miami gardens 8.2011

Great inaugural season for theCMGYS 2011 Baseball Program

Miami Gardens

HEALTHY LIVING INMIAMI GARDENS

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CRITICAL CONDITION“SOUL-FOOD”

RESTAURANTS PART 3

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4TH ANNUAL BUSINESS EXPO

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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AUGUST, 2011

CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1958

Councilman Andre Williams Hosts Mayor CarlosGimenez Town Hall Meeting at Miami Gardens City Hall

By Andre williAms

Councilman

The residents of theCity of Miami Gardensare important to the fab-ric of Miami DadeCounty. We pay taxesand vote just like ourcounterparts in other

parts of Miami Dade County. We shouldhave access to our leadership at Miami DadeCounty to discuss our issues and the upcom-ing budget proposed by Miami Dade CountyMayor Carlos Gimenez.

I am proud to announce that Mayor CarlosGimenez has accepted my invitation to hosthis Town Hall Meeting to discuss his pro-posed budget at Miami Gardens City Halllocated at 1515 NW 167th Street on

Thursday, August 11th from 7pm - 9pm.Please join us for this very important conver-sation.

Miami-Dade commissioners votedTuesday, July 19th in favor of Mayor CarlosGimenez's new property tax rate which elim-inated the wildly unpopular property tax-ratehike that was pushed through last year by for-mer county Mayor Carlos Alvarez, signalinga marked new outlook for government.

It was a great inaugural season for the Cityof Miami Gardens Youth Sports (CMGYS)2011 Baseball Program! There were 4 teamsand 70 baseball players ages 4 to 12 years oldtraveling to compete. Practices were held atBunche Park during the season, and gameswere played in the City of Miami Gardens aswell as neighboring cities.

The City of Miami Gardens was represent-ed extremely well by our T-ball players, the“Miami Gardens Athletics”. The Athleticsconsisted of 12 players ranging in ages 4 to 6years old. The main focus for this group ofchildren was for the coaches to teach sports-

m a n -s h i p ,team-work, as well as the basics ofcatching, hitting, and runningaround the bases. During everyT-ball game the children did anoutstanding job by playingextremely hard and showed greatsportsmanship after each gameby shaking hands and givinghigh fives. The A’s played mostof their games in Aventura and atournament was held at PepperPark. The A’s also played one oftheir games in Sun Life Stadium,home to our Florida Marlins.

You can really tell thechildren loved it, aswell as learned a lot.

The City’s coachespitch 8 and underteam“Miami GardensDodgers”had a greatseason! With a teamroster of 20 baseballplayers which includ-ed 17 boys and 3 girls,the Dodgers won 18 oftheir 20 games.

- See CMGYS, page 2----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Community Newspapers

The Dodgers also played in Aventura, and won everygame in the entire league and advanced to play in thechampionship game. The Dodgers competed and won thetournament that was held at Pepper Park. The Dodgersalso had the opportunity to play at Sun Life Stadiumwhich was very exciting for the young boys who experi-enced playing on a championship field. The young boysreally showed teamwork throughout the entire season onand off the field. Recently the team was recognized by theCity Council at one of the City’s Meeting where each teamplayer was awarded a certificate for “Excellent Play”.

The City’s 10 and under league was represented by the“Miami Gardens Braves”. This age group learned how toplay baseball at a faster pace. The players were taughteverything from pitching, running the bases at a high rateof speed, and hitting the baseball extremely hard.Although, they had a slow start to the season, by the 7thgame they beat Pepper Park Marlins in the last inning. Thecrowd was amazed and the children were extremely excit-ed to pick-up their first win of the season. As the seasonprogressed, the Braves madeit to the playoffs and the chil-dren showed a great amountof progress throughout theseason. Coach Lee Jones,stated that the City of MiamiGardens has a lot of youngtalent and he looks forward toworking with the youth of ourcommunity in the years tocome. Over half of the chil-dren who played on our 10and under team could have

played on the 8 andunder coach pitch team,but decided to play upand work on their skillsfor the future. So nextseason, look out for our10 and under MiamiGardens Braves!

