{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 26: Peter Merriman - A Humble Approach to Hospitality","description":"Famous chefs don\u2019t become known because of their humility. But as it turns out, their restaurants might. In this episode of the podcast, I spoke with renowned chef Peter Merriman about his unique approach to hospitality in his restaurants. Why is it that a person always feels welcome when they check-in with his hosts? How does Peter motivate his entire staff to entertain like they are \u201cthrowing a party every night,\u201d prepare each and every dish like they are \u201ccooking for their mom,\u201d and consistently go above and beyond to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d for every customer they meet? In this episode, we discuss: Why service matters as much (if not more) than the food What are his \u201cvital few\u201d that he focuses on with staff? The key importance of establishing and maintaining relationships How Peter hires right, then gives his people a chance to shine What it means to focus on the \u201cinternal customers\u201d How those who are served can get the most out of our experience as customers The importance of sustainability, and connecting with the source of our food How customer demand impacts quality The importance of humility to the success of any restaurant Thanks for listening! As always, I appreciate your feedback, and please consider supporting this ad-free podcast by becoming a supporter on Patreon Links and More Info: https:\/\/www.merrimanshawaii.com\/ https:\/\/www.monkeypodkitchen.com\/ PETER\u2019S STORY: Peter Merriman has been as a culinary pioneer in Hawaii for 30 years. Known as the original \u201clocavore\u201d, Peter is a vocal champion of Hawaii\u2019s farmers, ranchers and fishermen. His restaurants showcase island grown and harvested foods through simple preparations that reflect the myriad flavors of Hawaii\u2019s multiculturalism. Dubbed the \u201cPied Piper of Hawaii Regional Cuisine\u201d by The Los Angeles Times, he is a continuing inspiration to Hawaii\u2019s thriving culinary scene.  Early Years  Peter was raised in Pittsburgh, where a passion for food was instilled in him from a young age. His mother, Woodene, was a noted Pittsburgh Post Gazette food writer, and by the time he was 16, he was doing \u201cgrunt work\u201d for Master Chef Ferdinand Metz at the H. J. Heinz Co. (Chef Metz later headed the renowned Culinary Institute of America.)  Pursuing the opportunity to play football, Peter attended The University of Pennsylvania and studied Political Science. After graduation, Merriman enrolled in a three-year Chef's Apprentice Program with RockResorts under the auspices of the American Culinary Federation. The apprenticeship program took Peter to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and to Woodstock, Vermont, where he studied at the Woodstock Inn, under the supervision of Chef Hans Schadler. He then went on to various stints in resort areas across the United States and Europe, including a summer working among the vineyards of France\u2019s Champagne region.  In early 1983, Peter was hired as a cook for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. He arrived in Hawaii with one suitcase and $75 in his pocket thinking he would stay a few months at the most. But he fell in love with the natural beauty of the islands and the rich culture of the people who live there. In 1985, only two years after his arrival, he was appointed Executive Chef of the Mauna Lani Resort\u2019s new Gallery Restaurant.  Chef & Pioneer of Hawaii Regional Cuisine  At his interview for the chef position at The Gallery Restaurant, Peter was asked what type of food he wanted to feature. Without thinking, he said \u201cregional cuisine\u201d and went on to explain how no other restaurants were serving the local fish and produce. Peter believed that to be able to offer fish that was caught the same morning and to use vegetables harvested the day that they were served was essential to providing the best gourmet Hawaii cuisine.  When Peter got the job, he had to deliver on the concept, but quickly discovered there were almost no local products available.  Peter advertised in the newspapers and went out to the farms, ranches and docks to let local producers know he wanted whatever they had.  \u201cWe\u2019re in this together,\u201d he told them, \u201cIf you grow it or catch it, I\u2019ll buy it, and we all succeed.\u201d Pretty soon he had built solid partnerships  and local producers would try to get or grow whatever he needed.  As he began recruiting other chefs to focus on local foods, \u201cHawaii Regional Cuisine\u201d was born with Peter as founding president. Peter says it was just the right thing to do. \u201cWe were able to serve the freshest, most flavorful food at the restaurant. The bonus is that it benefits the local economy while helping to preserve the land and the agrarian way of life.  Merriman\u2019s Restaurants  In 1988, Peter opened his signature upcountry restaurant, Merriman\u2019s, in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawaii. He was proclaimed, "A gourmet in cowboy country" by Hana Hou!, the Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines. The New York Times raved \u201cEverything at Merriman\u2019s\u2026features the freshest local ingredients paired in exciting ways,\u201d and San Francisco Magazine exclaimed \u201cHis Wok-charred Ahi is to die for!\u201d  It was at Merriman\u2019s Waimea that Peter garnered the attention of the James Beard Foundation and as a result, he was a Finalist in the \u201cBest Chef Northwest & Hawaii\u201d category three distinct times.  In 1994, Peter partnered with TS Restaurants to open Hula Grill on Maui\u2019s famed Ka`anapali Beach. Hula Grill, touted \u201cthe best fish house in the islands\u201d by Honolulu Magazine, brought the concepts of Hawaii Regional Cuisine to a beachside setting.  Two more fine dining restaurants were added to the Merriman\u2019s Hawaii group in 2008 and 2009 - Merriman\u2019s Kapalua, on the grounds of the scenic resort on Maui\u2019s West Side, and Merriman\u2019s Fish House in Poipu, Kauai. Downstairs from the fish house, Peter offers casual dining at Merriman\u2019s Gourmet Pizza & Burgers.  In June 2018, Merriman\u2019s Hawaii Group opened for the first time on Oahu, bringing Merriman\u2019s Kaka\u2019ako to Ward Village by Howard Hughes.  In 2011, Peter launched a new venture in casual dining, Handcrafted Restaurants, with restaurateur Bill Terry. Handcrafted Restaurants is a multi-concept restaurant company operating four restaurants across the Hawaiian Islands: Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman in Wailea and Ka\u2019anapali, Maui and Ko Olina Oahu, Moku Kitchen in Kaka\u2019ako, Oahu, and the Beach House in Poipu, Kauai.  ","author_name":"Purpose in the Process","author_url":"http:\/\/www.shilohcoleman.com","html":"