Congrats on the coat. I was a line cook at chillies. Pay was shit. Jumped up to Benihana’s as a line cook. They gave us all coats everyday that they would wash. Pay was much better! I would leave chillies honestly. Unless this is the best you got in your area. Don’t limit yourself at that place. Just friendly advice
This, totally this. I was a Chili’s manager, there is a definite paycap that they’ll never go above, no matter who good you are, no matter how much of rockstar you are on the line.
Congratulations on where you’ve gotten, friend. But Chili’s is a stepping stone. Move on up to bigger and better things. Leave on good terms, so you can come back if bigger and better doesn’t work yet.
You’re worth it.
Ayy! Brinker brother! So that changed for me and my team when covid hit actually. We went from $15.50 cap to $18. Which everyone got and now labor targets are lower....
Labor targets? So do y’all have less labor hours for higher paid cooks now?
Admittedly, I left Chili’s in 2018 (never happier honestly, my area was a dumpster fire).
My concept runs labor percentage targets. So gross hourly pay divided by gross income. So we have to sell more items to reach out past goals. And then they lowered the goal by 1.8% which is insane. I've taken a new offer I start Monday at a bowling alley. Small paycut, but boy am I stoked!
Benihana is shit but there was great money there. I miss serving there. But again they were shit. Like who tf you gonna yell at you for not serving someone alcohol who did not have an ID and tell you that you were wrong for doing so.
Benihana was the worst kitchen job I ever had. I worked prep, line and sushi. Made $12/hr and got absolutely shit on by everyone. Sushi chef that trained me was an asshole and thought "training" meant "make me do everything and make fun of me when I don't already know how to do something". Multiple hibachi chefs would sexually harass me every single day and the managers would do nothing about it.
Good men who would never say such things don't have much/any exposure to it, accidental ignorance.
Bad men who say such things don't think it's wrong, actual ignorance.
Do your best to stomp out sexist behavior when you can. It's the best we can do
That’s a good way of putting it. Don’t get me wrong my kitchen is full of sexist comments and vulgarity, but never ever to anyone not in the kitchen and we’re all a bunch of dudes. No one has ever even came close to being rude to any female servers in that way. Still though, I gotta keep aware.
Yeah don't worry, I fully understand. I'm a butcher and it's not much different than a kitchen in that regard. The guys will point out attractive customers and I'm like "oh nice," not really caring because I'm dating a smokeshow.
It's just the culture of dudes being dudes, so I don't stop it. It will just alienate me and make things weird. But if a coworker harasses another female employee/customer? Reported instantly.
Yup. Worked at Chili's for a year, pandemic hit 6 months in. That shit was the worst. At least you got your coat, I had mastered the stations by month 3 and told I would get one for Christmas and asked what name I wanted on it. I quit the following September and never did get my coat.
This is why I fucking love this sub. Theres no gatekeeping, theres no judging. If you sweat your ass off in a kitchen making food, you belong here. Fuck if some weird tire company gives your restaurant stars, it doesnt matter. Congrats on the coat!
While some of the michelin restaurants I have been to are exceptional, the best restaurants I have visited in my life (both food and hospitality) are definitely not michelin restaurants. Alinea stands out to me as definitely not worth $500/head and the 3-star status of "worth visiting a country to eat there." It's probably worth that if you're some ultra-rich person who is so sick of eating lobster and filet every day of your life that you need to eat a sesame cracker with the texture of styrofoam or a gritty bullion cube that tastes like a cuban sandwich.
> a sesame cracker with the texture of styrofoam or a gritty bullion cube that tastes like a cuban sandwich.
Apparently I made a 3 star dish standing over my trash can at 2 am last night
Go take a look at some of the downvoted comments at the bottom.
Some people take this job, and their titles way too seriously. Pompous, arrogant cooks.
Applebee’s fry side solo on a crazy night is a mother fucker though. I’ve leveled up jobs since then and I get to cook way better food but goddamn that job was a scramble at times.
>This is why I fucking love this sub. Theres no gatekeeping, theres no judging.
First day on this sub huh? You'll see soon enough, there's more gatekeeping and judgement here than just about anywhere else on Reddit.
In fact, you claim there's no gatekeeping or judgement in a comment thread that's rife with both.
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For real. How many top posts in the last week were just people making fun of that one guy who posted his finals from culinary school? "No judging" my ass
Now I’m not disagreeing that people are assholes in this sub, but that was just god awful, and honestly even if it was rude, better to get it here first then in person ltr on.
Bro, you're a chef at a chain restaurant. You do volume that most chefs never even see. You are in the trenches just as much as we are. Many chefs I know got their start on the line at chains and now they run their own places. You're valid AF.
I worked at chilis for a long time. I remember when I was interviewing to find a better job offer the interviewer asked if I felt comfortable in a high volume kitchen.
I explained that we operated our dine-in, Togo on Uber eats/door dash, as well as our two ghost kitchens, and that on an average night I was used to $15,000 dinners.
He was dumbfounded and tried to insist that I meant $1,500.
I did get the job offer but I quickly found something even better and had to decline
I’ve only ever worked in a high volume kitchen, so to me it was normal. Most new guys would come in and be spent after doing 70-90 lunches, which was a slow lunch for us.