CMGYS from page 1 --------------------------------------------------------------

communitynewsPaPers.com august, 2011

August, 2011 communitynewspapers.com page 3

Last but not least, the 12 and under “MiamiGardens Marlins” showed more than just teamwork, they played as if they were a family. TheMiami Gardens Marlins grew into veryrespectful young men who now have a love forthe game of baseball. Coach Tijuane Mortenwho played baseball locally at Miami CentralHigh School showed these children more thanjust how to play the game of baseball. Heworked hard each day at practice with the chil-dren and pulled off a lot of big wins finishingwith a season record of 9-8. The Marlins wererespected throughout the entire league and theCity. Coach Morten stated, “That at any gameit can be any player’s given night, that’s whythis team was so special.”The majority of thisteam will return next year with even moreexperience but for those who will be over theage of 12, the staff will be implementing a 14

and under Miami Gardens team that willincrease the number to five divisions. So lookout for our 12 and under Marlins next seasonas well as the new 14 and under division!

As a wrap up of the 2011 City of MiamiGardens Baseball Program season, the teamsfinished with an overall record of 40 wins and18 losses. Aside from this outstanding record,what is more important is that everyoneenjoyed every minute of the season andlearned many important things both on and offthe baseball diamond. Our staff is looking for-ward to the continued expansion of the base-ball program. Join us next season and experi-ence the City of Miami Gardens baseballmagic!

For information on CMGYS program,please contact 305-622-8080 or email [email protected].


PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grant MillerEXECUTIVE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michael MillerSALES MANAGER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walter WhiteWRITERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Beasley, Robert Hamilton, Gary Alan Ruse, Lee Stephen, Al Sunshine, Richard YagerADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Albie Barnes, Roberta Bergman, Beatriz Brandfon, Celia Canabate,

Diane Chasin, Enrique Chau, Sharon Christian, Lori Cohen, Cecile Fanfani, Dianne Maddox, Denzil Miles,mAnn Robbins-Udel, Fara Sax, Diane Sedona Schiller, Georgia Tait, Walter Whitem

LEGAL ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Enrique ChauPROOF DEPARTMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Isabel VavrekPRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Isabel Ortega, Vera Salom, Marie Scheer, Isabel VavrekPUBLISHER EMERITUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Miller

POSTAL INFORMATION: Community Newspapers is published by Your Hometown Newspaper, Inc. 6796 SW 62 Ave., S. Miami, FL 33143. Periodicals Postage Paid inMiami, Florida, and additional mailing offices. Published weekly.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Community Newspapers, P.O. Box 43-1970, South Miami, FL 33143. Subscription rates: $27.50 a year.GENERAL PROVISIONS: Every issue of Community Newspapers is fully copyrighted, and all property rights, including advertisements produced by Community Newspapers.Artwork and/or typography furnished or arranged for/by us, shall be the property of Community Newspapers. No such ad or any art thereof may be reproduced without the priorconsent of Community Newspapers.

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6796 S.W. 62 Avenue, South Miami, FL 33143 • Phone (305) 669-7355, Fax (305) 662-6980

•• PUBLIC SAFETY CORNER ••

Mosquito aerial spraying at HomesteadAir Reserve Base (HARB) and other areasof Miami-Dade County is scheduled tooccur during the week of July 25th, 2011through July 30th, 2011. The flights arescheduled to occur from 5:30-8:00 pmTuesday and Wednesday, with Thursdaybeing a back-up day, if needed.

Residents are advised that a large air-craft, a C· 130 Hercules, will be flying aslow as 150 feet over the spray areas to trainaircrew and spray Dibrom Concentrate.Spraying areas will include those parts ofthe County that are being most affected atthat time by increased mosquito activity.Possible areas to be sprayed includeHomestead, Florida City, the Redlands,areas East of US1 and, if necessary, WestKendall and West Doral. Once again, areasto be sprayed will be entirely dependent onwhere mosquito activity has shown ademonstrable increase at the time of sur-

veillance on Monday, July 25th. Afterspraying, about 90 percent of adult mos-quitoes should be killed; however, thereduction in mosquito populations dependson how favorable conditions are for newmosquito production, such as continuedrain and/or wind blowing from breedinggrounds in the National Park.

Beekeepers are asked to keep their beescovered during the spraying operations intheir particular area. Individuals withknown allergic reactions should stayindoors.

