17th Annual Bloomington Diamond Service Awards

It's that time again. Time for the annual Diamond Service Awards! On Sunday, April 14, hospitality, retail, and food service professionals from local Bloomington businesses will flock to the brand new Radisson Blu Mall of America for a night of celebrating the best in the biz.

"Providing outstanding customer service is key to ensuring repeat business and growth for the Bloomington Hospitality Industry. The Bloomington Diamond Service Awards are produced by the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with industry representatives. We salute outstanding customer service employees in tourism, hospitality and retail industries who celebrate those who enhance Bloomington's reputation as a world-class visitor destination."

As such, we are happy to salute our own outstanding finalists as well! We could not be prouder of the six Woolley's team members that were nominated to win a prestigious Diamond Service award in their respective categories.

Best Food Production Personnel

Mauricio Condo & Casey Winsell

Best Bartender

Kim Frost &  Kelly Mayor

Best Server

Jaime Mejia & ‘Grandma’ Sue Miller

Please join us in congratulating the above individuals on your next visit, and stay tuned for the results. We'll announce the winners after the ceremony takes place!

Chef Peter Named Top Chef

With the December issue of Food Service News fresh of the press, we were so excited to see our very own Chef Peter Christenson included in their annual Top Chefs book. Included with the December issue each year, the Top Chef selections are awarded to chefs in the Twin Cities, not just at the hottest restaurants, but those that live out the embodiment of chef as their daily mission.

In the accompanying article, they define chef as, "A team leader, organizer, manager, inventory hard-liner and, sometimes, a business owner. All that on top of being a menu developer and the overall creative force in the kitchen."

Sounds like a pretty tough act in contrast with the glamorized world of a chef's life on popular television shows. Food Service News continues, "It’s not about the loudest voices or the most personable. It’s about who is doing their job—with all its pieces—at the highest level."

With that being said, we're just so proud of Chef Peter and this award. Along with our devoted guests, we knew that Chef Peter was a heavy hitter in the kitchen and a great member of the team, but now, thanks to Food Service News  we can let the world in on it! This was precisely Food Service News' intention with the awards this year. They specifically sought out chefs who, "Have simply kept their heads down and enjoyed the toil, their kitchens pumping out great food with few—or no—accolades. Yet they endure, and their business and reputation among “those in the know” has grown."

To read the Top Chef's article and see the full list of Chef Peter's distinguished comrades, CLICK HERE.

To see a Top Chef in action and congratulate Chef Peter in person, join us this Saturday, December 15, for a FREE Cooking Class. The man himself will be demonstrating preparation techniques for several go-to holiday appetizer and entree options. He's even thinking about demonstrating some seafood preparation techniques as well!

Reservations recommended but not required by calling Woolley's at 952.854.1010.


Congratulations to Chef Peter, our very own Top Chef! We can't think of a more deserving recipient. 

WOWs -- Shameless Employee Recognition Post

It's been a while since we had some great WOWs on the blog. Not that our employees haven't been going above and beyond (because they have, they totally have), it's just that so much else has been going on that demanded our blog-worthy attention.

Here at Woolley's, we like to recognize WOW moments. These moments occur when our employees go out of their way to give our guests such a unique experience that they can't help but to say, "Wow!" While these moments don't always find their way to the blog, the comments do reach our managers' ears, so hopefully everyone knows how much we appreciate the extra effort.

In no particular order, here are last week's WOWs. A little late, but they definitely deserved to be shared. Kudos to the following individuals for going above and beyond, giving our guests one great night.

JAIME

Jaime waited on a gentleman who ordered an Old Fashioned Crown Royal, saying, "If it doesn't taste right, I'm sending it right back."  The guest later told Jaime that the drink was outstanding and that a lot of places don't make them like they used to. 

(Note: Our bartender, Chad, received a lot of compliments on his drink mixing skills that night too!)

GRANDMA SUE

One of the guests from a Surprise Birthday Party we were hosting came down from the piano lounge and said, "Your chef really knows how to fry a fish. He should be teaching others how to do it."

Grandma Sue presented a birthday card to Jim (the birthday boy) with the wait staff's signatures on it. Grandma also had them laughing with a few jokes, which really added to their experience. They said tonight they received the best food and service they had ever had. 

SHAWN & JESSE

Shawn and Jesse took great care of a Homecoming Party. They made sure the bar was stocked for non-alcoholic Strawberry Daiquiris, and the kids applauded when they found out. Shawn and Jesse also poured sparkling cider for the kids to toast and took several pictures for them. Finally, Chef Peter did a flambee and ice cream for dessert which was a huge hit. A few of the girls raved to me about the dinner and I also overheard a guest say, "This was the best night since ever."

Great job, everyone! We're so proud to be part of such a wonderful team. 

Grandma Sue is Employee of the Week

Please join us in congratulating our latest Employee of the Week, Grandma Sue! With over a decade of service under her belt, Grandma is a long-time Woolley's veteran and boasts her own share of regulars that come, not for just our wonderful steaks, but to see her as well.

As a server at Woolley's, Grandma Sue consistently goes out of her way to make sure her guests have not just a great meal, but a wonderful experience. Ensuring that any event they might be celebrating is noticed and properly acknowledging, remembering preferences from previous visits, and even working with kitchen staff to accommodate special requests, Grandma is an asset to our team.

A multiple-time recognized Diamond Award Finalist and even a grand prize Diamond Award Winner for Server, Grandma Sue is a jewel in our team.

Please join us in congratulating her when you stop in, or even just extending a nice high-five when you see her.

Keep up the good work, Grandma!

Wow! We love our employees!

Here at Woolley's, we love our guests, and we love our employees. So we really love it when our employees show our guests just how much we love them. We call that a 'Wow'!

This week we had so many great Wows, we just couldn't resist sharing. As a thank you for a job well done, here they are!

A party has been coming here for 14 years and always requests Grandma Sue. They said Grandma provides excellent service, and they feel the menu has upgraded a great deal. They love to bring new people here for dinner. 

Jaime took care of a party in the piano lounge who had attended a funeral. A guest said, "Thank you for the great service, Jaime is very kind. We enjoyed the wine and the fish special". 

Bethany had a table ask her for chocolate truffles. She tried to sell them on the lava cake, but they wouldn't take it. Therefore, Bethany picked up truffles from the gift shop and presented them with two hot towels. 

Another guest went out of his way to let management know how wonderful Bethany is. He said she has a great sense of humor. 

A diner in the bar said he has been here for three nights and Brandi has been the best yet. 

A frequent guest in the bar told me, "As far as bartenders go, they don't get any better than Adam." 

Finally, I would like to give Bethany a Wow for the lunch shift this afternoon. She had 30 walk-ins arrive almost all at the same time, and she handled it very professionally and received very nice compliments at table touches. 

A hearty thanks and some serious love to everyone for another great week!