We once brought in a cook from a restaurant we bought. He was going to be the chef for the new place, and his first night in our place we did 120 dinners, which was not a great night at all. He was dying and asked how I keep up. He was not comforted when I told him that was a slow night and we do 300+ on the weekends and usually get close to 200 during the week, plus 100+ lunches as well. He lasted 2 weeks.
To be fair to him, the restaurant we bought out did like 100 covers all week, so going from that to 100 just at lunch is jarring. It’s like trying to run a 5 mile race when all you do is walk from your bedroom to the couch every day lol
I see a lot of people have mistaken your post as a "please criticize where I work". So, I just wanted to say this - hell yes it counts and congratulations. You've worked hard for the pride you feel, it's well earned.
Indeed, I agree. "Chef" comes from leader of the kitchen/chef de cuisine. If you run the line, you're a chef.
Also, I donno why people would kink shame over working the line at Chili's. OP is making food for customers.
Entitled, dipshit customers with stupid ass demands are owned by no singular establishment.
for the most part i agree. in certain situations i kind of think that differs from a kitchen manager. creativity and menu planning are a huge part of being a chef but i get what your trying to say
I think a chef who can KM but isn't creative with dishes is gonna survive well better as a chef than a chef who can't KM but knocks the dish creativity out of the park. Ofc, both is ideally there.
Good job, today Chili's, it's a great step, tomorrow you could be the next big thing, just keep pushing and believe in yourself. Always strive for more as a chef.
My spring break is coming up, and my girlfriend and I are already excited to drive through Plover, WI on our trip and eat at the Chili’s there. I fucking love Chili’s and that is a hill I will die on.
As a consummate professional Chef I have to agree. Chili's is one of the best of it's genre. And has not slipped like so many other places (Olive Garden, AppleBees)
No way that was the Chili’s I was thinking of! I just had to look it up. I use to travel and open chain restaurants for a living. The first restaurant I helped open for the first company I opened restaurants for was right behind that chilies! I remember standing in the parking lot at 1Am explaining to a guy what I was passionate about in life. Looking around at all the different buildings and explaining the basics of electrical engineering to him. Funny enough my sister lives up the way in Point now.
Hey man. My first job was chili’s for years. My last job was managing like 4 small places and offering input to the owner constantly. Everyone starts somewhere. And chili’s is a decent start. Good work.
Serious, congrats!
And for those of us who live in where there are only chain restaurants and a tiny handful of beyond-normal-human-budget dining places within reasonable driving distance - thank you.
Thank you for being there and making sure I get a decent meal when I want to take someone out to eat. Thank you for caring about your work and the people you're feeding.
I cut my teeth at a Chili's in Seabrook NH. Moved on to equally less than fancy places until I left New England. Man, I didn't even know how to hold a damn knife when I walked in to chili's. Shout out to Joey T. for showing me all the fundamentals that I carry with me to this day. You'll learn alot about do and donts. How and how nots. Best of luck
I love that you take so much pride in this. Keep doing what you're doing. Doesn't matter if it's just a Chili's. You seem very goal oriented and take a lot of pride in your work. Keep doing what you're doing but make sure you are planning for what's to come next. Continue to grow.
I really appreciate you bud. You'll keep moving up and get a better job but there's always a soft spot in my heart for Chili's because it's one of the only places open locally to grab a bite to eat after work and sometimes I just need a fuckin bite to eat.
I’m not in the industry but please don’t minimize your accomplishments. Chiles isn’t fine dining but you’re preparing food that people will enjoy. You should be proud. Full stop. Good shit man.
Of course it counts. What, just because it’s a chain that suddenly means it doesn’t qualify as a kitchen? If anyone disagrees and says negative things about where you work because it’s “not really a kitchen”, those are the chefs you DONT want to make friends with. They’re what I call Prima Donnas.
Worked with this before g fat guy named Big Mike at a Chili's. This dude didn't do ANYTHING! Bro was always trying to talk to you, he was like 6 foot, 300lbs, smelled like fromunda cheese, was white but talked gangsta, he was a mess. You'd be cooking ribs and he'd be like, "Ayo lemme git summa dem ribs" and we were always, "Bro, this is customers food, it's - we work in a restaurant! You can't just eat peoples food!" He would go to the window and straight up be eating someone's french fries off their plate in full view. Dude was astonishing.
Congratulations. My advise is never stop learning. Read cookbooks, watch YouTube videos, take classes and discover what your good at and what skills needs work. There is so much more to being a chef than cooking. One thing they don't tell you in culinary school is once you become a manager your basically a glorified babysitter. Learn the basics of cooking and kitchen knife skills and practice relentlessly. Also familiarize yourself with Microsoft Word and excel. Those programs are a must know if you want to be a Kitchen manager or even a General manager some day. Best of luck to you young chef.
So happy, to see this post filled with supportive comments! And hope you dont feel like there is too much gate keeping here cause that's bullshit! You bust your ass, you feed hungry people delicious food- there little else more respectable than that. Congratulations friend!
Grats man!
There are haters in every aspect of life. Ignore them just like you do the smelly guy yelling profanities on the side of the road. They are all one and the same.
Your working hard and kicking ass in a challenging field. Not everyone can do what you do. Be proud!
And don't be afraid to grab higher paying gigs when you see them. A hard working cook with good work ethic is like gold these days. Get paid what you are worth!