The 311 call center, which accepts mos-quito service requests, is open Mondaythrough Friday, 7 am to 8 pm, andSaturday from 8 am to 5 pm. The call cen-ter will be updated with the areas to besprayed as the information comes avail-able. Residents may call 311 to find out iftheir area will be included in the spraymission.

EDITOR-AT-LARGEUla Zucker-Williams • ��

MANAGING EDITORAnthony Jackson

EDITORStephanie Saenz • ��

CALENDAR EDITORTamilla Mullings • ��

WRITERSAntranette Pierre, Janey Tate, Cynthia Roby

CONTRIBUTORSAndre Williams, Felecia Robinson, Carl Williams, Mike Gambino, Chef Emanuel Washington

If you have news or events that you would like to submit for consideration to be published in the Miami Gardens Community Newspaper, pleaseemail [email protected] or call the Events & Media Department at (305)622-8000 ext 2482.

City of Miami Gardens Community Newspaper

Miami-Dade County's MosquitoControl Division Schedules Aerial

Spraying for Local Area

Position: Program & Policy Director

Organization: Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.

Location: Miami, Florida

Compensation: Commensurate with experience; Benefits Available

Reporting Relationship: This position reports to the Executive Director


•• BUSINESS ••

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Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Inc.(MCH) Program & Policy Director Position

Description 2011

Position Purpose:

MCH’s mission is to promote communi-ty efforts to prevent and end homelessnessin South Florida by establishing allianceswith agencies and organizations. MCHprides itself in its advocacy work both atthe policy level and the consumer leveloftentimes serving as a strong voice forthose persons experiencing homelessness.This position provides administrative andmanagerial support for the agency’s grantfunded programs as well as supports theExecutive Director (ED) in managing theCoalition’s policy initiatives. Additionally,this position also expects strong advocacy,community engagement, building aware-ness and gaining support, financial or oth-erwise, for our agenda to end homeless-ness.

Position Responsibilities:

• Supports the ED in the development ofpolicy action plans aimed at preventing orending homelessness. This includes work-ing collaboratively with like minded organ-izations to develop policy position papersbased on thorough research and analysisthat can be presented to media, public off-cials, business and community leaders.

• Initiate, via an RFP process, implementand award grants, via an objective evalua-tion process and monitor, via a comprehen-sive project management tool, new pro-gram ideas and services in support ofMCH’s strategic plan.

• Work closely and collaboratively withgovernment, nonprofit and private entitiesto provide greater access to housing, socialservices, education and employmentopportunities for those individuals experi-encing homelessness.

• In managing grants, must prepare con-tracts and letters of agreements as well asprepare and maintain accurate records anddata to evaluate effectiveness of fundedprojects.

• Develop strong collegial relationshipswith project partners, grantees and fundersto ensure sharing of information and bestpractices.

• Participate in the supervision of volun-teers and interns working to support the

mission of MCH.• Assist in the research and analysis

required to develop and implement a com-prehensive fundraising strategy for MCH.

• Assist the ED in all other duties asassigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated strong research and ana-lytical skills applied to public policy issuesincluding an ability to synthesize and sum-marize large amounts of information and tofocus quickly on the essence of an issue.

• Experience convening groups of poli-cymakers, advocates and other profession-als to reach consensus and move toward adesired outcome.

• Demonstrated time and project man-agement skills including an ability to meetmultiple deadlines.

• Excellent computer skills to includeWord, Excel, PowerPoint.

• Ability to think strategically, creative-ly, remain attentive to details and maintainability to be flexible and accept change.

• Strong interpersonal skills to be able tointeract affectively with a wide and diversegroup of individuals and communitygroups ranging from consumers to govern-ment leaders.

• Excellent written and verbal communi-cation skills as well as proficiency withfinancials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a preferencefor an advanced degree in the field of socialwork, psychology, education.

• Five to ten years of progressivelyresponsible nonprofit experience.

• Bilingual a plus.• Previous experience relating to advo-

cacy and policy development

Compensation is commensurate withexperience.

Resumes must be received no later thanAugust 15, 2011.

