September 14, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Hiller takes a bite out of restaurant consulting
by MELISSA HUNSBERGER

Tonya plans to go hog wild as a restaurant consultant. (Photo by Marjorie Hirshorn)

Early in 1995 Philadelphia Magazine published an article called Walnut Street vs. Main Street that piqued the interest of a Temple University student and led to a life-changing decision for Tonya Breslow, 39. The article depicted a comparison between restaurants in the two areas. Both had excellent chefs and were known for their attention to service. At the time Breslow was working at the Korman Suites, but it was merely a way to earn money. She was about to make a bold move, which would eventually lead her to an entrepreneurship.

Looking back, Breslow describes her first big decision as somewhat unbelievable. “Then one day, it sounds like a fairy tale, an issue of Philadelphia Magazine comes out and on the cover was Derek Davis back to back with Alison Barshak,” says Breslow. At the time Derek Davis was the executive chef/owner of Kansas City Prime, and Alison Barshak was the newest chef at Striped Bass. Weekend reservations were coveted at these high-profile restaurants.

Even though she majored in psychology and Russian, Breslow enjoyed the restaurant business, but hated not knowing exactly what she was doing. So one day on her way home from the Korman Suites, still in her uniform and with the Philadelphia Magazine in the back seat of her Honda, she stopped by Kansas City Prime and looked for Derek Davis based on the photo from the article. Upon meeting him, Breslow asked for a job and was eventually hired as a hostess. Her many responsibilities as a hostess led her to an interest in management.

After spending nearly two years at Kansas City Prime, one of Breslow’s managers invited her to work in a new restaurant in Chester Springs called American Bar and Grill as manager. She was flattered by the new opportunity. Around the same time the teaching bug hit and Breslow knew she eventually wanted to share her knowledge of the business with others. Breslow stayed only through the opening of the restaurant because the concept changed, which she says happens a lot. “It’s a really transient business in terms of staff turning over and ideas changing,” says Breslow. From there she transitioned to Restaurant Taquet in Wayne on the Main Line

Restaurant Taquet chef/owner Jean-Francois Taquet had a reputation for being a tough, very demanding boss. Breslow says she knew how to be a manager but wanted to learn from someone like him. She was up for the challenge, and Taquet liked her ideas and built her confidence. Breslow says she would probably still be there today had other opportunities not presented themselves.

She remained at Restaurant Taquet for a year as the manager before she was asked to help with the opening of Brassier Perrier in Center City. From there she moved on to Savona in Gulph Mills, which afforded her an opportunity to become more wine savvy. She remained there for nine months.

To the average restaurant patron, it may seem like Breslow‘s managing career consisted of a lot of moves between many restaurants. But according to Breslow, the turnover rate is quite high in this business. “Wow, if you were there for a year that’s like good in restaurant terms. It’s like dog years, with one year being like seven years.”

Her next move was to Rouge, also in Center City, where she answered an ad regarding a general manager position. Breslow says that she enjoyed learning what was happening in different restaurants. “There is a way of approaching service that’s important to all restaurants that they maintain on a certain level, but how you package it can be the fun part,” says Breslow.

Working as a restaurant manager was taking up a large portion of her time, and after a year at Rouge, Breslow decided she would have to make a career change. She was expecting her first child, and a minimum 65-hour workweek would no longer be manageable.

“It’s like having another child when you manage a restaurant; if you take your job seriously, it’s very hard,” Breslow says.

Tonya began working at the Hirshorn Company in Chestnut Hill and stayed there for four-and-a-half years. Although she says she loved working there (in the insurance business), she hated possessing so much restaurant knowledge and experience and not being able to use it. While away from the business, Breslow was hired on the side to do a bit of consulting in local restaurants where she saw a need for refinement. For about five years Breslow dabbled in the consulting business. Then in January of this year, she began devoting herself full-time to starting her own business as a restaurant consultant. Breslow officially opened her doors in the beginning of August.

Mis en Place, the name of her business, is a reference to an old restaurant term used primarily in fine dining. Breslow describes it as such. “I know that this person has an espresso coming, I better make sure there’s a sugar caddy on the table. Mis en place means to ‘put in place,’ to ‘prepare for what’s to come.’”

Breslow says the business is evolving everyday. She has sent out 200 mailers to restaurants in Philadelphia and the suburbs. She is primarily targeting chef/owner- operated restaurants. “I really like the little guy,” she insists.

She envisions a client list made up of BYOBs and chef/owner-operated establishments with the possibility of hiring a few additional consultants. “I guess I see it growing. I mean I can’t believe the response in just four weeks. It’s crazy,” says Breslow.

Her philosophy as a restaurant consultant is that you shouldn’t try to change the style of a restaurant; instead, a consultant should try to improve what’s already there. She looks forward to the challenge and says, “I figure why have an idea and not act on it? If I give it my all, and if it fails, I’m honestly not gonna feel bad for it. I’ll feel worse if I don’t try.”

Breslow enjoys teaching. She likes going into a restaurant that she feels needs help by teaching elements of service, which can range from how to clear a table to serving a glass of wine. These may seem like basic tasks, but there’s an art to it that owners don’t always teach because they are so overwhelmed by other obligations. Servers need to learn not to be intrusive yet still be aware of guests’ needs.

“I teach people to have vision,” says Breslow, who has made it her mission to see that the basics of food and service are not overlooked. Breslow runs Mis en Place out of her home in Chestnut Hill and can be contacted at 215-247-4203.