Simone Restrepo, the chef at the Sibling Rivalry restaurant, gets some of his best ideas from dishwashers.
A report in The Boston Globe said that some of the best restaurants get ideas for ingredients and dishes from wait staff and others working in the establishments.
Kate Hammond, who is a co-owner and chef at the Grapevine in Salem, Mass. says lunches the restaurant cook, Carlos Candelario, makes for staff before it opens for dinner inspire her when she's in a creative rut.
According to the Globe, "Some restaurants like the staff's own food so much that they celebrate it on the menu. At the East Coast Grill & Raw Bar in Cambridge, on the brunch menu, you can order 'Amilcar's omelet,' made with avocado, black beans, and jack cheese, served over salsa verde and salsa roja, with queso fresco and guava paste. Or how about Elmer's clam ceviche or pickled cabbage? The dishes are named for two Salvadorans, Amilcar Buruca and Elmer Sanchez, day chefs who have been at the restaurant for more than a decade."
Moderator's Comment: Do companies that actively encourage lower-level employees in suggesting ways to improve business do better than those that practice top-down only management? Are there companies with cultures that build on suggestions from front-line employees that you think are particularly worthy of mention? - George Anderson - Moderator