Please email to [email protected] or [email protected] fax to 305-571-8157


Miami Gardens Calendar of EventsAugust 2011

AUGUST 6•BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH &

WELLNESS FAIR3000 NW 199 StreetBetty T. Ferguson

Recreational Complex @ 10am-1pm

AUGUST 8•Councilwoman Robinson’s

“Meet Me on Mondays” MeetingTopic: Education

3422 NW 187th StreetMiami Carol City Senior

High School@ 7pm

AUGUST 9•Miami Gardens Excellence in Education

Council 1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Council Chambers@ 6 pm

AUGUST 11•4TH Annual Business Expo

3000 NW 199 StreetBetty T. Ferguson

Recreational Complex

@ 9am - 12N

AUGUST 15•Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)

Police Department1020 NW 163 Drive Miami Gardens, FL

@ 7pm

AUGUST 16•Caribbean Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200 Council Chambers

@ 6pm

AUGUST 17•Elderly Affairs Advisory

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200Council Chambers@ 3:00pm-4:30pm

•Commission for Women Meeting1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Conference Room @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

AUGUST 18•Nuisance Abatement Board

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Miami Gardens, FL Council Chambers

@ 5pm

•Parks & Rec. Advisory1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

City Hall Conference RoomMiami Gardens, FL

@ 6:30pm

AUGUST 20•Back to School Giveaway

Robert Renick Education Center2201 NW 207th StMiami Gardens, FL

@11am - 5pm

AUGUST 21•Progressive Young Adults Committee

1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200City Hall Conference Room

@ 3pm-5pm

AUGUST 24•Special Master Hearing Code Cases1515 NW 167 Street, bldg. 5-200

Council Chambers @ 9am - 3pm

City of Miami Gardens Police DepartmentOperations DivisionMajor Anthony Chapman 305-474-1406Patrol Division 305-474-1406

School Crossing GuardsCherise Asberry 305-474-1526Traffic Concerns 305-474-1391Neighborhood Watch 305-474-6473Report Truants 305-474-6473

Investigations DivisionMajor Alan Mandelbloom 305-474-1407Captain Rafael Suarez 305-474-1430Captain Frank Trujillo 305-474-1418Auto Theft/Pawn Unit 305-474-1428CST/Narcotics Unit 305-474-1427

Support DivisionMajor Steve List 305-474-1408Captain Athena Skellion 305-474-1380Captain Alfred Lewers Jr 305-474-1405Communications Center 305-474-MGPD (6473)Court Liaison 305-474-1412Off Duty Police Employment 305-474-1412Records Unit 305-474-1413

Professional Standards/Training Unit Background Investigations 305-622-8059Captain Marilyn Gongalez 305-622-8059Training Unit 305-622-8059

Non-Emergency Police Communications & Information(305) 474-MGPD (6473)

Use these numbers to contact us


City of Miami Gardens Mayor and Council’s Corner

MayorShirley Gibson

CouncilmanOliver G. Gilbert III

(Seat 6)

CouncilmanDavid Williams, Jr.

(Seat 5)

Vice-MayorAaron Campbell Jr.

(Seat 1)

Councilwoman Felicia S. Robinson

(Seat 4)

CouncilmanAndré Williams

(Seat 3)

CouncilwomanLisa C. Davis

(Seat 2)

To contact your Council representatives, call 305-622-8010.

City of Miami Gardens Staff DirectoryName Department E-mail Main

Julie-Ann Smith Asst. to Mayor [email protected] 305-622-8010

Sonja K. Dickens City Attorney [email protected] 305-622-8055

Ronetta Taylor City Clerk [email protected] 305-622-8003

Danny Crew City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8007

Renee Crichton Deputy City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8006

Daniel Rosemond Asst. City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8005

Vernita Nelson Asst. City Manager [email protected] 305-622-8008

Tasha Codner KMGB Director [email protected] 305-622-8009

Sharon Ragoonan Director. Building & Code [email protected] 305-622-8018

Patti Varney Finance Director [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2780

Mike Gambino Floodplain Administrator [email protected] 305-622-8039

David Motola Fleet Manager [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2697

Taren Kinglee Human Resources/ Risk Director [email protected] 305-622-8030

Kara Petty Parks & Recreation Director [email protected] 305-622-8080

Jay Marder Planning & Zoning Director [email protected] 305-622-8025

O. Tom Ruiz Public Works Director [email protected] 305-622-8004

Pam Thompson Procurement Manager [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2490

Ula Zucker-Williams Events and Media Coordinator [email protected] 305-622-8035

Matthew Boyd Miami Gardens Police Chief 305-474-1400

Hilary Marshall Assistant to Council [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2793

