Early in the pandemic I wrote to you and laid out an idea of what was happening with us and our people, our business and how we were going to try to handle things that had so drastically changed. Our guests' response to our emphasis on people and safety was remarkable and personal.

I have worked in the restaurant business since 1979 and I can recall no experience that reminded me more immediately that what we do matters in the lives of our guests. It is genuinely a privilege to assist your celebrations, console you, help you heal your wounds and participate in a positive way in the community of humans surrounding us. My gratitude for this feeling and for the chance to bring it to our staff is boundless. Thank you so very much.

As the rollercoaster of 2021 wound down and fears, logistics and the reality of the new variant and its effect on our business began to take hold, I was forced to look for the opportunity that is available in a negative period. What should our long view be of this difficult moment (or months)?

I was just working on a quiet shift at Charleston and Cindy and I were both there working in service roles- cooking, serving, hosting, serving wine, clearing our beautiful china and cleaning up. It was very natural and enlivening. The execution of every detail was available to be savored by the team. It struck me that this is where our focus has to be.

Of course we cannot change business conditions, we cannot control fears, but we can control our focus. We can control the quality of what we do in every detail. Every word choice, every motion, every bit of the way our “movie” looks and feels. We can control the quality of attention that we are professionally obliged to offer our guests.

I have spoken with all of our leadership on this subject. Our mission is to take the opportunity of this time and improve our focus and improve the quality of all the restaurants in all details.

I would like your assistance. Please give us all the feedback that you reasonably can about your experiences when dining and visiting with us. Positive - we want to know the heroes and the highlights. Negative - is something “off”, did you not like a dish (this is legitimate regardless of whether the dish is as it should be or not), did someone treat you differently than you would have wished?

Your feedback provides us with a look in the mirror that we really can’t get any other way. They say that those close to you that can speak honestly are the ones that help you grow in your life.

Please correspond with me directly at *my correct email address* tforeman@foremanwolf.com. We cannot express accurately how much we value this relationship and do so more and more as time passes.

I look forward to seeing you when you dine with us. Happy New Year and thank you in advance.

My very best,

Tony Foreman