r/KitchenConfidential

It was the weirdest thing. Some guy with like fifteen years of experience in dish pits had a very successful and enthusiastic interview at my location, according to the chefs. Even my interview wasn't described as so. The guy performs excellently for the one single shift I ever saw him for, which I think was his only one, and then poof, like a magic trick, he was never seen again. Two no-shows in a row, I think more to come if he's even still on the schedule. And apparently, it isn't the first time this has happened. One of my more senior teammates in dish says this happens from time to time. Someone will appear and then just disappear as fast as they come.

It was just the weirdest thing to me. I was like, sweet, we've got a pro on our team now. And then he just wasn't there. I've tried to think of a reason, and all I can come up with is that the pressure gets to them. We do like $50,000+ of sales on the average night, and our dish team is usually a team of only 3. But like, I came from a Walmart. I was a cashier before now, and now *I'M* the pro.

Is this just a thing that happens?

Or just working in general.

I do some catering. I'm no longer in the business, retired but I will cater sit-down fundraisers at cost for some organizations. So I have no staff at all. I met this little girl named Natalie. She was 12 interested in food service and she could really use the money, family not at all well off. So I would hire her as kitchen help, service, general gopher for events. I'd pay her $50 for 4-5 hours. (Yes, I realize I'm breaking child labor laws, tax laws by paying cash, but it's for charity and everyone benefitted) People who I also drafted to help would make a point of how much help she was, how intelligent and quick, how nice. The poor thing would often just sit on the floor and doze off waiting for parents to pick her up end of event. Everyone considered it a win/win.

So now Nat is 18. She applied and was hired at one of the better local restaurants. She put me down as a work history and reference. The punch line: The interviewer asked how much she had been making doing this. She told him and he asked "Where do I apply?"

I had a successful weekend on the pizza cut table/expo position, happy 4th y’all. This included putting the dough tosser/pizza line “lead” in his fucking place on Friday and Sunday. This lil bitch tries to flex on everybody and can’t go day without fucking some shit up and blaming it on everybody else. I’m older and have been in this shit for a while, so I’m good and I’m proud to see some of our younger guys standing up to him.

But my real question: Do you have any creative ways to deal with a coworker that likes to act above their station? Even “fun” ways? No wrong answers here.

SOME! not all. This is a vent.
Time and time again I see small business owners step away from their restaurants, hire GMs to run the day to day and neglect their responsibilities all together. Time and time again I see these businesses fail.

I’m currently in a business where the owner has stepped away. As a GM my job is the day to day, ordering, scheduling, prep, serve, clean the whole 9 yards. It’s a very small business with me and 4 other staff. The new owner bought us a year ago and has stopped coming around.

My problem is I’m in the dark. No books, no numbers, no labor reports. I can only really see the daily sales. I release a schedule praying i don’t fuck up labor. I order hoping the food budget isn’t too high. I’m expected to run our Instagram along side strenuous prep. Please trust me, I’ve sat with him begging him to send me reports and the only answer is “it doesn’t matter as long as the work is getting done”. He’s told me he only looks at the books quarterly. How are we supposed to know if labor is bad? Run bad labor for 3 months and fix it later? Crazy…

I’ve heard this from so many chefs that lost their jobs because of neglectful owners. I envy other business’s around mine when I see their owners working. THEY know how to run their business and what needs to be done.

In reality… I get paid well for what I do and I’d also be so screwed financially if I left. There’s the pay off. Endless. Cycle. Of running a kitchen. I love what I do, I’m just scared it’s all going to be for nothing.

I hate working with younger people who just don't give a fuck about the job. It can't even be blamed on their age because when I was that age I still gave 100%. I had jobs I absolutely hated but I still gave it my all. So many people just not having a good work ethic. Just ranting.

They're always like what do you mean you're working on a holiday? And then they go out to eat on that holiday lol. It's like they think the people working in those restaurants and stores are NPC robots or something.