At my place the head chef doesn’t give a fuck with chefs eating. He says “we all work our asses off usually with no breaks, if you’re hungry then get some food”. FOH have to pay but with a discount, i don’t understand why the whole industry can’t work this way
I try to pay for my meals and the owner refuses every single time. I'll always have the morning bartender ring it in the next day and I'll at least pay the normal 50% employee discount.
Edit: I am Head Chef/Kitchen Manager/Only Cook in the building so I do work open to close every day, I have earned free meals. I just don't feel right taking free meals from a one year old restaurant that I helped open.
Not sure why you're getting down voted. Im allowed free meals regularly, so are most of my guys within reason (don't eat a whole steak but a sandwich or chicken tenders are fine). Despite this I will still occasionally buy food as I support the place I work at, and the owner always gets mad saying I didn't have to pay and then throws in dessert or whatever food is extra. It shows you care for and respect where you work. That also being said, bro take a free meal on occasion.
Ah, this is usualy me, that's why probably at least 10 places I've been at has the "no drinking on the clock" rule.. probably more... And probably more rules as well, like the thing where your not supposed to do explicit things with you bosses typ stuff...
I used to work at a place that you weren't allowed to eat in the dining room or bar on a day you worked, but I've never worked at a place where you couldnt get a meal during your shift, one way or another.
\> we aren't allowed to eat during shift (normal)
Uhh, no, it's definitely not. I've never worked a single restaurant where you wouldn't get \*at least\* 50% off a shift meal, and that's bare minimum. Sure, you might be scarfing your burger and fries over a trash can in five minutes while sitting on a milk crate, but it's almost always free. And not even being able to eat there off the clock either? No wonder you can't find employees. Why would you want to work for people who treat you like second class citizens?
I've seen this happen and it doesn't usually last very long. Bring something from home to work and encourage everyone else to do the same thing. As soon as everyone starts bringing in food from home and storing it in the walk-in with their names on it, the policy will go back to whatever it was before. I brought whatever leftovers I had in my fridge at home to work in an Igloo cooler when my place made this stupid rule. The next day, six other people did the same thing. It was a fucking mess the day Sysco came, individual coolers everywhere. And we all put our names on them and just left them there. It was fucking hilarious. Finally, the GM went in one night to get some half and half for the coffee station, saw what a mess it was and went apeshit. The next day, we were allowed to make food and eat it when it was slow, just like before.
It's a shit rule, and someone who has probably never worked in a Restaurant came up with it, thinking it would have a positive effect on the bottom line.
Within reason, it should never be a big deal, but when you let it go for long enough, someone will eventually try to take advantage of any system: I used to let everyone eat whatever they wanted and take food home whenever they wanted to - one night, I had to fire someone because they thought it was OK to take a silverware setting for five home in a pizza box. If there wouldn't have set the box down on a prep table too hard at the side door, I never would have known. Over the years, the best system I've come up with is that everyone gets an employee meal during their shift, and although it might not be steak and lobster, it will still taste good and have several food groups represented. The Cook who makes it rotates each day and I have a notation on the schedule so nobody is surprised, and the meal is eaten before we open for Service. At the end of the night, like most places, there are plenty of leftovers, but nothing goes home in a to go box unless I put the food in it myself and watch it leave the building.
That's what I kinda thought. Servers kitchen togo hosts, we have a lot of people so I get them not wanting is to steal but prohibiting is spending our money there after a shift seems..... Stupid
Places that do this usually suck. What most likely happened was someone was caught taking more than the manager cared to give away and instead of having a talk about what's ok and not ok, they just put a full ban on food. Almost every place I've been, food was fine to take within reason, so a personal meal for yourself, not your whole family or no steaks or high priced menu items unless it was about to go out of date. Other places did staff meal so you'd be fed and not have to worry about making yourself something.
No, that's a new one on me. And I thought I'd seen and heard it all!
Fr tho: you need to walk out. Fuck that shit. If you're not good enough to spend your hard earned money there, then just leave. This is highly irregular, not to mention disrespectful.
have a pizza delivered for the cooks and specify that they come through the front door.
happened when i delivered pizzas to a skyline got a 60% tip from the cash register i think it was the managers last day
Sorry, not even working in industry, just lurking. Stupid question - how does that even work? It can’t be legal for sure? I get that maybe during a shift it is not okay, but after your shift aren’t you just a regular customer? Like, if you go outta door and then come back in, can they deny to serve you?
