Inside the 24/7 Operation to Feed the World's Largest Cruise Ship | WSJ Booked

I've seen cruise ship galleys that make the busiest NYC restaurant look like a tea party, and this peek behind the curtain at waste management on a floating city is exactly what you need if you're serious about systems. The scale is insane, but the principles—from source reduction to inventory tracking—translate directly to any operation looking to stop bleeding money through the dumpster.

Golden Corral figured out what every operator knows but most won't admit: the buffet isn't about the food, it's about controlling your labor costs and food waste with surgical precision. While everyone else was crying about the death of all-you-can-eat, these bastards were quietly perfecting the math of volume feeding. This is a masterclass in operational survival when your margins live or die by how well you predict human gluttony.

I've seen plenty of kitchens crack under pressure, but watching 3,000 cooks coordinate 215,000 meals in one building is the kind of logistical ballet that separates the pros from the weekend warriors. This is what happens when inventory management isn't just about not running out of tomatoes — it's about feeding a small city without losing your mind or your ass.

I've watched too many cooks toss perfectly good product because they thought "best by" meant "poison after." This TED-Ed breakdown will save you money and make you feel less insane about the arbitrary dates that somehow dictate whether your walk-in is full of food or full of expensive garbage. Learn the difference before your food costs eat you alive.

I watched this Bon Appétit editor try to hang for 24 hours at Katz's, and what you'll actually learn isn't about his stamina — it's how a 135-year-old operation moves through ungodly amounts of pastrami without losing its shirt. The real education here is watching how they manage flow, portion control, and zero waste when you're slinging that much meat every single day.

Look, I've thrown away enough perfectly good food to feed a small village, and every time it felt like lighting money on fire. This breakdown of why we waste a third of our food supply will make you rethink every carrot top and chicken bone that hits your trash. The math is brutal, but the solutions are surprisingly simple — exactly what operators need to hear.

I've watched suits talk about food waste for decades while throwing away perfectly good product every night, but these Canadian entrepreneurs actually get it — they're building real systems that turn waste into money instead of guilt. This isn't feel-good sustainability theater; it's operators figuring out how to stop bleeding cash on spoilage while actually feeding people.

Vegas finally figured out what I've been screaming about for years — your food waste isn't just money down the drain, it's a goddamn moral failure. Watching casino scraps get turned into pig feed instead of dumpster fodder makes me believe there might be hope for this industry's soul after all.

I've watched too many good cooks get buried under shitty inventory systems that bleed money through pure incompetence. This Excel breakdown strips away the mystique and gives you actual tools to track what you have, what you need, and where your dollars are walking out the back door. Finally, someone who gets that inventory isn't glamorous—it's survival.

Look, I don't care if Excel feels like spreadsheet hell — when your food costs are bleeding you dry and you're guessing at par levels like an amateur, this Microsoft tutorial becomes your lifeline. These systems aren't sexy, but they're what separates operators who survive from those who flame out wondering where their money went.

I used to think customers had no self-control, that they were just weak when they'd demolish a basket of bread then complain they were too full for dessert. Turns out the mid-70s food engineering that Chris van Tulleken breaks down here explains exactly why your high-margin items disappear while the profitable stuff sits — and why managing portion psychology is half your food cost battle.

Look, I've watched too many line cooks dump baking soda down a grease-clogged drain like they're performing some kind of kitchen witchcraft, only to call maintenance at 2 AM when the backup floods the prep area. This guy actually knows what he's talking about and will save you from explaining to your GM why you need an emergency plumber mid-service. Trust me, whatever tool he's pushing beats having your dish pit shut down on a Saturday night.

I've seen cruise ship galleys that make the busiest NYC restaurant look like a tea party, and this peek behind the curtain at waste management on a floating city is exactly what you need if you're serious about systems. The scale is insane, but the principles—from source reduction to inventory tracking—translate directly to any operation looking to stop bleeding money through the dumpster.

Golden Corral figured out what every operator knows but most won't admit: the buffet isn't about the food, it's about controlling your labor costs and food waste with surgical precision. While everyone else was crying about the death of all-you-can-eat, these bastards were quietly perfecting the math of volume feeding. This is a masterclass in operational survival when your margins live or die by how well you predict human gluttony.

I've seen plenty of kitchens crack under pressure, but watching 3,000 cooks coordinate 215,000 meals in one building is the kind of logistical ballet that separates the pros from the weekend warriors. This is what happens when inventory management isn't just about not running out of tomatoes — it's about feeding a small city without losing your mind or your ass.

I've watched too many cooks toss perfectly good product because they thought "best by" meant "poison after." This TED-Ed breakdown will save you money and make you feel less insane about the arbitrary dates that somehow dictate whether your walk-in is full of food or full of expensive garbage. Learn the difference before your food costs eat you alive.

I watched this Bon Appétit editor try to hang for 24 hours at Katz's, and what you'll actually learn isn't about his stamina — it's how a 135-year-old operation moves through ungodly amounts of pastrami without losing its shirt. The real education here is watching how they manage flow, portion control, and zero waste when you're slinging that much meat every single day.

Look, I've thrown away enough perfectly good food to feed a small village, and every time it felt like lighting money on fire. This breakdown of why we waste a third of our food supply will make you rethink every carrot top and chicken bone that hits your trash. The math is brutal, but the solutions are surprisingly simple — exactly what operators need to hear.