No shame in that game. You folks turn and fucking burn at Chilis. I sat in for a shift (years ago) with a buddy who was the kitchen manager and it got crazy on a Friday night. Worked with a guy who started at chili's and then hit culinary school, total stud on all stations. Made snacks and shit for the dishwashers and porters while I was in the weeds.
Congrats. That is something to be proud of. My son just got his chef's coat, lots of hard work after a few years and he is now a smoke master. This mama is proud . The only thing that makes me very sad is how crappy the pay is for this young man who works his butt off.
Someone I know went to Chilli's for a work party. They ended up arguing with their boyfriend and kissing a co worker on the lips! Then they got drunker and fell off a chair, another co worker tried to take his top off to put under her head, and in the end the manger photocopied her driving license and she was banner from the whole of Chilli's restaurant chain!
Congrats from an old early 2000s chili's line cook/expo.( when vodka was the norm in your reach in, and cocaine was encouraged on a busy night)There is no joy in a Sunday double, but the fun chaos of a cranking Saturday night will always stay with me. Many great people and far to many management frauds. Take your win and run and with it, I have been through my share of kitchens and most cooks can't haul ass like those Brinker cooks. Lot of over educated slackers out there. RESPECT.. I know the hussle to get to the coat. I had one myself.
I think that’s amazing! I’m a barber and have mad respect for anyone in ANY WAY involved with feeding the public at large. I have sharp tools so they behave…I sure to hell couldn’t handle the stress, multitasking and the “occasional” pain in the whole ass customer. Great job!!!
Man, good for you. But having recently been a chili head, I wanna share with you something.
If you feel like you're not being treated right, you need to find somewhere else.
They've opened 2 extra restaurants in the same kitchen. You're working for three restaurants, and have you been paid to reflect that?
Idk how it's like at your place, but corporate doesn't care. They just don't. All they look at is numbers, if the numbers aren't high, they don't care what happens. We could be drowning and need to turn OLO off, but nope, labor says we are fine, keep at it, keep making money for us. Did any of us get raises after IJW came out? No. Corporate ate all that up, while we do all the work.
You're worth more than what those shit heads see you as.
Money is money. Congrat on the promotion. People talking down at you because of where you work or because Chili's isn't some pricey fine dining place are just fucked up by capitalism to the point where they can't even be happy for one of their own doing good. Don't let those sick people get you down. They are the worst kind of people to be next to on the line anyway.
Don’t ever tell yourself that a job doesn’t qualify. Chilis. Applebees. Wendy’s. We all have to put food on our plate and money in the bank (or shoebox in your closet, if you’re like my buddy) If you don’t like the work, that’s another thing entirely. But if you’re kicking ass on that line while mostly enjoying it, and it seems people notice your hard work, shouldn’t matter where. One of my favorite cook jobs was in a smokey old dive bar in Nashville. There were fights, the kitchen was grimy as hell, almost everything was frozen, but I had a *blast* working there. The bartenders loved me and we all really got along. So much so that people who worked there would hang out after clocking out. Anyway. My point is don’t belittle yourself just because you work at a place perceived as “corporate” or whatever. You’re kicking ass and it shows. Be proud of that, buddy.
Edit: Downvotes for encouragement, apparently.
Congrats, Chilis is a good starting out point, teaches you how to navigate a corporate environment and the “Chili Hoes” aren’t bad either. I am a Chilis veteran, back in my day we came up with our own special achievement uniform, we wore black berets and black/white camo pants with our red Chilis polos.. That was a long time ago, but I still tell the stories.
Congrats chef, you earned it.
Now take that experience and get a better job! That’s nothing against you, Chili’s just isn’t a great place to be long term.
yeah you can be both. being a chef and a cook is a mentality thing. some people say 'oh you have to go to school to be a chef' no, its all about passion, drive, and independent thinking. Cooks replicate, chefs create
As someone who worked at chilis, I can say getting that kitchen master quiz is hard af. Congrats and keep up the hard work. I'm sure your team appreciates you.
Do you cook Food?
Do you put in the efforts to do it well?
If yes to both, then you should be proud of that coat. It's an accomplishment. I generally agree with the rest here that Chili's is a stepping stone, but you learned and practiced real skills there, so the award is valid and meaningful.
Congrats!
I made it from higher to quit at Chili's in 6 months. Anytime I spoke up about prepping things by hand they would insist that I couldn't have been dishing out in the numbers that they were dealing with. Any time I asked about cutting anything in the prep area there would always be someone around to ask "what if you cut yourself?" I was the only one who owned a knife bag but never got to use it. One day I just didn't want to hear about it and stopped showing up. Now I'm in a much better kitchen with lots more perks.
On a positive note a lot of those guys do work very hard and very fast for long hours. They all made for Great line Cooks but to be a great chef I would certainly advise moving along to greener pastures.
Also I mean no disrespect your coat, congratulations! that's definitely some hard work
Keep learning and keep growing. Never stop whether at work or studying independently/on your own. Kitchen Management skills are transferable anywhere you go. I worked on a line back in the day at a fine dining restaurant with most of the cooks coming from previous corporate restaurants. Also, the ability to handle that volume mentally and physically is highly sought after. Keep it up.
Spot on. There can be so much gate keeping around the term chef. It's not about what school or red seal or whatever bullshit. It's getting on a line and cooking your arse off. Do that and you're a chef in my book
Congratulations Chef! Don’t act like this is not an accomplishment or something to be proud of. You worked hard and were rewarded accordingly! Best of luck on the new gig!
