Congratulations to Josh Perlman, partner, sommelier, and general manager at Giant, the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2023 Service Award Winner!
Focused on attentive yet not overly fussy approach to guest experience, Perlman and his team adhere to one simple philosophy—start strong, finish strong. Because for this front of house team, the last table is just as important as their first.
Below, this jack-of-all-trades award winner takes us on a deep dive on how he's able to keep his team calm, and what good service really means.
What is a typical night at the restaurant?
A typical night at Giant always starts with family meal at 3:30pm. Every employee is welcome to join if they’re working that night, or not. Some of our cooks' main function is prepping family meal.
From there, we begin set up and have a pre shit meeting, covering the flow of reservations, menu changes, allergies, beverage notes and any wine list updates. This can last anywhere from 15-20 minutes. We open the doors at 5pm, so any remaining time will be spent setting up the dining room and polishing sections.
Typically, we will have 3 staggered seatings throughout the course of a night. Our service style is attentive, but non intrusive, with attention to detail to ensure each guest is met with a style of service that is tailored to their specific needs. There is no one size fits all approach to our service experience. We read our guest’s energy and engagement with the team and strive to meet, but also exceed the guest’s expectation whenever possible.
For us, the last table(s) of the night is just as important as our first. "Start strong" and "finish strong" is a common saying at Giant.
What goes into preparing each night?
We cover/confirm what reservations are coming in and any special requests or dietary restrictions. Scheduling is done two weeks in advance for the team, but we will also plot which service teams are working in each section of the restaurant.
This ensures that everyone is on the same page if we’re planning to sell out of something. We also make sure that we have all the necessary tools ready for service. The list goes on, but these are a few of the basics.
What's your favorite part of the guest experience?
I love seeing when guests entrust us to curate their menu, and have their server truly personalize the experience. I’ve never seen a guest leave unhappy after allowing us to show them an evening they didn’t expect.
What does "really good service" mean to you?
Really good service to me isn’t limited to the guest experience. It can be service, offering the delivery driver bringing us product water (or a La Croix on a hot day). It also means service to coworkers: helping one get their work completed if we finish ours first, clearing or resetting a table, big picture stuff that never stops during a shift.
This type of service has a ripple effect that will only positively impact our service to our guests. Anticipating a guest’s need before they even know it, or going the extra mile to acknowledge a special occasion when it wasn’t even noted in reservation notes, really good service begins before the guest walks in our doors and doesn’t stop once they leave.
How are you able to keep the team calm?
We talk a lot! Everyone is different. Someone just might need to be asked if they’re alright, and if I can help. Others may just need a snack. Being a parent to a toddler has really helped me with keeping calm in high stress environments.
What is the biggest misconception about your role?
I think the biggest misconception is that decisions are made in a vacuum. In reality, It’s quite the opposite. My partner, Jason, and I discuss issues regarding the restaurant with the whole team and take their thoughts and feelings into account. After all, we couldn’t do what we’re doing without the rest of the team buying-in. They’re the reason we’re here and it’s to their credit that Giant has been the success it is.