(Vice Mayor Campbell, Davis, D. Williams)

Tashek Hamlette Assistant to Council [email protected] 305-622-8000 Ext. 2705


Lower Flood Insurance Ratesfor Miami Gardens Residents

and BusinessThe City of Miami Gardens is proud to

announce that we have improved our rat-ing in the nationwide Community RatingSystem Program (CRS)! The CRSis partof the National Flood Insurance Program(NFIP), and is designed to reward commu-nities that provide flood protection aboveand beyond the minimum standards of theNFIP. By conducting these activities citi-zens are rewarded with reduced floodinsurance premiums. While the CRS pro-gram has a starting rating of 10, whichmeans no flood insurance discount, MiamiGardens was able to enter the Program inMay 2009 at a rating of 7, which translatesto a 15% discount on flood insurance poli-cies for those with policies in flood zones.

By continuing to find ways to better pro-tect our residents and businesses fromflood damage, Miami Gardens recentlyachieved a Rating of 6 in the CRS

Program. This means that, for residentsand businesses living and operating inflood zones in our City, a 20% discount onflood insurance premiums is now avail-ablefor flood insurance policies! Residentsthat are not in flood zones also can receivea 10% premium discount!

Our Public Works Department is com-mitted to continuing these flood protectionactivities, to improve the quality of life forresidents, to reduce flood damage in ourcity, and to provide continual monetarysavings for residents and businesses in theCity of Miami Gardens!

BY M. GAMBINO, CFM

•• FYI ••

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communitynewspapers.com august, 2011

•• COMMUNITY NEWS ••

City of Miami Gardens PromotesHealthy Living through Corporate

PartnershipsAging is a normal part of life, and

people are living longer. Due totoday’s medical advances, manyadults are celebrating good healthalong with longevity. With a healthylifestyle, exercise, activities, andstrong social support, seniors canlook forward to personal fulfillmentand a long fruitful life. The City ofMiami Gardens is committed to pro-viding it’s senior population withinformation about their wellbeingand encouraging a focus on living ahealthy lifestyle.

Starting in July of this year, theCity partnered with IndependentLiving Community Services (ILCS)to provide Living Healthy Programsthat not only offer educational infor-mation, but also demonstrate howevidence based programs canimprove your overall health. TheEvidence Based Programs that ILCSwill be offering include ChronicDisease Self-Management (LivingHealthy), Matter of Balance,Diabetes SelfM a n a g e m e n tTraining, andFit and Strong.These work-shops will takeplace at thenewly con-structed MiamiCarol City ParkR e c r e a t i o nCenter, locatedat 3201 N.W.185 Street.

The imple-mentation ofthese programsand the strategic partnerships with keyorganizations, the City of Miami Gardenscontinues its effort to becoming a healthier

community. For moreinformation about regis-tering for these programs,please contact CarlWilliams at (305) 622-8080.

BY CARL WILLIAMS

Shop locally and SAVE GAS!www.communitynewspapers.com

305-669-7355


‘Critical Condition’ Soul Food Restaurants atthe Crossroads! The Series: Part 3

BY CHEF EMANUEL WASHINGTON

Restaurant

operations:

Every day inthe restaurantbusiness is anew day; thereare no two daysalike. Each dayis filled withnew faces, old problems and yesterday’sambitions, and all of these present a myri-ad of new challenges. It is a continuallearning process. Some days you will walkaround singing love songs and other dayswill make you want to grab a guitar andsing the low-down blues.

The restaurant industry moves at thespeed of sound. Today, it runs neck andneck with the information technology (IT)industry. Just as IT companies are sprint-ing from Research & Development tolaunch, toting their latest inventions andupdates, chefs all around the world arejockeying for position at the top of theculinary totem pole. Likewise, restaurantsare searching for any scientific, technolog-ical or business advantage they can find, toget ahead and stay ahead of the competi-tion.

Restaurant operations are a key compo-nent to the success of any restaurant busi-ness. The most successful restaurants inthe industry have the best operations. Evenif the food sucks and it usually does, theyget repeat business. Customers come backbecause they are efficient. Most restau-rants today operate like well-oiledmachines, while many others struggle tofind their way from the kitchen to yourtable.

