Chef David Turin makes it his business to create opportunities for employees to advance
Photo / Jim Neuger
Chef David Turin at David's on Monument Square in Portland.
Chef David Turin owns David's and David's Opus Ten restaurants in Portland, and David's 388 in South Portland. Turin has been a mentor for aspiring chefs and says he's always intereseted in creating opportunities for his employees to advance. Another restaurant is 'likely,' he says.
Mainebiz caught up with him recently. An edited transcript follows.
Mainebiz: How do you manage to run three restaurants?
David Turin: I am asked that frequently. The secret is that I have incredible people on my team. I've learned that when you empower people to do their work, they do it better. I trust people to do their jobs and I don't micromanage.
MB: You are involved in the community, including as a judge in the ProStart high school culinary contest — why is that important to you?
DT: The community I live in, and ProStart specifically, are very dear to my heart for many reasons. First, it's my community, it's been very generous to me and I care about it a lot. It has never occurred to me to not be involved. Also I honestly believe that if someone isn't part of a solution, then they're part of a problem, so I get involved in everything I can. Regarding ProStart — I believe that this is a tremendous way to help young people find their way in our industry. Someone did it for me and now I want to do it for someone else.
MB: What are the workforce issues in the state's food service industry?
DT: I think the workforce is a serious challenge in our industry and I don't believe that there is a single solution. First and most important, the industry needs to challenge itself to be sure that food service careers are worth having so we retain the workers we already have. Better work hours, better benefits, like health, dental, vacation and sick pay, and higher wages certainly would be a start. Some places are working with tuition reimbursement programs and other perks that would help. Maine really needs seasonal workers through programs like H2-B as well. It's great to see hospitality and culinary education getting more attention in state universities and colleges, but we need much more attention and funding for that. Hospitality is a huge industry in Maine and should be represented better in schools, from high schools right through college.
MB: You are a proponent of zero food waste in kitchens — how is that achieved?
DT: First and most important is simple — just use it! Don't throw it away! Some of my best recipes are things that use a biproduct of something else. It's not an original idea — that's where charcuterie originated.
MB: Do you think restaurant portions are too large?
DT: Most restaurant portions are too big, but I see that changing, It has for us. I can't say how all restaurants gauge the portion size they use, but for us, the goal is 'just enough.' We are not the restaurant where we want people to take home half their dinner as a leftover for lunch the next day.
MB: How is business, and do you plan to open any new restaurants?
DT: 2017 was strong and we're off to a really great 2018. Some of our year-on-year numbers have been way up so far this year. Regarding the future, I have some ideas and I'm always interested in creating opportunity for our team members to advance. We have very little staff turnover, so the only way to continue to offer advancement is to grow. So another restaurant is likely.
MB: You publish recipes on your website; aren't you afraid people will make it at home instead of eating out?
DT: I'm not worried about that at all. I think publishing recipes results in people visiting us more frequently and it makes for really fun table talk when I visit a guest's table who has made a dish. It keeps me on my toes, too. I published one where I listed an ingredient that I didn't use in the method section and a guest called me out on the mistake!
MB: You surf. Isn't it kind of cold in Maine?
DT: Yes it's very cold, but beaches are much less crowded.
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