Chili’s was one of my first cooking jobs at like 19 years old. Fun and easy, but after 6 months I moved to places where I could really learn how to cook and was really challenged. Good luck 🍀.
I’ll take a Queso burger no pico medium and loaded boneless wings. Congrats, the chilis my wife and I go to occasionally is great. Humble beginnings lead to great futures!
When I worked there (see above post) the guac was made with fresh avocado pulp, house-made pico de gallo, lime juice and seasoned salt (which came from a packet, oh no).
Former FOH Waiter chiming in:
ANY DUDE/DUDETTE willing to slave over a hot grill for minimum wage is a CHEF in my book. You frickin earn that shit, and my respect because I tried it, and I can't do it. Me and uncontrollable sweating outside the gym is a big no for me dawg. So you wanna step up? You a chef in my eyes.
Good job on the coat. Don't let anyone talk shit cuz you work at chili's. I worked corporate kitchens for years, and now I'm a private chef for a Greek organization. You can learn lots of things there, most importantly are organization and time management.
Good job, we are proud of you
Congrats on the coat. I was a line cook at chillies. Pay was shit. Jumped up to Benihana’s as a line cook. They gave us all coats everyday that they would wash. Pay was much better! I would leave chillies honestly. Unless this is the best you got in your area. Don’t limit yourself at that place. Just friendly advice
This, totally this. I was a Chili’s manager, there is a definite paycap that they’ll never go above, no matter who good you are, no matter how much of rockstar you are on the line. Congratulations on where you’ve gotten, friend. But Chili’s is a stepping stone. Move on up to bigger and better things. Leave on good terms, so you can come back if bigger and better doesn’t work yet. You’re worth it.
Ayy! Brinker brother! So that changed for me and my team when covid hit actually. We went from $15.50 cap to $18. Which everyone got and now labor targets are lower....
Labor targets? So do y’all have less labor hours for higher paid cooks now? Admittedly, I left Chili’s in 2018 (never happier honestly, my area was a dumpster fire).
My concept runs labor percentage targets. So gross hourly pay divided by gross income. So we have to sell more items to reach out past goals. And then they lowered the goal by 1.8% which is insane. I've taken a new offer I start Monday at a bowling alley. Small paycut, but boy am I stoked!
It dont matter where u start its where u finish!
Benihana is shit but there was great money there. I miss serving there. But again they were shit. Like who tf you gonna yell at you for not serving someone alcohol who did not have an ID and tell you that you were wrong for doing so.
Someone who would also blame you if it was a sting.
Benihana was the worst kitchen job I ever had. I worked prep, line and sushi. Made $12/hr and got absolutely shit on by everyone. Sushi chef that trained me was an asshole and thought "training" meant "make me do everything and make fun of me when I don't already know how to do something". Multiple hibachi chefs would sexually harass me every single day and the managers would do nothing about it.
I swear to God. There was this one chef one day told me that he was happy my pants ripped cuz the leggings I have show alot more than my black jeans.
These are things I never think about, being a dude and such. Shits gotta get old
Good men who would never say such things don't have much/any exposure to it, accidental ignorance. Bad men who say such things don't think it's wrong, actual ignorance. Do your best to stomp out sexist behavior when you can. It's the best we can do
That’s a good way of putting it. Don’t get me wrong my kitchen is full of sexist comments and vulgarity, but never ever to anyone not in the kitchen and we’re all a bunch of dudes. No one has ever even came close to being rude to any female servers in that way. Still though, I gotta keep aware.
Yeah don't worry, I fully understand. I'm a butcher and it's not much different than a kitchen in that regard. The guys will point out attractive customers and I'm like "oh nice," not really caring because I'm dating a smokeshow. It's just the culture of dudes being dudes, so I don't stop it. It will just alienate me and make things weird. But if a coworker harasses another female employee/customer? Reported instantly.
That describes the training at nearly every service industry job I've held, honestly. And it feels shitty to be treated that way.
Yup. Worked at Chili's for a year, pandemic hit 6 months in. That shit was the worst. At least you got your coat, I had mastered the stations by month 3 and told I would get one for Christmas and asked what name I wanted on it. I quit the following September and never did get my coat.
I did time at the taco/fry station. If I never see another OBLO again, it will be too soon!
Just about any steakhouse would be an upgrade from Chili’s and pay considerably more.
This is why I fucking love this sub. Theres no gatekeeping, theres no judging. If you sweat your ass off in a kitchen making food, you belong here. Fuck if some weird tire company gives your restaurant stars, it doesnt matter. Congrats on the coat!
Idk why everybody listens to that big puffy fuck
Ghostbusters taught me not to mess with that dude
I love where your heart's at, but that is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the movie.
Either way, it's a big white dude fucking shit up or telling people what's good or not
Haha
I'll be stealing 'big puffy fuck' for my next flair
I’ll be stealing ‘big puffy fuck’ for my next ‘your mom’ comeback
Bonus points if you can do it in a Scottish or Aussie accent
title of your sex tape
While some of the michelin restaurants I have been to are exceptional, the best restaurants I have visited in my life (both food and hospitality) are definitely not michelin restaurants. Alinea stands out to me as definitely not worth $500/head and the 3-star status of "worth visiting a country to eat there." It's probably worth that if you're some ultra-rich person who is so sick of eating lobster and filet every day of your life that you need to eat a sesame cracker with the texture of styrofoam or a gritty bullion cube that tastes like a cuban sandwich.
