FOHcus: Not To Be Missed This Week on FohBoh

If you are in a rush and want to make the most of your time on FohBoh, be sure to check out the most active members and hottest content this week. FohBoh is a deep community. If you're like most of us in the foodservice industry, time is precious. Scroll down to see what should not be missed.

If you have a second, though, please read on.

A few months ago, we talked a bit about what it takes to build community. To revisit, all the pushing in the world won't make a group of people interact. They have to want it, too. As an industry, foodservice folk have all the ingredients to create a spectacular online network. Many have said it here on FohBoh, but it's worth repeating. The opportunity to connect people who are passionate and driven, to give one another a platform to share ideas and become inspired, will completely reshape how we approach this industry. Our guests are already way, way ahead of us. They are blogging about their dining experiences, leaving reviews, using mobile check ins to declare their presence at their favorite eateries, and consuming vast amounts of online media that caters to their passion.

Their activity and level of engagement is spectacular in both size and frequency. Where is the restaurant industry's response? The National Restaurant Association, whose stated goal 'is to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation, enhancing the quality of life
for all we serve', hasn't even articulated their position on social media. Where's this industry's Marshall Plan or the Apollo Program to launch a social media strategy that connects all stakeholders?

You guessed it. There right here, at FohBoh, operating as an Internet start up.

FohBoh has taken an ambitious leap into this new frontier. We've spent more time and resources than we'd care to admit noodling the challenge of fitting the various pieces of the foodservice puzzle together in a way that makes sense and keeps the conversation flowing. The future is clear to us: a dynamic network of foodservice professionals that are socially connected and web-literate will do tremendous things. It will increase employee morale through improved food and beverage knowledge (the Internet takes learning to a whole new level). It will facilitate job search by giving both stakeholders an equal chance to vet one another (a Linkedin profile can tell an employer more about a recruit than a resume ever could, and an online community that reflects the business culture and vision can give a job seeker the chance to explore a potential placement). It will increase the flow rate of information that allows you, a business owner, to make intelligent choices about products and services. It will give you incredibly powerful tools that enable you to monitor and respond to your guest's online conversation regarding your brand.

This, and so much more, will allow all of us to examine this industry from various vantage points, something that's never before been possible, at least not on this grand a scale. If this is important to you, show your support by introducing your industry colleagues to FohBoh, and the concept of restaurant social media.

So, again, FohBoh has stuck its foot way out and deep into the waters. Care to join us?