The “Are You Gonna Eat That?” Tribe

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

 

I know that our blog covers a wide variety of topics. Recently I’ve gotten some questions about what it is we are trying to accomplish with this new venture. There has also been a lot of confusion about whether or not “Are You Gonna Eat That?” is focused on McKinney and Doyle (restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York) specifically. To answer bluntly, no. McKinney and Doyle staff writes this blog, which is why it’s referenced in certain posts, but it is not about McKinney and Doyle. This blog is about all things food industry related. Those who contribute to this blog, whether Welcome to the tribethey write full posts, send photos, or send ideas, care deeply about the industry as a whole. We get excited about new trends and products and find joy in creating memorable dining experiences whether they are in a restaurant or in a home kitchen. We’ve created this blog as a way to grow our tribe outside of M&D walls.Continue Reading

A Busy Saturday Night: Chef’s Perspective

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

Busty Saturday Night Chef PerspectiveThis week will be the final post in our Busy Saturday Night Perspective series. We’ll be running series like this over time so I’d love to get your feedback and ideas. Share a restaurant or bar experience with me either in the comments below or through email (Rebecca@mckinneyanddoyle.com) and I’ll work to form a series around it. Your experience can be positive or negative, old or new. Whatever your story is, I want to hear it! Continue Reading

A Busy Saturday Night: Manager Perspective

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

A Busy Saturday NightAs we near the weekend I wanted to add to our Busy Saturday Night series. This week I want to get inside the mind of the restaurant manager and next week, to close out this particular series, we’ll go into the kitchen and talk chef’s perspective. Let’s start after the pre-shift meeting but before the mid night craziness. Continue Reading

A Busy Saturday Night: Hostess Perspective

Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

Latest posts by Rebecca McKinney (see all)

IMG_3034Okay, let’s go back to the Busy Saturday Night Post from last week to get one customer’s perspective. I’d like to take a quick moment and say that obviously, not every customer will have that same experience. I chose one example fully knowing that every customer experience is different and everybody handles situations differently. That being said, let’s revisit that night from the hostess’ perspective.

Continue Reading