Customer Service:

A customer service issue is an opera-tional issue. How many times have you satat your table with ‘rocks in your jaws’waiting for your meal? Who has timetoday to just sit around twiddling theirthumbs? Even when you have a briefmoment of relaxation, who wants to spendit with a gum popping server, who feelsshe’s doing you a favor by just beingthere? Personally, I’d much rather fightMike Tyson on a tricycle than be subject-ed to rude and discourteous service.

People tend to tolerate crummy foodbefore they will accept bad service. If youask 10 people, how important is customerservice to you? 8 ½ will say it as veryimportant. Today, businesses must be cus-tomer service focused. There is too muchcompetition in the marketplace not to do

so. Restaurants with poor customer serv-ice are sealing their own fate.

Soul Food Restaurants and Customer

Service:

A restaurant’s reputation is only as goodas your customer’s last dining experience.No one cares how good your ribs were lastmonth. They care about how good they aretoday. Last month doesn’t count; it’s allabout now.

Restaurants are not in the food business,they are in the people business. Every dayin this business presents a new and uniqueopportunity to connect or reconnect withyour customers. Bad customer service inthe restaurant industry is business suicide.Customers tend to remember bad diningexperiences before they remember thegood ones. It’s the nature of the business.Restaurants that take good care of theircustomers will prosper. Those that do notwill become business statistics.

That’s just how

it is.

Sometimes a fewcan spoil it formany. There is asaying about SoulFood Restaurantsthat goes a littlesomething likethis: “If you wantgood food, go to aSoul Food restau-rant. If you wantbad service, go to a Soul Food restaurant.”Let me make something perfectly clear.First, yes, it is true-- there is no better foodon earth than Soul Food. Second, todaymost Soul Food restaurants in Americahave impeccable customer service.

However, there are some Soul Foodrestaurants in America that are still wear-ing ‘Bell Bottoms’. For some, their ideaof good customer service is just saying“Hi, grab a seat”. Some don’t even taketime to do that. Customers know bad serv-ice when they see it. If you get more thanyour fair share of customer service com-plaints, then I guess this Bud’s for you.Bad customer service affects the bottomline of any business. The reality is thatmost customers won’t complain to you;they voice their complaints by taking theirbusiness somewhere else.

Wait Staff:

Your wait staff is your primary point ofcustomer contact. All restaurants arejudged by the service customers receivefrom them first. Personal issues and atti-tudes have no place in business of any

kind, particularly in a customer servicedriven industry. I find it more than annoy-ing to see my waitress leaning against thewall, talking to her boyfriend on her cellphone, while I have been waiting 20 min-utes for my Fried Chicken and CollardGreens.

The restaurant business is the peoplebusiness. The only reason restaurants existis to serve their customers. If you are nogood at that, perhaps you are in the wrongbusiness. If you have no customers toserve, then you have no business. Be care-ful who you hire. Friends and family arenot always the best idea. If you and yourfamily have a good thing going, then Iapplaud you. Keep up the good work. Itcan work for some families, but for most itdoes not. Question: When Friends andFamily screw up on the job, what’s theirretribution? How can you disciplineKeisha when she babysits for you? Thatwon’t turn out quite right now will it? I amof the mindset that business and personal

should bed e t a c h e d .Instead, hirethe most qual-ified, the mostcommitted toyour businessp h i l o s o p h yand those whowill supportyour compa-ny’s mission.S o m e t i m e s

you may find a diamond in the ruff.

Management 101:

If customers are unhappy, the fault lieswith management. There are no two waysabout it. Wherever you find bad customerservice, you will also find bad manage-ment. That’s where the buck starts andstops. 1) No customer should ever walkinto a restaurant and not be greeted. It tellscustomers that you don’t value their busi-ness. 2) No customer should ever, underany circumstances, be allowed to leave arestaurant after spending their hard earnedmoney with you, without a team memberthanking them for their business. It tellsthem that you could care less whether theycome back or not. 3) From the time a cus-tomer walks into your restaurant until thetime they leave is an opportunity to sell.Hint: What do you have to sell other thanfood? Smart businesses even sell to theircustomers after they leave.