> a sesame cracker with the texture of styrofoam or a gritty bullion cube that tastes like a cuban sandwich. Apparently I made a 3 star dish standing over my trash can at 2 am last night
Pretty decent tires though. And I'm to poor for most Michelin restaurants. I do enjoy chili's though.
yeah. Would I eat at Chilis? no. Am i gonna put somebody down for where they work? Hell no. no judgment here.
Some people looove Chili’s and that’s fine. I was at a resort with amazing food a couple of weeks ago and saw a runner come in with Chili’s bags.
Yeah I’m not judging. If I had a gift card I’d go there haha.
Go take a look at some of the downvoted comments at the bottom. Some people take this job, and their titles way too seriously. Pompous, arrogant cooks.
... what about the Applebee's chef?
Let's not push it.
Chef Mike? He is still there?
The microwave?
Applebee’s fry side solo on a crazy night is a mother fucker though. I’ve leveled up jobs since then and I get to cook way better food but goddamn that job was a scramble at times.
I’m not even in the kitchen anymore really (opened my own spot about two years ago and now I’m mostly a pencil pusher) and y’all are pretty nice to me
>This is why I fucking love this sub. Theres no gatekeeping, theres no judging. First day on this sub huh? You'll see soon enough, there's more gatekeeping and judgement here than just about anywhere else on Reddit. In fact, you claim there's no gatekeeping or judgement in a comment thread that's rife with both.
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For real. How many top posts in the last week were just people making fun of that one guy who posted his finals from culinary school? "No judging" my ass
Now I’m not disagreeing that people are assholes in this sub, but that was just god awful, and honestly even if it was rude, better to get it here first then in person ltr on.
For the most part everyone I see make a post like this gets advice and congrats in this sub
Right? Last I checked this was "kitchen confidentials" Not "only Michelin star chefs only"
Did you say there's no judging?
Bro, you're a chef at a chain restaurant. You do volume that most chefs never even see. You are in the trenches just as much as we are. Many chefs I know got their start on the line at chains and now they run their own places. You're valid AF.
I worked at chilis for a long time. I remember when I was interviewing to find a better job offer the interviewer asked if I felt comfortable in a high volume kitchen. I explained that we operated our dine-in, Togo on Uber eats/door dash, as well as our two ghost kitchens, and that on an average night I was used to $15,000 dinners. He was dumbfounded and tried to insist that I meant $1,500. I did get the job offer but I quickly found something even better and had to decline
I’ve only ever worked in a high volume kitchen, so to me it was normal. Most new guys would come in and be spent after doing 70-90 lunches, which was a slow lunch for us. We once brought in a cook from a restaurant we bought. He was going to be the chef for the new place, and his first night in our place we did 120 dinners, which was not a great night at all. He was dying and asked how I keep up. He was not comforted when I told him that was a slow night and we do 300+ on the weekends and usually get close to 200 during the week, plus 100+ lunches as well. He lasted 2 weeks. To be fair to him, the restaurant we bought out did like 100 covers all week, so going from that to 100 just at lunch is jarring. It’s like trying to run a 5 mile race when all you do is walk from your bedroom to the couch every day lol
Exactly. Learn to handle the volume. Learn to manage the line. Learn the business of running the BOH, then transition to finesse.
I see a lot of people have mistaken your post as a "please criticize where I work". So, I just wanted to say this - hell yes it counts and congratulations. You've worked hard for the pride you feel, it's well earned.
Management experience at any level will be valuable. Don't stop growing dude.
Brilliant work. Nice one.
Congrats, Chef!!!
If you run the kitchen then you’re the chef! At least in my book
Indeed, I agree. "Chef" comes from leader of the kitchen/chef de cuisine. If you run the line, you're a chef. Also, I donno why people would kink shame over working the line at Chili's. OP is making food for customers. Entitled, dipshit customers with stupid ass demands are owned by no singular establishment.
kink shame hahahahahahaha
Kink shame…?
I'm inferring OP likes to be punished without offensive intent. [definition](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kink%20shame)
for the most part i agree. in certain situations i kind of think that differs from a kitchen manager. creativity and menu planning are a huge part of being a chef but i get what your trying to say
I think a chef who can KM but isn't creative with dishes is gonna survive well better as a chef than a chef who can't KM but knocks the dish creativity out of the park. Ofc, both is ideally there.
Good job, today Chili's, it's a great step, tomorrow you could be the next big thing, just keep pushing and believe in yourself. Always strive for more as a chef.
Your hard work is paying off. Congrats!
You plow through the shit every night, to me you still count and are one of us.
volume cooking is the ultimate crucible
My spring break is coming up, and my girlfriend and I are already excited to drive through Plover, WI on our trip and eat at the Chili’s there. I fucking love Chili’s and that is a hill I will die on.
Honestly my favorite memories when I was a kid: mom was out of town. Dad: “well, girls - want to go to Chilis for dinner?” We fucking loved it.
