Eric Bedoucha: a star with his feet on the ground

Nation's Restaurant News, April 11, 1994 by Pamela Parseghian

French-born Eric Bedoucha blends 21 years of pastry experience with a business sense and sense of humor as he presides over pastry production for 10 restaurants and banquet facilities for 2,000.

Title: Pastry chef, The Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, Fla. Birthdate: May 24, 1958. Hometown: Paris. Education: Apprenticed in Paris pastry shops, including Gavelle Patisserie. Career highlights: Pastry cook at Dalloyau in Paris, executive pastry chef at The Plaza and Peninsula Hotels in New York City, pastry chef of New York City's La Grenouille, and member of 1991 U.S. World Cup Pastry Team.

What is your greatest challenge?

To guess what the customer will want and to bring down the labor and food cost. It's really a business, and we're here to make money. I focus a lot on labor cost and food cost because I'm in a place that is big and I move a lot of money. I would love to be a star chef, but it's not only that that counts. It's also the bottom line. I don't want to be a falling star. I prefer to be a good pastry chef running a good shop and business.

What was the funniest thing that has happened to you while on the job?

I was at the Plaza, and we had a small fire by the air conditioning. So a few weeks later I was wearing a tall paper chef's hat, and I was unmolding a cake with a blowtorch when I started to smell fire. I said, "Are we going to have a fire again?" So I ran across the kitchen to the phone and yelled, "Fire, fire," and someone came in and said it was my hat that was on fire. I felt like I was dumb.

What is your favorite piece of equipment?

I work a lot with the freezer. I do 60 cakes at a time because it takes me as much time to do 10 cakes and I put the extras in the freezer. I try to plan ahead.

How many employees do you have in your pastry kitchen?

Not enough. I want 20, but right now I'm working with 12 people.

How do you manage your staff?

I'm very friendly. I try to give days off, and when someone makes a mistake, I'm very tolerant. And I'm understanding, but I don't let anyone walk all over me.

How do you motivate your crew?

By changing their work and making them feel that they are here because I need them and like them. I don't want them to feel like they are in a factory, making the same cake always. And most of all, I make them feel responsible.

What do you like most about your profession?

The finished products and making the place work like a clock. When I give a person a recipe and it doesn't work, then I explain it and it works next time. Then I am very happy because I did something, not for the place, but for this person who works for me.

How would you describe the style of the pastries that you prepare?

I would call it modern. But will not compromise the taste for the look, definitely not! If I were in a small place, I would go for last-minute tricky desserts. but if I'm in a large place, I'll go for the most practical thing.

What are you most proud of?

I'm proud when I do a good show piece or win a competition, but I'm very humble because I know without the people around me I couldn't do it.

Why did you move to the State originally?

To spend one year, and then one thing lead to another and I got married.

I'm still French, but I don't try to think like a French newcomer. When I came here, I said what they were doing was garbage. But there has been a change in this country since I came. Now people know what they want and what they order. They know the difference between a creme caramel and creme brulee. They are more and more refined. In Europe we have more and more fast food opening, and here we have less and less fast food opening.

What do you do relax?

For 35 years I'm not sportive whatsoever. I don't like to do it or watch it, but for two months now I'm working out three times a week because I gained 10 pounds in 10 months in Florida. Now I don't know why I didn't exercise before. I miss it when I don'tt go. And in this business you get too fat, and you spend too much time at work. Why would my wife stay with me if I'm not home and I'm fat?