Food in the Corporate World - An Interview with Corporate Chef John Cirio

Paula Williams Chef John Cirio When one of our readers suggested the topic of food in the corporate world, my first thought was that such a feature would be not be appropriate for Ravenwerks. This is not a cooking show. We are committed to our clients’ success in business. Food is irrelevant. After the first thirty seconds, however, it dawned on me. (Possibly because I was hungry at the time!!) We do so many other things that are much more expensive or risky to impress, inspire, comfort, and care for our clients, employees, and associates. Food is an elemental factor in everyone’s day. The corporate world is no exception. Unfortunately, we miss a lot of opportunities when we treat food as a mere distraction, rather than as a very integral opportunity for communication and relationships- the very fabric of business. So, we went to John Cirio. Who better to address the uses and protocols of food in the corporate world than the man who has been the personal chef to four United States Presidents? More about our guest at the bottom of this article.

Buffet at the Taj hotel, International Woman’s Day

Why Bother With Food?

Paula-

What place does food have in the corporate environment?

John-

When you cut through all of the symbols that every culture places around food, presenting and sharing food with someone is a very primal, generous gesture. When you provide a high-quality food experience for someone, you promote a feeling of comfort and care. This brings home the symbolism- “this company or this person feeds me,” literally as well as metaphorically. The quality of the food and the presentation of it will subconciously, but very powerfully, promote a positive atmosphere.

Paula-

In what corporate settings can food be used? Are there any circumstances when food should not be included?

John-

Food is very effective in project kickoffs and status meetings, sales meetings, motivational meetings, informational presentations, and training sessions. Any time you particularly want or need to motivate or positively influence people.

Food can be served in any setting except the actual signings of papers and contracts. In any meetings where actual paperwork tasks are being performed, food should be in the background. It can be served very neatly on a side table, but all food items should be cleared before actual signing or handling of paper takes place. It’s very important that the person leading the meeting work closely with the caterer or chef to ensure that things go smoothly.

Case Studies

Paula-

Have you had a situation where the food served actually affected the outcome of a business situation?

John-

There was one occasion where my client was a motion picture company that was negotiating with a person that felt that he wasn’t being treated fairly. There had been quite a bit of antagonism, and this person had a reputation for being temperamental. The situation was an airplane flight on a DC-10 that was very nicely outfitted, but being on an aircraft does present some unique challenges.

I had done some research beforehand about this person’s home and past, and prepared a very comforting menu. I put a lot of emphasis on smells and aromas- I used some things specifically for smell- they weren’t even on the menu. I had bread baking in the oven long before dinner was to be served. It seemed to take his mind off the antagonism- he came to the kitchen to speak with me, and wanted to know what was on the menu.

After dinner, he was very relaxed and comfortable, and was talking about his parents and past. That was a good indication to me that my efforts had been successful. Food and aromas are very evocative of past memories and emotions.

Needless to say, the deal was closed favorably, and my clients were very pleased.

Paula-

Besides the food itself, how can food be used to create favorable environments and situations for the objectives you’re trying to accomplish?

John-

The chef or caterer can help arrange situations. One example- As the President, of course, you spend a lot of time in front of people, and that can get very tiring. President Nixon, in particular, liked to eat by himself occassionally. Of course, you have to arrange the room so that it doesn’t look like he’s off by himself- you have to set up tables so that he has some privacy and everyone is more interested in everything else going on.

There was another situation where my clients wanted to have a private conversation with a group of people, but didn’t want one particular woman to join them. I found out that this woman’s anniversary was coming up and I set up a special romantic table for her and her husband. She was delighted, and so was my client. The dining experience allowed my client to diplomatically arrange his opportunity to have the conversation he needed.

Chefs and caterers can be very adept and creating environments and situations that can be very helpful.

Practical Application

Paula-

One very common use of food in my environments are coffee and pastries in morning meetings. Is there anything you would suggest that’s convenient for a working session?

John-

It’s good to have an alternative to sweet pastries in the morning, especially if you’re going to need people to be focused and participating for several hours. I particularly like to serve a breakfast strudel- it’s a triangle of fillo dough with scrambled egg, bacon, or sausage made into triangles that can be eaten in about four bites. You can serve two of them very nicely on a nine-inch plate.

I serve three sauces with them- a Mexican salsa, a Hollandaise suace, and a cheese and chive sauce. This adds some variety and looks very nice on a side table with some your coffee and beverages, muffins (for those who must have sweets!) and some fresh fruit.

Paula-

What about in the afternoon when meetings start to drag?

John-

There are two reasons that people get tired and sluggish in the afternoon, and you need to know the circumstances to adjust for that. This is why it’s very important to work with the organizers to handle this correctly. Most people serve more sweets and soft drinks in the afternoon, but many times that will just give you an hour of energy before people are worse off than they were before.

If they’re tired because it’s been awhile since lunch (or they came straight from another meeting and haven’t eaten) then it’s good to get a 20-30 minute break between activities and bring out real sandwich trays- not the little ones, but some actual, substantial food. Meat-based open-face ones seem to do very well. Protien tends to react with insulin to level out blood sugar and keep it where it needs to be for at least a couple of hours.

If it’s the opposite reason- people are sluggish because they’re still digesting a heavy lunch, then something light and fruity works very well. As an alternative to candy and soft drinks, I suggest a shake bar- you can set up blenders, ice, fresh fruit, and so forth with a couple of people serving. This is a nice diversion, allows for some good conversation and a quick break between activities that gets people back and ready to be productive for the rest of the afternoon.

International Business

Paula-

Many companies are new at doing business internationally, and are entertaining clients, employees, and associates from different cultures. Are there any differences in food or presentation that should be taken into account with groups from particular areas?

John-

In general, people react favorably to good hospitality and good food presentation. It’s always good to offer a variety of food alternatives. One very common example is to be sure you offer a non-dairy creamer- this accommodates both religious (Kosher) and dietary preferences. There are a couple of particulars that are good to keep in mind when entertaining people from different places:

Middle East-

It is good to be very sensitive to religious beliefs, and avoid pork products. Very elegant lamb dishes are usually received very well. It’s particularly important with this group to observe Kosher standards.

Asia-

It is very important to include translators in the dining group. Translators can be very helpful, not only in language, but social protocol. In many business settings, there is a translator sitting next to each participant.

The Americas-

Dairy products are very well received- cream-based sauces, butter, cheese, etc. by people from Central and South America. Such items are at a premium in those countries.

Europe-

No matter what the menu includes, presentation tends to be much more important to Europeans than to Americans.

About Our Guest

John Cirio, besides being very good-natured and accommodating, is in a position to speak with some authority on the topic of food in corporate settings.

• 22 Years of experience in all facets of the food production industry
• Resourceful problem solver with perceptive management techniques
• Personal Chef to celebrities, dignitaries and politicians, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Dolly Parton, Presidents Ford, Nixon, Reagan and Bush.
• First Prize awards for culinary design and presentation in international competitions.

He is currently the man behind two ventures- The Gourmet Doctor website, located at www.thegourmetdoctor.com; and Five Star Aire Cuisine, a company devoted to designing and outfitting kitchens, and catering special events on corporate aircraft. Many thanks to a very busy Chef Cirio for his help with this topic.