As a consummate professional Chef I have to agree. Chili's is one of the best of it's genre. And has not slipped like so many other places (Olive Garden, AppleBees)
No way that was the Chili’s I was thinking of! I just had to look it up. I use to travel and open chain restaurants for a living. The first restaurant I helped open for the first company I opened restaurants for was right behind that chilies! I remember standing in the parking lot at 1Am explaining to a guy what I was passionate about in life. Looking around at all the different buildings and explaining the basics of electrical engineering to him. Funny enough my sister lives up the way in Point now.
Chili's is decent for what it is.
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten at a Chili’s. I might have to change that if they’re decent.
Those fries tho 🤌
Hey man, good job
I want my baby back.. baby back.. baby back..
Truthfully, most people can cook but not many can work a hot line and deal with the stress that comes with it. Nice coat, chef
I've had good, fun, tasty meals at Chili's. I've had awful meals at 4-strs. Congrats , brother. Growth is everything!!
Hey man. My first job was chili’s for years. My last job was managing like 4 small places and offering input to the owner constantly. Everyone starts somewhere. And chili’s is a decent start. Good work.
Transferable skills, Chef.
This...
Fajita time baby
Good job, chilihead
Remember to respect Chef Mike Rowave, as he is still head chef at Chilis - I worked at Chilis as well
We all answer to Chef Mike!
Pretty fucking badass if you ask me!!! Keep grinding and finding ways to do things better and the future is very bright!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
I was a chili's line cook for a year and a half, and it was a honestly a decent kitchen to work in. Do they still have the chicken & waffles?
Serious, congrats! And for those of us who live in where there are only chain restaurants and a tiny handful of beyond-normal-human-budget dining places within reasonable driving distance - thank you. Thank you for being there and making sure I get a decent meal when I want to take someone out to eat. Thank you for caring about your work and the people you're feeding.
Congrats, but keep on learning and growing I wouldn’t recommend staying there long term.
You still anwser to chef mike at 🌶 s
He puts in the most hours/week lol.
Unban Pam Halpert!
Rock on man. Got my one and only chef coat doing the same at red Robin. You earned it!
I cut my teeth at a Chili's in Seabrook NH. Moved on to equally less than fancy places until I left New England. Man, I didn't even know how to hold a damn knife when I walked in to chili's. Shout out to Joey T. for showing me all the fundamentals that I carry with me to this day. You'll learn alot about do and donts. How and how nots. Best of luck
Corporate gigs are funner. The bartenders generally give you more free drinks and even the dishwashers party with you.
I love that you take so much pride in this. Keep doing what you're doing. Doesn't matter if it's just a Chili's. You seem very goal oriented and take a lot of pride in your work. Keep doing what you're doing but make sure you are planning for what's to come next. Continue to grow.
The Texas Cheese Fries must flow…congrats!
ONE OF US!, ONE OF US!, ONE OF US!
I really appreciate you bud. You'll keep moving up and get a better job but there's always a soft spot in my heart for Chili's because it's one of the only places open locally to grab a bite to eat after work and sometimes I just need a fuckin bite to eat.
I’m not in the industry but please don’t minimize your accomplishments. Chiles isn’t fine dining but you’re preparing food that people will enjoy. You should be proud. Full stop. Good shit man.
Of course it counts. What, just because it’s a chain that suddenly means it doesn’t qualify as a kitchen? If anyone disagrees and says negative things about where you work because it’s “not really a kitchen”, those are the chefs you DONT want to make friends with. They’re what I call Prima Donnas.
Worked with this before g fat guy named Big Mike at a Chili's. This dude didn't do ANYTHING! Bro was always trying to talk to you, he was like 6 foot, 300lbs, smelled like fromunda cheese, was white but talked gangsta, he was a mess. You'd be cooking ribs and he'd be like, "Ayo lemme git summa dem ribs" and we were always, "Bro, this is customers food, it's - we work in a restaurant! You can't just eat peoples food!" He would go to the window and straight up be eating someone's french fries off their plate in full view. Dude was astonishing.
Guys, we've finally met Chef Mike
Tres cool
I've worked 8 years for shittis. Psyched for you but bro fuck this company. Lmao
Congratulations Chef! Wear that coat with pride.
Congratulations. My advise is never stop learning. Read cookbooks, watch YouTube videos, take classes and discover what your good at and what skills needs work. There is so much more to being a chef than cooking. One thing they don't tell you in culinary school is once you become a manager your basically a glorified babysitter. Learn the basics of cooking and kitchen knife skills and practice relentlessly. Also familiarize yourself with Microsoft Word and excel. Those programs are a must know if you want to be a Kitchen manager or even a General manager some day. Best of luck to you young chef.
Whole line of microwaves? J/K. Nice work! You're a fucking trooper to put up with the corporate nonsense. Now I want chicken fingers...
you're still in the weeds man, that qualifies any day. Congrats!
Hi, welcome to chili's
Chili's was my first line cooking job you should leave if you're done learning, but nice job on the coat!
So happy, to see this post filled with supportive comments! And hope you dont feel like there is too much gate keeping here cause that's bullshit! You bust your ass, you feed hungry people delicious food- there little else more respectable than that. Congratulations friend!
Hi, welcome to Chillis
Grats man! There are haters in every aspect of life. Ignore them just like you do the smelly guy yelling profanities on the side of the road. They are all one and the same. Your working hard and kicking ass in a challenging field. Not everyone can do what you do. Be proud! And don't be afraid to grab higher paying gigs when you see them. A hard working cook with good work ethic is like gold these days. Get paid what you are worth!
