In the world of restaurant service, there are woefully few John Jordans. The manager of Elsa’s on the Park is known for his above-and-beyond approach to service. We’re talking the red-carpet treatment, setting the tone for the front-of-house staff at the Downtown establishment known for expertly crafted cocktails and upscale bar food. Jordan says his philosophy is a culmination of years of enhancing the customer experience (at American TV, Grand Appliance and others) and knowing it’s about, simply, making people feel special. He shared his insights with MilMag:
You don’t have a food and beverage industry background. What drew you to Elsa’s?
In my previous jobs, I was the how-do-I-make-this-right-for-the-client person. It was actually a friend [who] said, “Hey, you know you’ve been going down there for over 30 years ordering those cocktails two to three times a week, you might as well take the job.” I said, “What job?” He said, “Manager.” I went down to interview, and they asked me, “What do you know about hospitality?” I said, “I don’t know a damn thing. The truth is I am customer service. I have dealt with customer service so much in my life – what I want and what I think is meaningful to people. I think I can bring that to your company. And I think I can take us to the next level with our staffing and educate our youth on what hospitality is.”
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
What makes good service?
I want to be spoiled when I go out. If I’m spending that money, I’m paying you to give me service. So that’s what we do. Always make sure [patrons] have everything they need, allow them to sit back, relax and enjoy the festivities of what we serve. When [owner] Karl [Kopp] sees me, [sometimes] he’s like, “John, you’re doing a lot. You know you don’t need to do that.” But I want [the front-of-house staff] to see.
What do you think makes Elsa’s special?
My first time there, I had just turned 21. Karl met me at the door. “Welcome to Elsa’s on the Park.” He walked me to my seat, sat me down – talk about someone who sets an example for others to follow. He is the machine; he is the essence of what you call perfection. Meeting him, I felt welcome. And then, the staff – you don’t look for a therapist or psychologist or anything, but the bartenders are always interesting, and they engage with you.
How do you educate your younger front-of-house staff?
I want them to understand there’s nothing that I will ask them to do [that] I won’t do. If they see me doing it, this should be contagious. If they see a fork dropping, I want [them] to be able to catch it before it hits the floor. That level of attention.
