Congratulations to Madalyn Summers, the beverage director at Café Mars, the MICHELIN Guide New York 2023 Service Award Winner!
When thinking about restaurant prep, the first things that come to mind are notes on special accommodations, celebratory occasions, or updating menus. And while Summers' team does that, they also employ a mind-resetting trick: stretching as a team—led by a cook.
Unorthodox perhaps, but this approach to prepping for service is why the front-of-house team at Café Mars is able to provide exceptional service with serenity. Or maybe it's creating a calm environment through humor, good vibes, and even better music (most nights it'll be Italo-Disco or Mariah Carey). And that is why Café Mars takes top honors as the winner of the 2023 New York Service Award.
What is a typical night at the restaurant?
It’s a lot of fun! We always get pumped up during pre-service, talking about special guests, menu changes, or service notes from previous nights. I’ll also touch on any feedback we’ve gotten, and get staff involved in the conversation. We then adjust the lights, turn on the music (usually there’s a big debate on this amongst the team—most nights it’s Italo Disco or Mariah Carey to start.).
When service begins, we do a full staff stretch, usually led by a cook (got to get the juices flowing!). After that, we just do our thing, and make sure that guests feel the merriment.
There’s a lot of steps to our service, so we talk A LOT—to each other, to the kitchen, to the guests. Our dish pit and prep kitchen is downstairs, so we’re getting our cardio in when bussing tables or grabbing mise from the walk-in. And with all that up and down, we are constantly reminding each other to take a quick break and drink water.
I’ll chat with most tables in the room at some point in the night, collecting notes on dishes and drinks, or just providing entertainment when appropriate. Once all the guests have left the room, we close the gates, bring the lights back up, and turn off the music. The end of the night means peace and quiet after what is usually an audibly rowdy experience.
What goes into preparing each night?
More than you think! There’s a lot of planning and guest correspondence on the back end. We often have parties increasing in size or asking for specific accommodations day of, which requires monitoring the restaurant email account and phone line like a hawk.
We do laundry in house, so aprons have to be washed and pressed everyday, along with polishing and cleaning cloths. I also take care of the plants in the room and buy flowers for the host stand.
In the kitchen and bar, there’s fresh mise en place being prepared everyday. Our wine list is updated very regularly, so if we are launching a new bottle or glass pour, I research not only the specific cuvée but also the grape and the physical geography of the area to give staff as much information as possible so they can better inform the customer.
Another big part of daily preparations is something that is a new experience in my front of house career. Our kitchen staff runs food, and is very involved in FOH operations. This is pretty unique for New York, so I think guests find it surprising and fun! Our team as a whole is small and pretty friendly with each other. Because of this, more experienced FOH team members feel comfortable guiding less experienced staff members in the proper steps of service. In this way, training happens everyday, and we are always learning together.
What's your favorite part of the guest experience?
The surprise that guests experience with all of our “extras.” We greet everyone with an aperitivo splash, where we approach the table with a handmade basket (woven from chestnut in Chef Paul’s ancestral village of Tramonti, Campania) stocked with an assortment of vintage cordial glasses, and let everyone choose a glass. Then we pour a splash of either Prosecco or a non-alcoholic beverage—right now it’s Kollone Null Cuvée #1. Guests love being able to choose their glass and getting a little sip of something right as they sit down. We also have some fun touches during service, like the silverware drawers in our tables, the unique pepper mills, and of course, the jell-olives start some fun conversations.
At the end of the meal, along with a pop-up card check presenter, we offer a glass candy dish full of ‘grandma’ candy—butterscotch, strawberry bonbons, root beer barrels, and my personal favorite, Hopjes (coffee flavored hard caramels from Holland.). It seems everyone has a memory of at least one of the candies in the bowl, and people really go wild for them. Sometimes when a party has left, we are shocked at how many empty wrappers are left on the table!
What does "really good service" mean to you?
Good service means going above and beyond. Anyone can take an order, bring the food, pour the wine, and present the check. Not everyone can do it while creating a memorable and joyful experience.
I think that there is something very disarming in speaking to strangers like we’ve known them our whole life. Disarming a guest builds trust and allows us to guide the meal and ensure that their order is balanced, they get the beverages they really want, and at the pace that is best for their party. When all those things are working in tandem, everyone involved in the experience can relax. I believe that is when your guests get exactly what they came out for—to not have to think too much and to be taken care of.
How are you able to keep the team calm?
By remaining calm myself, but more importantly with humor! In times of stress, I will ask team members what the most helpful thing I can do for them is, and take it right off their plate. And once the ‘storm’ has passed, I make sure everyone gets a good laugh in. It’s hard to feel anxious if you’re laughing. Laughing makes you breathe deeper, which helps calm the brain and nerves. Luckily we have a lot of really funny folks on staff, so it’s pretty easy to get a bit going on. But we have some never-fail mottos that I can always pepper into conversation if I’m not feeling particularly inspired.
What is the biggest misconception about your role?
That I am simply an observer or a disciplinarian. Sure, those are parts of the job, but in addition to those very important things, I am also a host, a busser, a bar back, a server, an occasional expediter, a therapist, sometimes a cook, a jester, a sommelier, a problem solver, a cheerleader, an IT technician, a reservationist, a porter...the list goes on and on, and changes daily! But in a nutshell, being the General Manager or Service Director is not just one job—it’s a little bit of every job. It's a lot of multitasking, and a ton of positive attitude. It’s certainly exhausting, but when you’re doing it all in the right place, it is incredibly rewarding to be the go-to gal for nearly any assignment.
Hero image: Lanna Apisukh/Café Mars