Kitchen Issues:

Whenever customers have to routinelywait long periods of time to get their food,

it is a sign of kitchen inexperience.Cooking for family at home in a one-quartpot is far different from cooking for 600 ina restaurant environment. It requiresindustry experience and a restaurant sci-ence aptitude. Chefs have a formula thatthe average cook does not. That is whythey are called chefs.

Restaurant Science:

Restaurants today don’t operate thesame way they did 40 years ago or even 10years ago. If you are a Soul Food restau-rant that is still operating the same wayyou did 10, 20, and 30 or 40 years ago,you are at a disadvantage in the industry.Modern restaurants are scientific. How doyou handle a lunch hour rush of 300 cus-tomers between 11:30am and 1:00pm andmake everybody happy? How do you get50 plates of hot food in front of your cus-tomers within 20 minutes? How do you doall of this and ensure that the food is fresh?Restaurant Science. Commercial kitchenstoday are much better equipped. You sim-ply cannot get the job done in most of theolder kitchens. Personally, you couldn’tpay me to serve 300 people in 1½ hours, inan outdated kitchen. That’s just asking fortrouble! It is time for the Soul Foodrestaurants that seem to be lagging farbehind the good ones to come on line withthe rest of the restaurant industry. Investin your business!

Cost controls:

Restaurants today have efficient costcontrol measures. Modern restaurants areadept at menu engineering, systemizedordering, portion control, prep guides,purchasing, theft, inventory controls, foodwaste management, par levels, food dat-ing, etc.

Questions: Are your restaurant opera-

tions tight? Do you know the formulas?Do you have an operations manual? Whatis your management philosophy? Do youhave a plan? To be successful in therestaurant industry today, your overalloperations need to be flawless.

Chef Emanuel is a prominent soul food

critic. Recently relocated from Chicago,

Il, he was formerly the Executive Chef

and Food Service Director at The

Department of Defense Analysis. He is

also the founder and owner of a culinary

school in South Florida as well as a Food

Historian. He has studied American

Food History and the 'Soul Food' disci-

pline for decades. For more information

about Chef Emanuel, visit his website at

http://chefemanuel.com.

• business •


City of Miami Gardens LienAmnesty Blowout Event

On Saturday, August 20, 2011, andSaturday, August 27, 2011, from 9:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m. the City will host a Lien

Amnesty Blowout event at City Hall,

1515 NW 167th Ave., Bldg. 5, Suite 200,

Miami Gardens, FL 33169.This will be anopportunity for property owners with lienson their property to satisfy all liens for just$500.00 per lien with all application feeswaived.

Due to the economic challenges manypeople are facing, the City is implementingthis program to provide relief for peoplewith extremely high liens. The programalso furthers the Code ComplianceDivision’s mission to keep the communitysafe, clean and beautiful by assisting prop-erty owners with bringing their propertiesinto compliance and up to code.

If Lien Amnesty is not sufficient toresolve your situation, there will be repre-sentatives available to provide informationon the Lien Reduction and AdministrativeForeclosure programs as well.

Don’t miss this opportunity!

What to do:

1. All requested documents (you will be advised of these documents during the call to schedule your appointment)

2. Your estimated lien payoff payment. Only cash, credit card and cashier check or money orders will be accepted. NO PERSONAL CHECKS PLEASE.

For Additional information or to sched-ule an appointment, please contact theCode Compliance Division at (305) 622-8000ext. 2610 or ext. 2614 or contactMaggie Castorby email [email protected]

WHO: CITY OF MIAMI GARDENS CODE COMPLIANCEDIVISION

WHAT: LIEN AMNESTY BLOWOUT EVENT

WHEN: AUGUST 20TH AND 27TH 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM

WHERE: CITY’S COUNCIL CHAMBERS

CONTACT: MAGGIE CASTOR, PERMIT AND LICENSING CLERK, (305) 622-8000 Ext 2610 or YOLANDA ROLLE, PERMIT AND LICENSING CLERK, (305) 622-8000 Ext 2614

Please

Remember

to Recycle

Make sure all violations are in compli-ance. Contact the Code Compliance Divisionto schedule an appointmentWhen you arrive for your scheduled appointment, please make sure you have:

•

•

•

•• FYI ••

Get 50% OFFthe places where you live,

work, and play.

GREATDEALSIN MIAMI-DADE!

Go to:www.millerdeals.comand start saving today!

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miami gardens 8.2011

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