Episode 15: Cooking Up Efficiency With Brian Bross
In Episode 15 of Quality Time With MoreSteam, host Dan Swartwout sits down with Brian Bross, MoreSteam eLearning Project Manager and former executive chef, to explore the intersection of culinary arts and lean principles.
Brian shares his journey from bustling restaurant kitchens to software development, where his experiences with waste reduction, process improvement, and team engagement shaped his approach to efficiency. From reducing food waste to innovating menus and managing supply chains, Brian explains how lean principles can be a game-changer—not just for kitchens but for any industry.
Highlights of this episode include stories of implementing lean methodologies in high-pressure environments, using standard work to maintain food quality, and fostering creativity while improving efficiency. And of course, no episode is complete without some good-natured humor and dad jokes.
Whether you’re a foodie, a lean enthusiast, or simply curious about how process improvement applies across industries, this episode serves up a perfect blend of inspiration and practical insights.
In this episode, you will hear about:
3:00 - Brian's educational background
4:00 - How Brian got involved with cooking and the restaurant industry
8:49 - Brian's experiences with cooking and understanding Lean principles
9:44 - Challenges Brian faced in implementing Lean principles during his culinary career
11:49 - Reducing waste in the kitchen
14:06 - Process improvement and pizza
18:57 - Lean principles improving food quality (standard work)
20:44 - Supply chain management in a restaurant
22:39 - Lean principles supporting innovation
25:20 - Applying lessons from the restaurant industry to other industries
29:37 - Cooking at MoreSteam
32:07 - Dad jokes
Additional Resources:
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
Lean Essentials for Technology Leaders and Teams
Process Modeling Produces Transformational Recipe for Success
Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam
Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
eLearning Product Manager • MoreSteam
Our MoreSteam staff welcomed Brian Bross to the eLearning development team in 2020. Previously, Brian held a very different type of development and delivery role ‐ that of an Executive Chef. He developed, tested, and implemented menus for a variety of upscale restaurant and catering operations across the country.
After 20 years, he decided to make a career change and return to his computer engineering education. Brian supplemented his earlier Ohio University coursework by completing the We Can Code IT Coding Bootcamp in 2019.
