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Guest Speaker Daniel Stern Shares Secrets of Restaurant Success
By Julie Achilles
“For a guy who just wanted to play around in the kitchen, now I sure have a full plate!”
laughed Daniel Stern, Philadelphia restaurateur and guest lecturer at Temple’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM). On Nov. 5, 2008, Stern visited two introductory STHM classes and spoke to students about his experiences in the restaurant industry.
A native of South Jersey, Stern is the full-time owner and executive chef of the restaurants Rae, located downtown in the Cira Centre next to 30th Street Station, and Gayle, part of Queen Village near South Street. He also owns and manages the catering business, Dining, Different.
Although Stern graduated college with a BA in Asian and Religious Studies, he’d always had a passion for cooking. “I needed to do something that kept me interested and that I enjoyed learning about,” he said. After living in Japan for a year and trying teacher’s college at Columbia University, Stern decided to give the restaurant business a shot. “I was very lucky to have supportive friends and family,” he said.
Working for free to gain experience, Stern climbed his way up the ladder and eventually landed jobs with the prominent chef Rocco DiSpirito and the St. Regis Hotel. He traveled to Washington, D.C., California and Maine before deciding to come home to Philadelphia and accept the position of executive chef at the well-known French restaurant, Le Bec-Fin.
Speaking to the classrooms of aspiring tourism, hospitality and restaurant managers, Stern explained, “I don’t tell you this because I like to talk about myself, but because it’s about passion, ambition and determination. This industry can take you all sorts of places.”
Admitting that entrepreneurship involves a certain amount of risk, Stern reminded students to keep working hard and learning from each experience. “If it’s really what you love to do, if you’re willing to look at the big picture, if you can set goals for yourself, it will be easier and worth it in the end,” he concluded.
Now that he has two restaurants of his own, Stern is more involved in the everyday business operations than in cooking, but enjoys the excitement and challenge of working in the city. “I’ve become part of the community and it feels important to give back,” he said.
One way in which Rae and Gayle give back to the community is by offering internship opportunities to Temple students. “Stern is a restaurateur who’s committed to developing strong relationships and connections with STHM students,” commented Greg DeShields, senior director of corporate relations for STHM.
Although work keeps him busy, Stern’s family remains close; Rae is named after Stern’s grandmother who inspired many of his dishes, while Gayle commemorates his wife. These restaurants have certainly created a name for themselves, not only in Philadelphia, but nation-wide. Rae was named one of the country’s “Best New Restaurants of 2007” by Esquire magazine, and in June 2006, Gayle was ranked one of “The Nation’s Top 10 Hottest New Restaurants” by Bon Appetit.
STHM student David Cohen commented on his own personal experience at Rae, applauding not only the food, but also the exceptional service and helpful staff. “Now that’s what makes me want to go back to a restaurant,” he said.
Concluding his presentation, Stern summed up the continual gratification he receives from working in the restaurant industry. “There’s no better feeling in the world than taking someone out of their day for a few hours and making them feel like they’re on vacation, like they can forget all their problems.”