Measurable Progress

  Colombian Coffee Plant

July 2014 

 

 Colombian Coffee Tree (same plant) what a difference a year makes

July 2015

 

 

Patience is a virtue...(a phrase first introduced in 1300 AD, or you could say "good things come to those who wait".  Patience may have been a virtue back in the 14th century, when there were no smartphones, internet, planes, email and so on. But not so much today. Good things come to those that take action, commit, put in the work, persist and persevere!)

 

Clubhouse update: The month of August finds us one year after the clubhouse renovation.  A challenging year with many positive changes.  The members of SBCC have graciously supported the clubhouse and its staff. Your patience and kindness has helped us to develop a food and beverage program to be proud of.  The standards have been set and the SBCC team is working diligently during the summer to perfect our new systems. 

 

It is difficult to convey just how tough it is to run a commercial food operation.  The labor market in SWFL is unique to its seasonal demands.  Acquiring skilled individuals to serve and prepare the menus we enjoy gets tighter each day.

 

Thankfully we have brought Ben Elwell on as our Clubhouse Manager.  The knowledge and expertise he brings to SBCC will be invaluable to our daily operation.  Working with the wait staff closely, Ben will raise the level of service to where the members of Stonebridge deserve and want.   Together we will improve the dining experience throughout the clubhouse. 

 

The members have enjoyed the casual dining menu that has changed monthly. Neighboring clubs have been visiting our golf course and dining rooms in record numbers.  The feedback  is encouraging and motivating.  

 

The next few weeks our team members will attend daily classes with Tim Rowe from Sedona Resort Management.  Mr. Rowe is educating the staff to deliver the best experience possible to our members.  The servers and chefs will learn how to work in harmony.  A foundation is being built and it will continuously improve the hospitality and overall dining experience here at the club.  These systems are designed to continuously make improvements year after year. 
 
Naturally Gluten Free Cheese Bread

 Recently Baked Here!!!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

“The most important shot in golf is the next one.” – Ben Hogan

Same applies to our food and beverage department.  Your next experience is important!

Sinking a difficult putt takes practice and skill.  Once and awhile you get lucky and sink one from far away through pure luck.  Serving our members a quality experience is the same.  So many things have to happen perfectly to make that dining experience a “5”.  Sometimes we miss the hole by a wide margin and sometimes it rims out of the cup.  Our team here at Stonebridge is practicing daily to consistently sink the long and short putts.

The staff is working diligently each and every shift, striving to bring our members at Stonebridge the best food and service possible.  During season the days click away rapidly.  Keeping up with all the menus, theme nights and events can make your head spin.  Training a group of people to serve or prepare menus that change every day is daunting.   The luxury of managing a restaurant that has the same menu and hours daily is not an option.

Stonebridge the “building” took many months of planning and building.  The staff we have will require the same time and effort to perfect.  It is evident some key players are emerging in the front and back of the house.  As I begin my fifth year at SBCC, I recall the first 12 months dedicated to organizing and training the staff.   

The improvements that have taken place since our August opening have been measurable.   The members can be assured, management is dedicated to providing the experience they deserve and want. 

Encourage your neighbors to give us a try or second chance.  Our brunch is the best in town. A generous buffet with Chef prepared omelets, fresh pastries, fruit and more.  The Bistro with the accordion doors open and the fire pit glowing is a treat.  The new Grill room menu starts Monday 2/16.  Veal Parmesan is back and there is a vegetarian pasta dish you will enjoy.  Friday and Saturday the Grill has the now famous Lobster Mac & Cheese, made with fresh Maine Lobster. 

 

 

Season is in Full Swing!

The peak of season is here and we are enjoying a full clubhouse almost every night of the week.  Fridays have become by far the busiest night of the week, where we are often serving over 300 members.  One of the attractions on Friday evenings is the option to dine in the Main Dining Room for Fine Dining or in the Grill Room for a more casual menu or at the Lakeside Bistro for a true resort style flair with entertainment and a full menu as well as nightly specials.  Although Saturday evenings are not quite as busy at the club we offer this same variety of dining options and entertainment so we encourage you to attend on Saturday evenings in your venue of choice.  For evening dining we take reservations in the Main Dining Room and Grill Room, while in the casual Lakeside Bistro no reservations are accepted.  See our full schedule of dining hours below which will remain in effect for the remainder of January and into the month of February. 

Please click here to view the February Dining & Entertainment Schedule.

Staffing Update

We are excited to announce the latest addition to the Food & Beverage Team: James Kintz as our F&B Director.  James joins the team with vast experience, not only from the country club sector but also public restaurants.  Although James has been with the team for just over a week he has truly hit the ground running with his primary focus on the service and training in the three dining outlets. 

In order to allow James to spend sufficient time in the different dining venues Erika Muschong is assisting by being the point of contact for any members who have parties scheduled for the coming season. 

Likewise, some of the new team members who have proven themselves are being recognized and promoted for their hard work and dedication to Stonebridge.  Leah Caswell has been promoted to a Dining Room Supervisor; she will be assisting James in the team scheduling, floor plans, hiring, training, and more.  Sharon Bell, who has done a phenomenal job behind the bar and on the floor, is now the Head Bartender and will continue to bartender but also take on some responsibilities with beverage ordering as well as inventory and controls.  Please congratulate these ladies on a job well done and for their commitment to Stonebridge as we continue to improve the operations on a daily basis.

