The Cost of Craft

[Craft - XI]

What the chef’s name behind the massive steak at Outback Steakhouse?
Who’s working the soft-serve machine at Dairy Queen?
Who assembled my egg sandwich for my Embassy Sweets continental breakfast?

In large, efficient systems, names only matter for bureaucratic protocol. (And it’s less about the name and more about the nametag above the left pocket, as part of the uniform.)

The person behind the nametag that reads Johnny or Juan doesn’t matter. Only consistency, uniformity, and the mirage of hospitality. Anonymity matters more. The system matters more.

The person behind the filet at the winery or the artisan duck dish at the farm-to-table meal matter. Not their nametag, but the person. There are no bureaucratic barriers. There's no “system" to uphold. Only excellence.

The chef’s reputation is on the line.
The diner’s experience is on the line.
Everyone’s relationship to good food is on the line.

And it costs.

Craft costs the craftsman in vulnerability.
And craft cost the consumer in price.