Answer to Question 1
The chef has evolved from the lead cook in the kitchen to the manager of the kitchen operation.
The chef has become a member of the management team of the operation. This requires skills
and knowledge beyond culinary knowledge. It requires a total customer focus, and that leads to a
focus on quality in every aspect of the operation from food preparation to personnel
management. Chefs that demonstrate sincere interest in the welfare and success of their team
members will be successful.
Answer to Question 2
Some establishments have a policy that requires competitive bidding, where purchasers send requests for proposals (RFPs) to more than one approved vendor. It is important to ensure that all vendors quote prices on the same quality of products. Product specifications help purchasers to do this. RFP responses may be analyzed by lowest price for all products or lowest price for individual items. Selecting one vendor is easiest and will save the processing costs for multiple orders, but some purchasers select vendors on the basis of prices quoted for each product.