Value

Lakeside Bistro Golfers Menu Posted!

Value in the restaurants

Breton Bunch 1964

No matter what language you speak, the word value carries the same meaning around the globe.  Our satisfaction is achieved when we receive equal or superior worth of a monetary exchange.  Nothing incites disappointment more than the feeling you were ripped off or cheated out of your hard earned money.  This translates in the food industry every time we visit a restaurant or food venue.

My father had some interesting anecdotes he would share with my six brothers and sisters when I was growing up.  One of his favorite dinner time phrases was, "I rather feed nine hungry police dogs than you kids".  Everyone would laugh and keep eating.  I totally get it.  Our food bill was a major expense of the household. 

My dad had nine people to feed.   My poor mother made three meals a day plus snacks on a very tight budget, while my father would escape off to work.  I can count on two fingers how many times we went out to eat.  Cooking creatively as well as economically, my parents fed all of us on $275.00 a month.  That is impossible in today’s economy. 

My Irish mother ran her kitchen brigade like it was a boot-camp.  No one dare talk back to her while fulfilling their chores.   I had kitchen duty frequently with varying degrees of responsibility.   I hadn't realized at the time that I was being trained as a young child to be a chef.  I use some of her recipes often here at Stonebridge.  Their basic principles of nutritious affordable food have guided me through my career.

Stonebridge members shop the many fine super markets and specialty stores.   The price of red meats, produce, seafood and edible commodities has reached the stratosphere. How far does $275.00 go now?  Our options are endless only if we can afford the price.

Our success thus far at Stonebridge has been achieved by beating the expectations for perceived value in the food preparation side of it.  Our new focus will be the service as well as the food production.  Let’s do the basics, but do them really well.   Teach our staff how to be engaging yet unobtrusive, friendly yet accommodating.  The new dining outlets will offer imaginative food choices at reasonable pricing.  The dining rooms will feature choice steaks and fresh seafood that is below what all our local restaurants demand.   The intention is that frequent member support will drive these outlets to sufficiently sustain the hours of operation. 

Embracing the clubhouse project, Stonebridge members are visionary by investing in the club’s present and future. Staffing the modernized property is as important as the renovation.  Selecting the best candidates from the available pool of applicants is tricky business.  The team assembled in each outlet will make every effort to give an exceptional experience at these price points.  Instilling high standards of service for our members will be our core value.   I will feature the new Food & Beverage Director and Executive Sous Chef  in the next article.  I selected them for their passion, dedication to service and desire to mentor the future team members of Stonebridge Country Club.   

A recent reunion with my siblings inspired this trip down memory lane.  Fast forward 50 years and our parents have long since met the lord and we are nurturing our children to follow our footsteps.   

   

                     X

Breton Bunch 2014, I am the handsome one X

Kitchen Equipment Joy

The last time I had an opportunity to open a new commercial kitchen was the American Bounty Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY.  Our class (1982) approached graduation and it was unclear if the American Bounty Restaurant would be ready to open or not. Equipment wasn’t in place and everything was still in boxes.  It was organized chaos.   The CIA curriculum was 27 academic and practical blocks.  I was in my final block, The Escoffier Room, with Chef Hefner, the meanest, toughest Chef I ever met.  Gordon Ramsey would tremble.  It was seven days in the kitchen and seven in the dining room.  Half of my class would fail that year.  I managed to sneak by, as I assured him I was half French.   I would roll the “R” in Breton to add authenticity.  At the eleventh hour it was decided our graduation would be postponed an additional two weeks and the American Bounty would open.  Wonderful!  At that point, we all wanted out. Our class literally worked night and day to open this new restaurant.  It is one of the most treasured attractions at the institute today.  Needless to say it was an invaluable experience that enhanced my education. 

This time around I am older and wiser.  Having a hand at the layout and purchasing of the equipment, while being compensated, makes it much sweeter.  I want to introduce some of the featured pieces of kitchen equipment that were delivered to the renovation project.

The Combi Oven:

The ovens functions include: cooking modes for hot air, steam, cook and hold capacity, retherm, slow cooking and crisp and tasty features. An automatic cleaning system with built-in water filtration.  It has an I-Pad-like monitor which stores up to 250 recipe commands.  It’s a beauty!

Tilt Skillet:    

All I want for Christmas is a tilt skillet!  This large capacity skillet is like having a huge flat top, sauce pot, crock pot on steroids.  Its hand crank tilting capability allows ease of pouring liquids out and for easy cleaning.  It is energy efficient with quick heat recovery. 

Convection Oven Proofer:

Subway, Jimmy John’s and Panera Bread are a few of the companies that enjoy the benefits of this unit.  The Lakeside Bistro will be the new home for this as it provides all our restaurant outlets with fresh baked breads and pastries.  The lower half of the oven proofs yeast based doughs with moist heat until double or triple the size and then bakes them with hot air in the upper half which is the perfect marriage.   You'll get to enjoy the aroma putting on the 18^th green. 

The old kitchen design was comparable to I-75 North & South Bound combined into the same space.  The new layout gives the kitchen accessibility from 360 degrees, little cross over and a natural flow. The Lakeside Bistro is a charming new venue that will host a casual dining experience unique to Stonebridge with many events that members will love and share!