Page 20 - MENU Magazine - Jan/Feb 2018

MAIN COURSE
20 MENU
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018
Dispensing
with the notion of
us vs them
We’re all in the same industry boat. Influencers like Trevor Lui show us how to help one another stay afloat—together—in turbulent waters.
BY STACEY NEWMAN
If there is a person who embodies the title of positive disruptor in food- service, it’s Trevor Lui. Lui has spent his career over the last 20 years (and counting) in hospitality. He has worked in every part of the house: for hotels, casinos, restaurants, in catering and convention centres. He is a consultant to major brands.
Trevor Lui knows his stuff. More than that, Lui is referred to by his peers as an all-around nice guy, and a staunch advo- cate for restaurateurs in Canada. He’s worn just about every hat in hospitality, from dishwashing to cook to building business strategies. Lui believes in building bridges within the industry. He has consulted in governmental affairs projects regarding the legislation that surrounds restaurants and foodservice operations in Canada. Influ-
encers like him are arguably our industry’s greatest-but-underutilized resources.
Lui especially wants independent owners to understand that legislation is paramount in this business. Mismanaging or ignoring legislation will hurt your busi- ness—this is an inevitability. Yet too many owner/operators seem to be heedless or outright unaware when it comes to the laws surrounding operations. “There is an overwhelming myth out there that restau- rant owners are rolling in dough. Most independent owners would scoff at this notion. It’s a wonder—with the long hours and the slim margins—that anyone choos- es to operate an independent restaurant at all. Independents need help.”
Lui also takes on the media for conflat- ing issues around legislation—such as Bill 12, or minimum wage—and industry dis- cussions. There are operators that have engaged in bad practices and Lui has no problem with them being called out. Op- erators must take responsibility for their operations, for what they do and how they treat their employees, and this starts with education. Mishandling operations hurts not only staff who are directly affected but also the industry as a whole. Lui makes no bones about this. He also makes a point of calling out the treatment of restau- rateurs in the media. Take the minimum wage discussion. Too often portrayals of restaurateurs being “opposed” to a living
Photo by Stacey Newman Photography