Question for the Chefs Out There

[Kasierith]

I can understand almost everyone else in the restaurant working varied shifts but the Head chef is management and technically should be doing very little if any cooking unless its a chain restaurant. They should be ordering the supplies and planning the menu, handling personnel issues etc... They shouldnt be on the line cooking or bussing tables, or seating people

All you're really demonstrating is that you don't have a practical understanding of workflow, not just in the food business but overall if you think that designating technical tasks on a by order basis is a good idea. Larger restaurants might have a manager dedicated to logistics splitting the load with a head chef, but if a restaurant wants to excel it needs to have someone there to direct the team. Managers are not leaders.

[belfpala]

All you're really demonstrating is that you don't have a practical understanding of workflow, not just in the food business but overall if you think that designating technical tasks on a by order basis is a good idea. Larger restaurants might have a manager dedicated to logistics splitting the load with a head chef, but if a restaurant wants to excel it needs to have someone there to direct the team. Managers are not leaders.

The head chef is the one who wakes up every morning like, "Oh shit we can make Portuguese soup with our leftovers!" Managers wake up wondering if everyone is going to come in on time, and/or who should I call to come in/take the day off.

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I can understand almost everyone else in the restaurant working varied shifts but the Head chef is management and technically should be doing very little if any cooking unless its a chain restaurant. They should be ordering the supplies and planning the menu, handling personnel issues etc... They shouldnt be on the line cooking or bussing tables, or seating people

And I'm chuckling at this. Like... it's Tuesday. I did ordering, and talked with vendors. I coordinated expenses with the other owners, I fired someone straight off the line. Another is in the psych ward for a suicide attempt yesterday. Therefore I have one person on the line. Do what it takes. I double up on middle and grill, our fry guy goes to saute, our salad guy goes to fry, our dessert chica goes to salad, and we're blank on desserts until late afternoon when the other dessert person gets in.

[Kasierith]

And I'm chuckling at this. Like... it's Tuesday. I did ordering, and talked with vendors. I coordinated expenses with the other owners, I fired someone straight off the line. Another is in the psych ward for a suicide attempt yesterday. Therefore I have one person on the line. Do what it takes. I double up on middle and grill, our fry guy goes to saute, our salad guy goes to fry, our dessert chica goes to salad, and we're blank on desserts until late afternoon when the other dessert person gets in.

That's how you do it. Have a staff that can move around as needed. If you don't have a flexible staff, your workflow is going to sink at the smallest obstacle. And if you don't actually know the kitchen, you're going to just flop around and put someone in a place where they aren't good and it's going to just fall apart all around you. People who think that someone who's just sat at a desk going over expense reports and talking to vendors can actually lead a kitchen, well.. there's a fun little show called kitchen nightmares for those people.

[belfpala]

Here's my philosophy: I set an extremely high bar for my employees. Many people would quit under my demands, and many do. However, many see that I set the bar even higher for myself. If I ask someone to do something, I've done it. If someone doesn't know how to do something, I do. If the Cam Spray is clogged, I know how to unclog it. If a timer is going off and biscuits need to be out of the oven and I'm the closest, I get them out. If the garbage or recycling is full and I'm going out for a smoke, I drag one of them with me. And so on.

"Chef" isn't like "Executive" even if it's the title. I'm boots to the ground with my little army every day.

[belfpala]

How do you people stay alive?!? It's drugs, isn't it? Lots of drugs?

Whiskey. Lots of Whiskey.

[belfpala]

I've always held the people who prepare my food to highest degree of appreciation and admiration, but I cannot begin to fathom the strength of will and dedication you professionals must have.

Thank you. Most people don't realize how much work we're actually doing.

It's a job that's both physically and mentally draining. Most jobs are one or the other, not both. Last night, I dismissed myself and went to our bar. "Jamo ginge please." Then I sat there for probably 20 minutes without doing anything but staring at my glass. When the other kitchen staff came out, I ordered a round for them. It was at least another 10 minutes before I said,"Well damn, we're going to do these shots tonight, right? So here's to you, here's to me, and if we ever disagree, fuck you, here's to me." /drink

We don't do it because it's easy or pays well. Most do it because they have to (felons, etc.), others do it because they love it.

[Afrospinach]

Thank you. Most people don't realize how much work we're actually doing.

Can you imagine yourself doing anything else?

[belfpala]

Is there like... some point at which the job becomes easier? Or do professionals subject themselves to such timetables throughout their careers?

You might just decide, "OK, I'm a fry cook" and be happy with that, you show up, you run fry side, you clean up, you go home, you get your paycheck. However, if you're like me, I am the restaurant and the restaurant is me.

