Sloane Emden had been a general manager at one of our Phoenix-based Angry Crab Shack restaurants for less than two years when COVID-19 forced his location to close to in-store dining. Yet, in the face of unfavorable circumstances, a new opportunity was about to come knocking on Sloane’s door.
Once Angry Crab Shack Director of Franchise Operations Eric Kardon caught a glimpse of Sloane’s culinary experience, he reached out to offer him a job as the corporate chef.
For Sloane, it was the perfect opportunity to help enhance and standardize our menu so guests can enjoy an elevated Angry Crab Shack experience – no matter which location they visit.
A Holistic Understanding of the Food and Beverage Industry
Cooking has always played a large role in Sloane’s life. Starting back in the early 1990s, Sloane spent nearly 13 years working his way up the chain of command in restaurants – progressing from line cook to chef.
He gained experience in different restaurants, adding different cuisines to his repertoire before deciding to take a break from the restaurant space and transitioning into warehousing and product distribution.
However, after he moved to Maui, Hawaii, Sloane rediscovered his love of food and jumped back into the restaurant industry, ultimately making his way to a general manager position at Angry Crab Shack.
Executing the Perfect Dish through Consistency
In order to assist each member of our staff across all 12 Angry Crab Shack restaurants, Sloane decided to refine our recipe file so that everyone – from novice to seasoned chef – is able to create a consistently delicious dish.
No detail was left out, from the exact water in which the seafood is boiled to the brand new equipment section – there’s no confusion as to what’s required for each dish. Not only did Sloane refine the recipe file, but he also added high-quality photos and videos accessible through the cloud.
“We started with our base recipes and compiled them into two-minute videos that covered every step of the cooking process, including instructions on cutting, measuring and plating,” explained Sloane. “We’re trying to give everybody as many tools as possible so they can help lead us to success.”
Presenting Perfection
However, consistency across locations wasn’t the only thing Sloane worked to refine. Thanks to his extensive culinary knowledge, Sloane understands that presentation of each dish is just as important – no matter if the order is dine-in or carryout.
He redesigned where everything sits on the plate or in its to-go container, from garnishes, sauce, the fries and more – ensuring guests will receive a feast for the eyes.
“Presentation is everything – everyone eats with their eyes first,” said Sloane. “If we don’t create something that wows them, they lose interest right away, no matter how tasty the dish actually is.”
The Angry Crab Shack Experience: To-Go Style
Angry Crab Shack is well-known for how fresh and flavorful our seafood dishes are, but in the middle of a global pandemic, we needed to make sure we could still pack a delicious punch – even if it’s being served from a carryout container.
Instead of continuing to use Styrofoam, Sloane swapped them out for containers with a perforated, clear top that features vent holes to stop the cooking process with a black bottom. Not only do these new containers keep food from overcooking on its way from the car to the kitchen table, but they also keep fries crispy in transit and still retain heat, even with vent holes in the top.
While these changes are subtle, they’re still incredibly important to continue to serve our incredible dishes to our communities. And Sloane isn’t quite done – he’s still got future improvements on his mind, including revamping our catering packages, tweaking our dessert offerings and adding fried appetizers – all so our customers can keep tasting the flavors of our Asian-Cajun-style spices and fresh seafood, no matter where they are.
