Breakfast

[Anon Inn]

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen..

"Good Morning! Let's get you started with some fruit and juice - I'll have the main course ready in just a few minutes"

 

[Alaska's Capital Inn]

We have a plated breakfast available from 8-9:30. If guests want to leave super early we put a to go bag in the fridge. If they want to sleep late they can have cereal.
Your plan is working for you. Don't mess with success!.

We have a plated breakfast available from 8-9:30. If guests want to leave super early we put a to go bag in the fridge. If they want to sleep late they can have cereal.

We're the same here full sit down breakfast. Bags to go for early departures. I like to tell folks, "breakfast is complimentary with your stay, you don't have to come down, you are on vacation". Most are up early as they are from an earlier time zone, and have a whale watching tour or glacier trek planned.

 

[Tom]

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?
It's not good for food safety and it's not good for guest relations to serve a stone cold meal, but I am at a loss for what to do when this happens. I only have 2 rooms, so often they are the only guests. A couple of times I've had requests to re-cook the meal, which is a royal pain. I have modified my check-in spiel any number of ways to try and impress upon them that it's kind of a big deal to show up at the time *they* request for breakfast, but a good 30% of my guests still totally blow it off and I am at the point of considering not doing hot food anymore.
My solution has been toss the plated food after 20 mins and leave the bread basket out. What do you guys do?.

Like others, we prep but not cook until guest is in dining room. A fruit and /or muffin starter give you the time to do the egg and bacon or what have you, so they get hot food.
Our guests state a breakfast time, but if they don't actually show up until a half hour later, no worries. Most do show up right at their stated time though.
.

Same. They arrive, I cook. Fastest skillet in the West.

 

[Morticia]

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?
It's not good for food safety and it's not good for guest relations to serve a stone cold meal, but I am at a loss for what to do when this happens. I only have 2 rooms, so often they are the only guests. A couple of times I've had requests to re-cook the meal, which is a royal pain. I have modified my check-in spiel any number of ways to try and impress upon them that it's kind of a big deal to show up at the time *they* request for breakfast, but a good 30% of my guests still totally blow it off and I am at the point of considering not doing hot food anymore.
My solution has been toss the plated food after 20 mins and leave the bread basket out. What do you guys do?.

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?

We don't start cooking until the guest is seated. That's also a problem because guests think the food is going to appear immediately. No, it's 20 minutes away. It's not sitting in the oven waiting.
When guests must leave at a certain time we tell them to plan to arrive at breakfast 20 minutes earlier than what they thought.
And, no one tells me what time they want the plate on the table! Maybe change the way you phrase the question?

 

[gillumhouse]

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?
It's not good for food safety and it's not good for guest relations to serve a stone cold meal, but I am at a loss for what to do when this happens. I only have 2 rooms, so often they are the only guests. A couple of times I've had requests to re-cook the meal, which is a royal pain. I have modified my check-in spiel any number of ways to try and impress upon them that it's kind of a big deal to show up at the time *they* request for breakfast, but a good 30% of my guests still totally blow it off and I am at the point of considering not doing hot food anymore.
My solution has been toss the plated food after 20 mins and leave the bread basket out. What do you guys do?.

I serve family style and bake most of my breakfasts. The fruit, muffins, coffee, & juices are on the table at the time stated by guests. I try to time the entree to come out within 10 minutes. IF they are late the top of the egg bake may be a bit leathery or the bottom of the bake oatmeal a but crunchy, but I can only try. Oven is turned off and door kept closed until actually serving. It is the ones who come down early that throw me off. They want to ask questions and chat during the finale of my breakfast ballet. The cook/dancer gets tangled up in the curtain.

 

[Morticia]

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen..

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen.

There are two of us. The cook and the serving wench. I run the food, Gomez does the cooking. While he's cooking, I'm chatting and asking about plans.
When it's super busy we have games on the tables to amuse the guests. But, yes, it's 20 minutes from the time they sit down until the entrée shows up.
Get them going with a starter course, then cook the meal.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen..

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen.

There are two of us. The cook and the serving wench. I run the food, Gomez does the cooking. While he's cooking, I'm chatting and asking about plans.
When it's super busy we have games on the tables to amuse the guests. But, yes, it's 20 minutes from the time they sit down until the entrée shows up.
Get them going with a starter course, then cook the meal.
.

Pretty standard restaurant operations. After you order, they bring you salad or bread because you aren't getting the food until it is ready.
So a fruit cup or muffin while you wait.
Makes sense!

 

[Jcam]

Gee, I feel like an idiot now lol
I never really considered guests would be tolerant of cooling their heels for 10-15 mins while I cooked. And waiting for them would leave me available to greet them and let them know the appetizer/bread basket isn't the total offering once I disappear into the kitchen..

we cook to order for approx 16 most days and 21 at full belt - means they only get what they order - not that that stops them from over ordering (food waste is one of my bug bears) usually they do tea and coffee and buffet cereal and toast so if we time it right they have just finished that when the hot comes out.

 

[Copperhead]

At your price point, it works for you, so that's great. We all need to give our guests what works for them. When people are paying more per night, that kind of offering is not going to work. Most b&bs need to offer something hot and home cooked..

At your price point, it works for you, so that's great. We all need to give our guests what works for them. When people are paying more per night, that kind of offering is not going to work. Most b&bs need to offer something hot and home cooked.

Agree fully!

 

[For sale]

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?
It's not good for food safety and it's not good for guest relations to serve a stone cold meal, but I am at a loss for what to do when this happens. I only have 2 rooms, so often they are the only guests. A couple of times I've had requests to re-cook the meal, which is a royal pain. I have modified my check-in spiel any number of ways to try and impress upon them that it's kind of a big deal to show up at the time *they* request for breakfast, but a good 30% of my guests still totally blow it off and I am at the point of considering not doing hot food anymore.
My solution has been toss the plated food after 20 mins and leave the bread basket out. What do you guys do?.

Question for those of you offering a plated hot meal: How do you deal with feeding the folks who absolutely insist it must be on the table at a certain time (doesn't matter how early or late) and then don't show up for 15-30 minutes or more?

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