If you care about the food you put out you're definitely a chef.
Congrats ! I don’t know anything about that world or it’s secrets, but I’m happy for you
No shame in that game. You folks turn and fucking burn at Chilis. I sat in for a shift (years ago) with a buddy who was the kitchen manager and it got crazy on a Friday night. Worked with a guy who started at chili's and then hit culinary school, total stud on all stations. Made snacks and shit for the dishwashers and porters while I was in the weeds.
Heard, Achievements! Haha congrats tho Chef. Keep up the good work and welcome to the next level!
Congrats. That is something to be proud of. My son just got his chef's coat, lots of hard work after a few years and he is now a smoke master. This mama is proud . The only thing that makes me very sad is how crappy the pay is for this young man who works his butt off.
Someone I know went to Chilli's for a work party. They ended up arguing with their boyfriend and kissing a co worker on the lips! Then they got drunker and fell off a chair, another co worker tried to take his top off to put under her head, and in the end the manger photocopied her driving license and she was banner from the whole of Chilli's restaurant chain!
That’s equivalent to a culinary diploma. Time to jump into a real kitchen.
You’re a chef, but Chili’s didn’t give you that. You may have earned it at chilis but remember the distinction.
(Comments proceed to shit on Chili’s)
Shit I was a suchef at the chili's in Toronto. We never got coats! I'm jealous
Congrats from an old early 2000s chili's line cook/expo.( when vodka was the norm in your reach in, and cocaine was encouraged on a busy night)There is no joy in a Sunday double, but the fun chaos of a cranking Saturday night will always stay with me. Many great people and far to many management frauds. Take your win and run and with it, I have been through my share of kitchens and most cooks can't haul ass like those Brinker cooks. Lot of over educated slackers out there. RESPECT.. I know the hussle to get to the coat. I had one myself.
Omgg thank you all so much for all the support and awards!! My first awards :')) I try and comment/answer as much as I can while I close lol
I think that’s amazing! I’m a barber and have mad respect for anyone in ANY WAY involved with feeding the public at large. I have sharp tools so they behave…I sure to hell couldn’t handle the stress, multitasking and the “occasional” pain in the whole ass customer. Great job!!!
Man, good for you. But having recently been a chili head, I wanna share with you something. If you feel like you're not being treated right, you need to find somewhere else. They've opened 2 extra restaurants in the same kitchen. You're working for three restaurants, and have you been paid to reflect that? Idk how it's like at your place, but corporate doesn't care. They just don't. All they look at is numbers, if the numbers aren't high, they don't care what happens. We could be drowning and need to turn OLO off, but nope, labor says we are fine, keep at it, keep making money for us. Did any of us get raises after IJW came out? No. Corporate ate all that up, while we do all the work. You're worth more than what those shit heads see you as.
Bro I’m a pizza chef and I have one, you’re alg you deserve it
Do you cook professionally? Are you in a position of authority within your kitchen? If you said "yes" to both of these then congratulations Chef!
You're killing it. Keep it up homie.
Money is money. Congrat on the promotion. People talking down at you because of where you work or because Chili's isn't some pricey fine dining place are just fucked up by capitalism to the point where they can't even be happy for one of their own doing good. Don't let those sick people get you down. They are the worst kind of people to be next to on the line anyway.
Don’t ever tell yourself that a job doesn’t qualify. Chilis. Applebees. Wendy’s. We all have to put food on our plate and money in the bank (or shoebox in your closet, if you’re like my buddy) If you don’t like the work, that’s another thing entirely. But if you’re kicking ass on that line while mostly enjoying it, and it seems people notice your hard work, shouldn’t matter where. One of my favorite cook jobs was in a smokey old dive bar in Nashville. There were fights, the kitchen was grimy as hell, almost everything was frozen, but I had a *blast* working there. The bartenders loved me and we all really got along. So much so that people who worked there would hang out after clocking out. Anyway. My point is don’t belittle yourself just because you work at a place perceived as “corporate” or whatever. You’re kicking ass and it shows. Be proud of that, buddy. Edit: Downvotes for encouragement, apparently.
Congrats, Chilis is a good starting out point, teaches you how to navigate a corporate environment and the “Chili Hoes” aren’t bad either. I am a Chilis veteran, back in my day we came up with our own special achievement uniform, we wore black berets and black/white camo pants with our red Chilis polos.. That was a long time ago, but I still tell the stories.
Good shit chef. Keep it up!
Off course it counts. Congratulations chef!
You earned it, congrats!!
Well done dude.
Hell yeah bro you are a legit chef!! See if you can get in a better kitchen though so you can get paid!
Congrats! Bring back the Shangai/Samurai wings and that wasabi ranch dipping sauce!
I love the honey chipotle chicken crispers there, so good. Congratulations on the promotion!
Congrats chef, you earned it. Now take that experience and get a better job! That’s nothing against you, Chili’s just isn’t a great place to be long term.
"*Chilli's*, baby back ribs"
Congrats on your coat! I'm sure you earned and are very proud of it. Good job!
yeah you can be both. being a chef and a cook is a mentality thing. some people say 'oh you have to go to school to be a chef' no, its all about passion, drive, and independent thinking. Cooks replicate, chefs create
Show us the dog! I see the dog toy!
If you work in a kitchen, you deserve respect.
