Eric Weiss started his culinary career at 17, apprenticing aboard the S.S.United States in both kitchen and dining room. After graduating from Boston University, he lived in France for 8 years, started his own company, Safaris International and worked with chefs Michel Oliver and Pierre Vedel. In 1978 he returned to the U.S. and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. He was selected in 1979 by Roger Verge to be the first American, full-time kitchen apprentice at a French, three star restaurant, Le Moulin de Mougins.

In 1985, Weiss was hired by Seagram Chateau & Estate Wines to represent a portfolio including Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Petrus to an exclusive restaurant and hotel clientele in Manhattan. He continued there for the next twelve years. Concommitantly, Mr. Weiss was sommelier at the “21” club in New York.

His consulting company, Service Arts, Inc. was founded in 1994 and began as a series of service workshops designed for the hospitality industry. After an article in The New York Times in August of 1995, Mr. Weiss was interviewed by Katie Couric on the Today Show,on Good Morning America, CNN and featured in The London Times for his work. He completed a six month term as Service Expert on CNN’s Financial Network presenting such themes as, “How to get good service from a doctor, car mechanic or travel agent.”

The Four Seasons Hotel, American Express, Hilton, Goldman Sachs, American Airlines, Marriott and independent restaurants and hotels have worked with Service Arts, Inc. throughout the United States. In 1996 Mr. Weiss acted as consultant for the New York Public Library’s Centennial and hosted one of the dinners with Chef Roger Verge. In November of 1997 Weiss created and organized La Fete de la Casserole, where twelve bistros in New York City participated in a month long festival promoting the flavors and comfort of casserole cookery. The event was featured in The New York Times and on ABC.

In 1998, Weiss was asked by William Grimes, New York Times restaurant critic, to accompany him on a dining expedition in New York and provide him with the necessary information for a major article on service.That same year, he assisted legendary restaurateur, Harry Poulakakos in the opening of Bayard’s, a fine dining restaurant located in an historic landmark mansion in New York City as well as opening, with another venerable New York City restaurant, Rosa Mexicano at Lincoln Center.