Employee Highlights: Scot Romoser
For this edition of the Employee Highlights series, we sat down with Scot Romoser to learn more about where he sees the industry in 10 years, what aspect of foodservice will never go away, and other important questions. Join us and meet Scot!
What is your favorite part about working in the foodservice industry?
I love all the interpersonal relationships that I have made. From the end users, to the Manufacturers and their local Reps, I have gotten to know so many wonderful people. I ran into someone that I knew from my Red Sage days recently that I cooked at the James Beard house with. It was so great to catch up. I have so many customers that rely on my expertise to make sure they get the best and proper equipment, and I get treated like family for it. I have so many partners in the industry that I count on. These are priceless to me.
Where do you see the industry headed in the next 10 years?
Automation will be everywhere in the industry. We already sell a machine that can make 100 perfect pizzas in an hour with only 3% food waste and a robot that can be a hostess and food runner (and work every shift). This is only going to accelerate over the next ten years. Labor costs are going to be a driving factor in this. Combi ovens are going to replace the standard convection oven because you put in the food with a probe, touch a couple of buttons, and the food comes out perfectly. What won’t change is personal service. This industry will always be about that human touch that makes all the difference.
What is your favorite dining experience in the Washington, D.C. area?
I have had so many local chefs make me outstanding meals that this is a tough question, but I’ll go with L’Auberge Chez François. It’s an incredible setting in Great Falls with impeccable service. The escargot melted in my mouth. The outstanding Bouillabaisse has been on the menu since it opened 70 years ago. There is a reason they have been around that long.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Anything outside. Being outdoors gives me a sense of peace, especially after a long day in the office. I hike, ski, coach soccer, surf, and swim. My wife and I met at the beach and our shared love of nature has helped us stay together all these years. We passed this on to our children, also, who are now avid outdoors people.
Tell us about the most memorable meal you’ve ever had.
All the wonderful meals that I had growing up kind of meld into one good happy feeling. Because of this, I’m picking a family dinner we had in Portugal at my neighbor’s mom’s house. Everything we had in Portugal was delicious, and we tried so many new things (snails and barnacles anyone?). What made the meal so memorable was that my good friend’s entire family showed up to greet and eat with us. Euginia’s cooking was amazing, as always, and she made us many very traditional everyday menu items. The 22 of us had such a great time. My daughter thought it was so great as tourists to experience a true local meal that we never would have had otherwise.
Thank you, Scot. We appreciate your expertise; thank you for sharing it with us in the Alto-Hartley Employee Highlights series.