Cecil Rajendra, director of food & beverage at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, has lived, studied, and worked in hospitality in three continents. Each brings a valuable contribution to the art of hospitality. A blend of the three is the ideal.

HFBE: You have lived, studied, and worked in Asia, Europe, and the United States. How did those experiences affect your philosophy toward hospitality?
Cecil Rajendra: I was born in Sri Lanka and attended a five-year hotel management school there where I earned the “best student” award. As a result, I was sent to Switzerland for two years where I studied hotel management and worked in hotels in Switzerland and Germany—focusing on food & beverage. I then went back to Sri Lanka as an F&B director for three different hotels. Interestingly, in Sri Lanka 80 percent of the tourists are European, and many of the chefs there are German and Swiss. I came to the United States in 1984. Through these experiences, I learned multiple approaches and worked in all disciplines of hospitality.

HFBE: Compare the different approaches to hospitality in the three continents.
CR: In Sri Lanka, service is exceptional—truly service with a smile. But in Asia the wages are low, and you can afford to have four servers to one [server] here. In Europe, the emphasis is on the technical aspects of hospitality. The focus in the United States is on profitability. But you can’t achieve revenues without the other two.

HFBE: Having been at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel for 14 months, you are still in the process of making changes and building the food & beverage program.Where is your current focus?
CR: I’m trying to increase social events on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I want to capture groups for awards dinners, for example. We brought in an expert, David Hall, as director of catering to help in this area.

HFBE: What are you specifically offering in food & beverage to attract these groups?
CR: Aside from excellent service and culinary offerings, we’re focusing on what’s uniquely local. We’re incorporating cheese steaks and pretzels, for example, into our menus. We are also doing beer flights, five different styles from local breweries served in three-ounce glasses. They might include stout, ale, American lager, pilsner, and a full-bodied beer similar to Budweiser. We have a wine-by-the glass program. And we offer specialty cocktails for the different groups we host, such as the MetLife Breeze created for the MetLife group.

HFBE: What about training? Are there different challenges now than when you started?
CR: First, Loews won’t let anyone start until they are thoroughly trained in all aspects of service ... and they are retrained ... and retrained. But a fluctuating labor market is always a huge challenge. Attitude is the most important thing to me. But another thing that is important is life balance. Many young people today are afraid of this business becasue they fear long hours at the expense of a personal life. I make sure my people work mostly eight-hour days, five days a week. My managers work a 10-hour shift and get two days off a week. I feel if you have to work long hours it’s because you haven’t managed your job or department well. It’s necessary to work smarter. People also need to be empowered and not fear making mistakes.

HFBE: What is your attitude about revenues?
CR: I believe you can’t cut expenses when revenues are low. You generate revenues by increasing standards—and repeat customers. When revenues are high, you can cut the excess. Building relationships and taking care of customers needs increases business volume. The key tools are planning, pro-activeness, and friendly service.

HFBE: Again, what are the defining characteristics of Asian, European, and U.S. hospitality?
CR: Asian: a genuine smile. You can’t force or teach someone to smile. That’s why a naturally friendly attitude is so important. You must say “hello,” use the guest’s name, be sincere.

European: Technicality. Things are done a certain way, such as food prep, setting the table, making sure standards are maintained, coming with the basics already ingrained.

United States: A blend of service and technicalities. The emphasis is on profitability.