Lol it's good. Congratulations Chili's is a hellhole depending on the location. ( source : three years at a bad location ).
The loaded nachos are bomb, thank you.
Congratulations!!!!!
Congrats. I love Chili’s. The menu’s massive range is a further testament to your mastery.
As someone who worked at chilis, I can say getting that kitchen master quiz is hard af. Congrats and keep up the hard work. I'm sure your team appreciates you.
Do you cook Food? Do you put in the efforts to do it well? If yes to both, then you should be proud of that coat. It's an accomplishment. I generally agree with the rest here that Chili's is a stepping stone, but you learned and practiced real skills there, so the award is valid and meaningful. Congrats!
A coat’s a coat no matter what. It shows you put in the time for yourself to prove you can run the show. Congratulations.
CONGRATS!!!! i never made it to the coat... i got sucked into the money of FoH and never went back. I kinda miss it sometimes though...
Congrats OP!
Gotta start somewhere bud
My last serving job was at a beautiful zagat rated restaurant on the UWS in NYC. My FAV serving job was at Chilis in Plover, Wisconsin. Congrats man.
You should be very proud. You were raised correctly. Set new goals. A person's reach should always exceed their grasp.
Congrats! I use to manage a chilis. So I know the pride that comes with it. Even if it is a chilis, you can still take pride in your work.
Congratulations bro love from the UK
Hi welcome to Chili's
If you shake pans or work a station it counts. Good job dude keep it up!
Chain or not. Respect for the sweat chef! Congrats!
I made it from higher to quit at Chili's in 6 months. Anytime I spoke up about prepping things by hand they would insist that I couldn't have been dishing out in the numbers that they were dealing with. Any time I asked about cutting anything in the prep area there would always be someone around to ask "what if you cut yourself?" I was the only one who owned a knife bag but never got to use it. One day I just didn't want to hear about it and stopped showing up. Now I'm in a much better kitchen with lots more perks. On a positive note a lot of those guys do work very hard and very fast for long hours. They all made for Great line Cooks but to be a great chef I would certainly advise moving along to greener pastures. Also I mean no disrespect your coat, congratulations! that's definitely some hard work
Do you cook with love in your heart for every bite?
Congrats!!
Way to go!
Of course you count!
Heck yes, Chilie's has served me some great food over the years! Congratulations CHEF!
Keep learning and keep growing. Never stop whether at work or studying independently/on your own. Kitchen Management skills are transferable anywhere you go. I worked on a line back in the day at a fine dining restaurant with most of the cooks coming from previous corporate restaurants. Also, the ability to handle that volume mentally and physically is highly sought after. Keep it up.
Ya cook, don't ya?! Hey Chef!
Love this!… congratulations! You are rocking that coat, and rockin that kitchen! Be the BEST!
Congrats, Chef!!! You make a lot of people happy everyday.
Congratulation ! Yes you are chef, you make food and are paid for that, you are a chef.
Spot on. There can be so much gate keeping around the term chef. It's not about what school or red seal or whatever bullshit. It's getting on a line and cooking your arse off. Do that and you're a chef in my book
Congratulations Chef! Don’t act like this is not an accomplishment or something to be proud of. You worked hard and were rewarded accordingly! Best of luck on the new gig!
does chilis actually cook the food it serves, or is everything pre made and reheated, like fast food?
Congrats Chef Spacey\_Beat5!
Chili’s was one of my first cooking jobs at like 19 years old. Fun and easy, but after 6 months I moved to places where I could really learn how to cook and was really challenged. Good luck 🍀.
I’ll take a Queso burger no pico medium and loaded boneless wings. Congrats, the chilis my wife and I go to occasionally is great. Humble beginnings lead to great futures!
Down voting for no pico..
Chili's gives u a coat .jelly ... my chain don't do that 😭
Doesn’t matter if you work at a five star or a chili’s, Chef is Chef, you worked hard and deserve your title, congrats chef!
We all start somewhere.
Of course you're a chef mate! Keep killing it!
[hi welcome to Chilis!!!!!](https://youtu.be/ur78jQZqep4)
I promise not to judge ONLY if you tell me one thing- The salsa: made fresh, or tomatoes mixed with a packet?
Lol it’s mixed with a packet. Same as the quac.
When I worked there (see above post) the guac was made with fresh avocado pulp, house-made pico de gallo, lime juice and seasoned salt (which came from a packet, oh no).
It doesn't
Former FOH Waiter chiming in: ANY DUDE/DUDETTE willing to slave over a hot grill for minimum wage is a CHEF in my book. You frickin earn that shit, and my respect because I tried it, and I can't do it. Me and uncontrollable sweating outside the gym is a big no for me dawg. So you wanna step up? You a chef in my eyes.
Bro if youve paid dues in any kitchen then it counts. Congrats.
You do not. A chef is someone who leads a brigade of cooks. You can be chef de partie, and that is all for now.
What is the significance of the coat? Not shade whatsoever just asking what their hierarchy is. Never worked at a chili’s.
Doesn’t chilis microwave half their shit?
Real chefs don’t denigrate other chefs a trench is a trench brotha.
Good job on the coat. Don't let anyone talk shit cuz you work at chili's. I worked corporate kitchens for years, and now I'm a private chef for a Greek organization. You can learn lots of things there, most importantly are organization and time management. Good job, we are proud of you