WHO WANTS TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO FEEL AT HOME. by Anna Muzio Soft lighting, gentle but slightly monotonous jazz in the background, immaculate tablecloths, an array of cutlery and glasses whose function is at times unintelligible, and a waiter all to yourself, who has your back like a guardian angel ready to snap to refill your glass whenever he reaches alert level. Going to a gourmet restaurant for years was an exercise in style, one had to dress and behave appropriately according to well- defined codes written in the DNA of Michelin dining. We predict that this hypertrophic, fixed-rules, inflexible restaurant will be one of the last victims of the pandemic. And for various reasons, involving both contenders, restaurateurs and customers. CHANGING THE CUSTOMER The customer is tired and wants to relax. He doesn’t want to prove anything because he doesn’t need to anymore: already in swanky (and very expensive) three-star restaurants it has become more normal to see polo shirts and jeans than jackets and ties. However, this does not mean that he is satisfied, quite the contrary. His nutritional profile becomes more complex: he indicates intolerances, complex diets, ethical requirements. With due distinction, he is no longer interested in rigid, plastered service that tends to be unresponsive, but he expects staff who are prepared, smart, speak English and know how to explain dishes and ingredients. It is no longer enough to eat well, it is more the feel- good, overall experience that counts. A MORE STREAMLINED RESTAURANT On the management side, the difficulty in finding trained personnel, another long wave of Covid, persisting at a level that we could now describe as endemic. Confesercenti and SWG (a market research company) report that 36 per cent of companies say they have had difficulty finding staff this year, with a ‘hole’ of 100,000 workers for the summer. And almost one in two companies cite a lack of suitably qualified candidates as their main problem. Nowadays economy is the key word and adaptability is the watchword. So, along with the extension of closing days to give employees more breathing space, comes a new approach to service. Which has to change, because the old one is no longer economically and socially sustainable and to a large extent not even required. AGAIN, THE HUMAN FACTOR So what to do? Treat your employees well to make them stay after training them (another frequently reported problem). Many entrepreneurs in addition to salary are thinking about benefits and incentives, housing - especially in cities where rents are unattainable (the Langosteria group in Milan does this) - but also supplementary health insurance (such as Ditta Artigianale in Florence). It is the human factor, which in times of automation and artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly crucial. However, the fact remains that many companies are operating understaffed, in the dining room as well as in the kitchen. It is therefore necessary to adjust and reorganise. They speak of ‘lightening’ the menu, but also of service in the dining room, for example Eugenio Boer and Carlotta Perilli , chef and maître of the Milanese Bu:r. “ This does not mean rendering the menu mundane, but rather, focusing on a few elements and carefully chosen ingredients, on clean and easy-to-digest dishes that satisfy without being heavy”. Just like the service in the dining room: present and attentive, but not oppressive and intrusive. “Our customers come here because they feel at home, welcomed, they want to be able to relax after a day’s work. And we please them”. GOODBYE WHITE TABLECLOTH? It seems like a detail but it is a powerful litmus test of how the customer presents himself at the restaurant: in a tie or in slippers? It is a topic of dress that is much debated in the United States. Here, the ‘white-tablecloth restaurants’ have resumed catechising customers by indicating the appropriate dress code at the reservation