I've watched suits talk about food waste for decades while throwing away perfectly good product every night, but these Canadian entrepreneurs actually get it — they're building real systems that turn waste into money instead of guilt. This isn't feel-good sustainability theater; it's operators figuring out how to stop bleeding cash on spoilage while actually feeding people.

Vegas finally figured out what I've been screaming about for years — your food waste isn't just money down the drain, it's a goddamn moral failure. Watching casino scraps get turned into pig feed instead of dumpster fodder makes me believe there might be hope for this industry's soul after all.

I've watched too many good cooks get buried under shitty inventory systems that bleed money through pure incompetence. This Excel breakdown strips away the mystique and gives you actual tools to track what you have, what you need, and where your dollars are walking out the back door. Finally, someone who gets that inventory isn't glamorous—it's survival.

Look, I don't care if Excel feels like spreadsheet hell — when your food costs are bleeding you dry and you're guessing at par levels like an amateur, this Microsoft tutorial becomes your lifeline. These systems aren't sexy, but they're what separates operators who survive from those who flame out wondering where their money went.

I used to think customers had no self-control, that they were just weak when they'd demolish a basket of bread then complain they were too full for dessert. Turns out the mid-70s food engineering that Chris van Tulleken breaks down here explains exactly why your high-margin items disappear while the profitable stuff sits — and why managing portion psychology is half your food cost battle.

Look, I've watched too many line cooks dump baking soda down a grease-clogged drain like they're performing some kind of kitchen witchcraft, only to call maintenance at 2 AM when the backup floods the prep area. This guy actually knows what he's talking about and will save you from explaining to your GM why you need an emergency plumber mid-service. Trust me, whatever tool he's pushing beats having your dish pit shut down on a Saturday night.

I've seen cruise ship galleys that make the busiest NYC restaurant look like a tea party, and this peek behind the curtain at waste management on a floating city is exactly what you need if you're serious about systems. The scale is insane, but the principles—from source reduction to inventory tracking—translate directly to any operation looking to stop bleeding money through the dumpster.

Golden Corral figured out what every operator knows but most won't admit: the buffet isn't about the food, it's about controlling your labor costs and food waste with surgical precision. While everyone else was crying about the death of all-you-can-eat, these bastards were quietly perfecting the math of volume feeding. This is a masterclass in operational survival when your margins live or die by how well you predict human gluttony.

I've seen plenty of kitchens crack under pressure, but watching 3,000 cooks coordinate 215,000 meals in one building is the kind of logistical ballet that separates the pros from the weekend warriors. This is what happens when inventory management isn't just about not running out of tomatoes — it's about feeding a small city without losing your mind or your ass.

I've watched too many cooks toss perfectly good product because they thought "best by" meant "poison after." This TED-Ed breakdown will save you money and make you feel less insane about the arbitrary dates that somehow dictate whether your walk-in is full of food or full of expensive garbage. Learn the difference before your food costs eat you alive.

I watched this Bon Appétit editor try to hang for 24 hours at Katz's, and what you'll actually learn isn't about his stamina — it's how a 135-year-old operation moves through ungodly amounts of pastrami without losing its shirt. The real education here is watching how they manage flow, portion control, and zero waste when you're slinging that much meat every single day.

Look, I've thrown away enough perfectly good food to feed a small village, and every time it felt like lighting money on fire. This breakdown of why we waste a third of our food supply will make you rethink every carrot top and chicken bone that hits your trash. The math is brutal, but the solutions are surprisingly simple — exactly what operators need to hear.

I've watched suits talk about food waste for decades while throwing away perfectly good product every night, but these Canadian entrepreneurs actually get it — they're building real systems that turn waste into money instead of guilt. This isn't feel-good sustainability theater; it's operators figuring out how to stop bleeding cash on spoilage while actually feeding people.

Vegas finally figured out what I've been screaming about for years — your food waste isn't just money down the drain, it's a goddamn moral failure. Watching casino scraps get turned into pig feed instead of dumpster fodder makes me believe there might be hope for this industry's soul after all.

I've watched too many good cooks get buried under shitty inventory systems that bleed money through pure incompetence. This Excel breakdown strips away the mystique and gives you actual tools to track what you have, what you need, and where your dollars are walking out the back door. Finally, someone who gets that inventory isn't glamorous—it's survival.

Look, I don't care if Excel feels like spreadsheet hell — when your food costs are bleeding you dry and you're guessing at par levels like an amateur, this Microsoft tutorial becomes your lifeline. These systems aren't sexy, but they're what separates operators who survive from those who flame out wondering where their money went.

I used to think customers had no self-control, that they were just weak when they'd demolish a basket of bread then complain they were too full for dessert. Turns out the mid-70s food engineering that Chris van Tulleken breaks down here explains exactly why your high-margin items disappear while the profitable stuff sits — and why managing portion psychology is half your food cost battle.

Look, I've watched too many line cooks dump baking soda down a grease-clogged drain like they're performing some kind of kitchen witchcraft, only to call maintenance at 2 AM when the backup floods the prep area. This guy actually knows what he's talking about and will save you from explaining to your GM why you need an emergency plumber mid-service. Trust me, whatever tool he's pushing beats having your dish pit shut down on a Saturday night.