hey are the blood that flows through the veins of any hotel with a significant food and beverage program. Without them, supplies, equipment, and banquet meals would rarely get to their destinations on time. They are also among the most unappreciated employees at a property, even though most front-of-thehouse glory is impossible without them.

They are the stewards. And few people understand their importance better than Dave Hardy. He’s been the executive steward at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center for 15 years, and his job includes supporting banquet functions for up to 9,000 people in the world’s largest pillarless ballroom (150,000 square feet) and keeping 18 food and beverage outlets (10 restaurants, 8 bars) stocked daily.

Before joining the Orlando World Center Marriott, Hardy spent 30 years in the Air Force, and he says the attention to detail required in the military prepared him for the logistics of running a stewarding department.

“It’s a perfect fit for me, and I love every second of it. I know this property like the back of my hand. I live, breathe, and sleep stewarding.”

With that level of dedication, Hardy has more than a few ideas about how a successful stewarding program should operate and how any property can eliminate some common obstacles.

THE “5 P” PRINCIPLE
Hardy’s perspective on stewarding begins with what he calls the “5 P” principle: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.

“You need to be 100 percent focused and look at the total picture around you,” says Hardy. “My job as executive steward is to support every single department in our hotel and ensure everybody’s success.”

However, Hardy says the “5 Ps” are meaningless unless every steward understands the department’s role as the back-of-the-house backbone.

A GLOBAL STAFF
“I tell my people nobody can do it without us. We put the systems and procedures in place, and if we respect our workers to execute the plan, we won’t have many problems,” Hardy says.

It’s not always as easy as it sounds, because stewarding departments tend to be a melting pot of languages and cultures. Hardy says he has people from as many as six different nations working for him on any day.

This can lead to communication issues, especially when time is critical, like transporting meals from a plate-up in the kitchen to guests in the ballroom. Since English is a second language for many stewards, Hardy says a patient approach to conveying information is key, especially under stress. He says it’s a tactic that works because his associate survey scores are among the highest at his hotel.

“I can’t use the same language when I talk to my people that I use when I’m talking to the GM. I have to rephrase and put it on their level,” says Hardy.

“We can’t lose our cool. If we do, then our employees’ attitudes will not be good, and that results in not having 100 percent effort going to our guests.”

CULINARY CONNECTION
Communication with the culinary team is another factor that can make or break the back of the house. At some properties, culinary might view stewarding as the bottom of the pecking order and not treat them with the same respect they reserve for other departments.

However, stewarding and culinary are part of an interconnected chain that comes apart quickly if teamwork isn’t the goal.

“If a cook doesn’t have a clean pot and a guest gets sick, it’s going to come right back to that cook first. The culinary team has to understand that stewarding is their support. If you have one foodborne illness, you’re immediately going to lose a general manager, an executive chef, and an executive steward,” says Hardy.

CLEAN STREAK
How many hotels can handle 10 to 15 unannounced back-of-the-house walk-throughs each month? Hardy says that’s what happens at the Orlando World Center Marriott, mostly from curious guests. But instead of worrying, he welcomes it, because he has instilled a “clean streak” into his staff.

“When you walk the back of our hotel, every copper pipe under the sink is polished. That’s our standard. When guests look under a sink, they see a copper pipe. But when I look under a sink, I’m still looking for any dirt that may be along those walls. That’s our difference,” Hardy says.

Like many executive stewards, Hardy wears a white lab coat while working. But it’s more than a uniform to him. He says wearing it with a purpose is another way to earn respect from his employees.

“I consider it a reflection of sanitation. It goes back to my military training, where if you want to present a certain image, you have to walk the walk,” Hardy says.

PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE
Stewarding equipment, especially transportation vessels like banquet carts and dish dollies, can take a beating from everyday use. At some properties, repairs might take weeks, depending on a hotel’s budget and staffing.

Hardy’s solution is to designate two of his stewards as the department’s full-time repairmen, constantly monitoring the wear and tear on all inventory.

“I’ve got more than 5,000 pieces of rolling stock, for example. The average piece has four wheels, so that’s 20,000 wheels. There’s no way engineering can keep up with me on maintaining them, so I have two of my own staff handle it,” Hardy says.

Hardy also regularly walks the property to look for bumps in the carpet or defects in the floor that might accelerate the damage to his equipment or hinder the speed of his operation.

NEVER THE SAME DAY TWICE
Overall, Hardy’s advice to other executive stewards is to never lose flexibility.

“We need to be ready to take care of business because it’s going to come in different shapes and different sizes at different times in different forms. Just go with the flow and make it happen.”

Michael Costa is industry relations editor for HOTEL F&B.