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Welcome to FOH Files

If you've ever worked a double shift on three hours of sleep, trained a new server mid rush, or tried to unclog a sink while pretending everything's fine at table 12, this blog is for you.  I'm HW Giovanni Fox, I have been in the hospitality industry for over a decade, managing restaurants across Los Angeles county and working as a consultant to help restaurants and cafes improve their service.  I started FOH Files because I wanted to share what really happens behind the scenes and how we can do better. Too often the people doing the hardest work are also the most overlooked and that has to change.

FOH stands for "Front of House", the part of the restaurant or cafe that guests see and interact with.  It includes servers, hosts, bartenders and anyone else making sure guests have a positive experience.  FOH is where hospitality lives and breathes.  When it runs smoothly, guests feel cared for and welcome but when it breaks down, even great food can't save the experience.  That's why this blog focuses on the real, everyday challenges that affect how we serve people and how we treat the teams doing that work.

This blog isn't about making things look perfect, nor is it a highlight reel of viral latte art or perfectly choreographed service moments.  This is a space to talk honestly about the hard stuff like why bad service isn't just a "staff problem", why hospitality has to come from the top down and how we can create better systems for both teams and guests.  Everything I write here comes from real experience managing teams and fixing the chaos behind the counter. I've seen firsthand how leadership decisions impact the guest experience, for better or worse.

Whether you're a barista, server, manager or just curious about how the industry works, I hope you find something useful.  My goal is to give practical tips, share real stories, and create space for conversation.  Hospitality should be about connection, not just with guests but within out teams too. The way you treat your team behind the scenes shows up in how they treat your guests, every time.  

FOH Reality Check: How Many of These Have You Seen?

  1. Been asked to train someone mid rush with no heads up
  2. Got blamed for a bad review with zero follow up or support
  3. Had a "team meeting" that was really just a list of complaints
  4. Covered a shift without so much as a thank you
  5. Felt proud of your service even when no one noticed

If you identified with any of these instances, this blog is for you.  Let's fix what's broken and celebrate what's working.

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