KAIZEN AWARD
What does it mean to be the winner of the SingleThread Kaizen Award?
The word Kaizen translates roughly to 'Good Change.' Kaizen is a philosophy that calls for people and their teams to experience ongoing improvement at every level. By focusing on small, incremental change rather than dramatic innovation, Kaizen seeks to build effective and efficient processes and quality outputs. The team at Singlethread has adopted this philosophy through constant attention to even the smallest of details; from personal goals to daily routines, everything is looked upon as something that can be improved. Every month, the staff elects someone who has shown the true characteristics of Kaizen.
"I was born and raised in Marin County, CA. I attended Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield and then went onto the University of San Francisco where I received my bachelor's in kinesiology. After serving in the military, I decided to change careers and go to culinary school. I have always had an affinity for Japanese culture and cuisine and knew I would eventually want to work in a Japanese forward restaurant. I feel very grateful for getting to work in such an incredible environment that chef Kyle and Katina and many others have built.
‘Kaizen’ means a lot of different things to me. I think of 'kaizen' to improve oneself but more so to improve the team. There are so many people working hard every day that I feel I owe it to them to give my best everyday. In that sense, I as myself, "In what small ways can I better myself each day to help the team become more efficient?" Kaizen is doing the things you don’t necessarily want to do, but you know will eventually better the team in the long run. If our team can function each day a little better than the last, then the guests' experience will only get better as well." - Joey Morlock, Jr. Sous Chef