Growing up in the foodservice industry has its perks. Some of those perks are better than others.
For example, as a child, I thought every family had a staff photographer. Later in life, I’ve learned that Total Food Service’s publisher, Fred Klashman, just follows everyone in this business around with his camera and treats them like family.
Just like many of you, Total Food Service has been a staple in my life for a very long time. However, I am thrilled to formally join the TFS family with the start of a monthly column that offers you a taste of my life in the food service industry under the bright lights of New York City.
Most people in this business have a love of food. My love affair with food and hospitality began well before my journey to Ithaca, NY where I attended the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. However, on your first day as a “hotelie” each student reads the words of E.M. Statler in a quote that eloquently describes how I choose to live my life in this business.
“Life is service – the one who progresses is the one who gives his fellow men a little more – a little better service.”
Earlier this summer I started a new branch of Singer NY, LLC: Little M Tucker, the namesake for this column. My goal is to invite you into my world of giving and receiving superior service. I continue to reinvent myself every day as I have the unique opportunity to work with some of the world’s most enlightened service professionals. I will highlight industry events I attend locally, nationally, and internationally, discuss trends, noteworthy projects and industry news, and give you insight into the authority of chefs and restaurateurs in my life.
Beyond the openings, events, and shows, I love the emotion and personalization of hospitality and I hope to be able to convey this to each of you. I’m also a bit afraid to expose my prose, but isn’t that what great hospitality does? It welcomes you to be comfortable and vulnerable at the same time.
The StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress was held in Brooklyn, NY last month with the theme of Cooking Honest: The Power of Authenticity in the Ktitchen. Whether watching the new bittersweet documentary, American Wine Story, reading Dan Barber’s insightful The Third Plate, or seeing the inventive agricultural practices at Mountain Sweet Berry Farm firsthand, I am moved by our great sommeliers’, chefs’, and farmers’ abilities to elevate sustainable education, implement change locally, and teach us how to do something that has permanence with honestly.
Each presenter at ICC was carefully selected based on their dedication and commitment to authenticity and innovation. I am excited to share personal highlights from the show in my next column.
And while the team at Star Chefs has completely redefined what a trade show entails, it’s also nice to go back to our roots at the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show where our company has been participating for close to 50 years. If we haven’t met, please stop by and introduce yourself. I would love to meet you November 9-11th at the Javits Convention Center. I’ll be at Booth #1637.
After graduating with honors from the prestigious Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 2007, Morgan worked for New York’s most celebrated restaurateurs at Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group and Steve Hanson’s BR Guest Restaurant Group, before beginning her journey at M. Tucker. After 5 years in her family business, Morgan currently overseas the largest and most successful distribution sales team in the country, passionately servicing Manhattan’s hottest operations.
In 2012 Ms. Tucker was awarded the highest honor in her industry, Foodservice Equipment and Supplies Magazines DSR of the Year. Tucker is regularly interviewed as an expert on tabletop trends and NYC’s rising stars and was most recently selected as the Foodservice Equipment Distributor Associations Next Generation Leader of 2013. She is a member of the New York City Hospitality Group, The New York City Hospitality Alliance, and The Partridge Invitation Foundation.
