5 Questions With Christine Guyott

1. You started out as a registered dietitian. What role has that played in your career as a consultant?

My background has enabled me to bring a different perspective to foodservice design, with a focus on food as wellness. Whether it’s in a restaurant or a hospital setting, people today are more focused on healthy eating and we’re all becoming more aware of allergens and customers’ dietary preferences. We can take that into consideration in the kitchen by creating spaces such as gluten- or allergen-friendly prep areas.

2. What personality trait has helped you find success?

Even though I come across to most as reserved, I have a very defiant streak in me that I feel helps push me forward in a positive way. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it only makes me want to work harder. When I was young, my grandfather told me I couldn’t mow the yard because I was a girl. That just motivated me to learn how to use the lawnmower and get to work. Later, a professor said I would never make it as a dietitian, and a few years later I was awarded Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). In all facets of my work, that drive helps me find new ways to look at challenges and make a new path when necessary to accomplish my goals.

3. What is one of the biggest recent changes in how foodservice comes to market?

What we’re really seeing now is how technology comes to bear in foodservice. Frictionless ordering and delivery models are everywhere now. The ability to order and pay on an app and then pick up your food and avoid lines is huge in every sector, whether it be fast food, healthcare or business and industry.

4. What equipment innovations excite you?

We are currently doing an all-electric kitchen for a large, innovative medical center in Detroit, and I look at the project as a fun challenge. You have to think about the infrastructure and its ability to support this equipment, which plays into the design. Also, as compared to gas, there aren’t as many options available in electric equipment yet as far as configuration and flexibility, so it takes some extra thought and planning ahead. But things are progressing fast on the manufacturer’s side of things. There are new options coming out all the time, and it’s just a matter of keeping up with what is available and being able to utilize it well.

5. You spend a lot of time mentoring and giving back to the industry. Why is this important to you?

When I started at Robert Rippe & Associates almost 30 years ago, I had great mentors, including Bob Rippe. … I believe it’s important to give back to the industry and the next generation of consultants. The best way to make sure people feel comfortable in their roles is by working beside them and giving them opportunities to shine. I’m also excited to be part of the FCSI Educational Foundation Foodservice Essentials for Effective Design workshop. Led by FCSI mentors, this is a great way for us to help operators and architects understand their role in the design process and be better educated on how to help projects go smoothly.