Period.

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Can you imagine yourself doing anything else?

I have a lot of imagination powers...

But no, I love to cook, I love to think about cooking, and I'll be opening the restaurant on the first tourist trip to Mars.

[Deleted]

How do you people stay alive?!? It's drugs, isn't it? Lots of drugs?

Pretty sure they're Aliens who got ordered to serve us brainwashing food.


I accept the brainwashing food with open arms.

[Orlong]

The head chef is the one who wakes up every morning like, "Oh shit we can make Portuguese soup with our leftovers!" Managers wake up wondering if everyone is going to come in on time, and/or who should I call to come in/take the day off.

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And I'm chuckling at this. Like... it's Tuesday. I did ordering, and talked with vendors. I coordinated expenses with the other owners, I fired someone straight off the line. Another is in the psych ward for a suicide attempt yesterday. Therefore I have one person on the line. Do what it takes. I double up on middle and grill, our fry guy goes to saute, our salad guy goes to fry, our dessert chica goes to salad, and we're blank on desserts until late afternoon when the other dessert person gets in.

Sounds like you also need to do better background checks on the people you hire. This sounds like a quality restaurant. You should be able to get quality people to work for you instead of convicts and people with mental illnesses. Especially with unemployment as high as it is there should be people tripping over each other for those jobs

[the game]

Sounds like you also need to do better background checks on the people you hire. This sounds like a quality restaurant. You should be able to get quality people to work for you instead of convicts and people with mental illnesses. Especially with unemployment as high as it is there should be people tripping over each other for those jobs

Just stop dude. Everyone deserves to have a job. You don't have to have a mental illness to commit suicide and you don't have to be a criminal already to do something stupid that sends you to jail. Otherwise people who drink in bars would all be unemployed because they get sent to the drunk tank or arrested for drunk driving. You are so unbelievably prejudice it isn't funny.

Just stop grasping at straws and admit that you're wrong about things.

[Orlong]

Just stop dude. Everyone deserves to have a job. You don't have to have a mental illness to commit suicide and you don't have to be a criminal already to do something stupid that sends you to jail. Otherwise people who drink in bars would all be unemployed because they get sent to the drunk tank or arrested for drunk driving. You are so unbelievably prejudice it isn't funny.

Just stop grasping at straws and admit that you're wrong about things.

Im not saying they dont deserve a job. Im saying I wouldnt hire an ex felon to work in a customer service job. Especially with the amount of people looking for jobs right now. People who went to jail should be doing work that doesnt involve things that could be used as a weapon (knives, meat tenderizers, hot grease, etc..) nor should they be trusted to work with money or around customers. Additionally something like 50% of people who previously went to jail will eventually end up there again which means youll be short staffed and have to retrain a replacement when they day comes that they get arrested again

[belfpala]

Sounds like you also need to do better background checks on the people you hire. This sounds like a quality restaurant. You should be able to get quality people to work for you instead of convicts and people with mental illnesses. Especially with unemployment as high as it is there should be people tripping over each other for those jobs

lulz, background checks in the restaurant biz? hahahahahahaaha.

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Im not saying they dont deserve a job. Im saying I wouldnt hire an ex felon to work in a customer service job. Especially with the amount of people looking for jobs right now. People who went to jail should be doing work that doesnt involve things that could be used as a weapon (knives, meat tenderizers, hot grease, etc..) nor should they be trusted to work with money or around customers. Additionally something like 50% of people who previously went to jail will eventually end up there again which means youll be short staffed and have to retrain a replacement when they day comes that they get arrested again

The ex-felons are working back of house and front of house. Many of them are quite charming, really, and make very good servers. Most of them really want to turn their lives around. It's attitudes like yours, creating a stigma, that gives them trouble. Restaurants, honestly, are maybe the best place for them. Outside of large corporate chains, pretty much all we need to know is if you have an ID and are legally able to work in the US, and can you start right now? No further questions.

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They should be sued for false advertising then in my opinion. The average person is going to think they are eating food cooked by the person whose name is on the restaurant

Oh god. Let's see...

Mickey did the caramalized onions
Goofy made the marinade for the steak
Donald did the brussels, cooked and shocked
Daisy did the bacon
Pluto portioned the brussels, bacon, and onions.
Minnie fired the steak
Belfpala was just working expo, plate looks good, oh, side of ranch? Gross, but ok, silver bullet of ranch. RUNNER!

Restaurant says Belfpala's Bar and Grill. You have no fucking clue, brother.

[Deleted]

Ah Orlong, that guy who wouldn't give a convict a second chance, then come up with some statistics that convicts don't rehabilitate.


Priceless.