Tried And True

In order to deliver an outstanding dining experience, a restaurant has to get three things right: the service, the food and the atmosphere. When a restaurant masters all three, it becomes a great place to eat. When it masters those things for more than four decades, it becomes a destination. For the past 42 years, Cork ‘N Cleaver has maintained the consistently high standards to keep local patrons flocking to fill its seats.

Owner Josh Seward maintains that the path to success starts with building a team that knows and shares expectations. The ultimate goal, says Seward, is guest satisfaction. “Our team understands what needs to be provided to ensure excellence,” he explains.

Seward himself knows the restaurant business inside and out. He moved to Fort Wayne as a boy when his father bought Cork ‘N Cleaver in 1994, and he began working in the restaurant as soon as he was old enough to do so. At age 15, Seward started prepping items for the kitchen, then moved to cooking when he was 16 and cutting beef at age 17. After he graduated from high school, Seward spent two years in Charleston, South Carolina, attending culinary management school before returning to Fort Wayne to run the restaurant with his late father, Wally. 

His time spent working on the front lines prepared Seward well. “The ability to teach and lead every job position in the restaurant is fundamental to its success. It helps you set expectations so that everyone can be on the same page. Without that kind of knowledge, how can you be responsible for the systems and the goals?”

Perhaps even more important than the operations side of the business, Seward’s father taught him how to treat people and make them feel special. Seward works hard to pass this along to his team, from strong recruiting to an extensive training process to continual follow-up, leading first by example. 

“Service has to make guests feel important,” Seward explains. 

Seward and his management staff relay customer comments to the service team and they work together to find ways to learn from both the positive and the negative. Communication goes both ways so that staff members give feedback to management as well. “We’re always looking for ways to improve,” says Seward. “It’s gratifying to see the special team we have and what we’re able to accomplish on a day-to-day basis.”

Seward holds Cork ‘N Cleaver’s food to the same high standards as the service. Known primarily as a steakhouse, all the beef served here has been aged 45 days. It is hand-cut fresh every day on the premises, which helps ensure the quality, size and a variety of other specifications. “Hand-cut beef is the hallmark of a true steakhouse,” says Seward. 

Also known for its seafood, the restaurant’s selections frequently vary in order to capitalize on seasonal fish runs. To ensure freshness, fish is purchased in small lots of only 20 to 30 pounds, so if an item is particularly popular, it may not last long. Even so, Seward refuses to compromise quality for quantity.

The entire dining experience at Cork ‘N Cleaver boils down to attention to detail. Even the menus come with a special twist: each comes printed on a meat cleaver. Because the cleaver’s limited size only allows for the name and price of each item to be displayed, the server provides details about preparation, cooking method and accompaniments. Not only does the special menu presentation give guests a moment to remember, it also allows for more personal interaction with the serving staff. “It’s a great concept,” says Seward.

Still, says Seward, not everything runs perfectly all the time. Having the right team in place and ready to handle the unexpected is essential to making sure guests enjoy their dining experience. According to Seward, the key factors for success are patience, communication and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

“There are a lot of intangibles in the restaurant business,” he says. “You always have to be prepared for any situation. In any event, always be up front with your guests.”

Having the right kitchen staff is equally important. Cork ‘N Cleaver serves upward of 200 dinners each weeknight and as many as 350 each weekend night, so kitchen operations have little room for error—and they rise to the challenge. “As a team we strive for consistency and quality,” says Seward. “We’re very fortunate to be able to have the kitchen staff we have.”

Everything comes together when patrons not only come back, but also when they tell others about their experience. Seward focuses his resources on making each customer experience great. And his formula for success is working. The restaurant continues to grow; after 42 years of continuous operation, Cork ‘N Cleaver still fills its tables every night. Seward thinks his dad would be happy to see what he has accomplished in the years since he took over, and he is proud of his restaurant. The same guests he strives to make feel special have done the same for him through their patronage.

“A restaurant can only be successful with a community that’s involved, and the ongoing community support has helped make the Cork what it is today,” says Seward. “It’s very rewarding to have that support. Coming to Fort Wayne and investing in this restaurant has been the best decision we ever made.” 

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