Why Essential Hospitality Solutions?

Essential Hospitality Solutions deploys industry best practices to provide convenient and affordable food & beverage team development, management support, and HR consulting services to make you and your team more successful.

​

Founder and CEO John Dufault, CEC, CCM, SHRM-CP began Essential Hospitality Solutions after retiring from a successful and well rounded 30-plus year career in the hospitality industry.  Over the path of his career, John has worked as an ACF culinary apprentice, Sous Chef, Executive Chef, multi-unit Restaurant Owner/Operator, Clubhouse Manager, Food & Beverage Director, Assistant General Manager, and General Manager.  John has led teams at a number of dynamic, highly regarded hospitality operations around New England including Tatnuck Country Club (Executive Chef), The Firehouse Café and Nantucket Seafood (Operating Partner), Mount Pleasant Country Club (Clubhouse Manager), The Country Club of Darien (Assistant GM/Director of Food & Beverage), Vermont National Country Club (General Manager), and Eastward Ho! Country Club (General Manager).  John received his formal training and education from Boston University, Johnson & Wales University, and the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and has earned credentials as a Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation, Certified Club Manager through the Club Management Association of America, and Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) through the Society for Human Resource Management.  John is a long time member of the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and has served as President of the ACF/Greater Worcester Chef’s & Cooks Association. 

​

Essential Hospitality Solutions exists primarily to solve one of the most relatable challenges owners, operators, and managers face today; to fill the gap between identifying and hiring team members who have "it" - that intangible quality that makes someone right for the hospitality industry in general as well as the unique culture and values of your organization - and ensuring that those employees have been formally trained and tested in the essential and truly foundational components of their jobs.  This is a challenge that has become especially acute for seasonal operations due to the significant turnover rates that have become increasingly prevalent in our industry.

​

Training, mentoring, and developing both front line and management level employees have always been John's greatest passion as a hospitality leader.  The cornerstone of John's success has been in building and retaining talented and engaged teams ranging from departments of a dozen or so people to organizations with over 100 employees.  John and his team of "sub-contractors" are formally credentialed through the National Restaurant Association to teach, test, and certify: ServSafe Manager, ServSafe Food Handler, ServSafe Alcohol, ServSafe Allergens, and ServSafe Workplace.

​

John's experience, training, and qualifications in General Management, Human Resource Management, the Culinary Arts, and Food & Beverage Service allow EHS to be a useful partner and a critical resource to you and your team.