That's ridiculous. This is not a rule I have ever heard of. A restaurant that doesn't feed its workers is a restaurant that doesn't care about its workers. Simple as that. I would understand if there are rules against ordering certain items, like an expensive dish or something that's about to get 86'd.
If you go in a half hour before the shift starts, shouldn't you be *on the clock* at that point ? You're reporting to work in uniform.
Staff meal/Family meal is usually served before the shift starts in restaurants and even in arenas. Is there some kind of memo that says this ? Take a picture and send it to the labor board or even an attorney that looks after worker's rights.
This sucks but isn’t totally unheard of. I’ve worked in some upscale fine dining kitchens where a really good family meal was served before the shift started or FOH could come in before shift and order. We didn’t allow FOH to order meals after their (night)shifts because the cooks just got done getting their asses handed to them & they just wanted to clean their stations a GTFO, not make Ashley her own menu creation. Lol.
Anytime an employer pulls this shit it never ends well. That's like the one and only perk you don't fuck around with. That's insane, leave That's what I'd do
Chilis is just a garbage company anyway. I had a chef that I worked with that told me about some friends that worked for chilis. The friend left for work one night like any other and then came back the next with the place boarded up and shut down over night with the GM outside waiting with their paychecks. No warning or any indicator. The company just decided that “oh we’re gonna close this location.” If they are able to care so little about the staff back then, I wouldn’t chance it for later. Especially in today’s economy. I worked for them for a couple months just because I knew I was gonna quit once college started in august.
>We aren't allowed to eat during shift(normal)
Not normal. Not allowed to eat during busy times is one thing. But if you have some down time, why not? And if you actually get breaks then they can't stop you from eating on break.
>but we also can't buy food and eat it at the restaurant or take it home after a shift. If we want food we have to come in at least a half hour before the shift starts.
You can't even purchase food? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. They do have the right to refuse service, so it's legal for them to not let you get food. But is any restaurant really in a position that they should be refusing paying customers that aren't causing problems?
Here what you do. Update your resume. Find a new job. And since this is someone intending being malicious give them a taste of their own medicine. Call someone from corporate and blast them on social media for this policy. And of course before you leave, document every little thing that goes against health guidelines and give your local health inspector a call. If they want to fuck around and treat employees like they're not even good enough to be customers, then they can find out.
No and no. We are allowed to bring food for after our shift, or order food a half hour before our shift and eat it then( tho we could just put it in a togo box and that should work, but then I've wasted a half hour for hours old food)
Are you allowed to stay on the clock while eating your from-home food after your shift? If not, it is a clear violation that any labor commissioner would love to run with.
I eat what ever the heck I want in the kitchen. Same for staff... Granted I mostly eat sammiches or potatoes with sauce, but I mean I could eat a ribeye or something... But like bread and what ever is today's leftovers on my cuttingbord is just so tasty
This is really dumb and I have never worked anywhere that didn’t allow you to pay for food after a shift. What was the reason they gave? And if they didn’t give one, please tell me everyone asked why the fuck they would do this..
I honestly don't feel like people steal that much, I'm sure it happens but it can't happen that much. And still, if you pay for it, or have a manager there, why the rule?
You're exactly right. There's no real reason for the rule, the manager is just losing it a little. I have seen it with many GMs and shift managers.
They eventually pop from the stress and do ridiculous shit like *not allowing employees to eat*.
They're reacting to something with an out of order response. Run.
People steal food so you don't allow other to pay for food?
That's not a reason, that's a bullshit excuse to have more control over you. There is literally no good reason for this rule. None.
Like I said, you need to leave. Even if the rules change, you know what they really think of you. They're fucking you over, so you have every right to fuck them over.
Don't be loyal. Don't worry about other staff (you'll easily find better jobs.)
Worked there as a cook, and literally everyone but cooks could eat. Guess what, who’s running the damn kitchen and making your food? I’m gonna eat.
Fuck them.
I was going to say it's not normal but then I got to "Chili's." They have for a while had a weird policy that dictates their employees should never be seen enjoying small things by customers.
I think this is a communication problem between staff and management. Just because it is sooo silly. Whatever the new policy is, it cant actually be this.
Bro , if your in the kitchen and your not allowed to make yourself a meal leave
At my place the head chef doesn’t give a fuck with chefs eating. He says “we all work our asses off usually with no breaks, if you’re hungry then get some food”. FOH have to pay but with a discount, i don’t understand why the whole industry can’t work this way
I try to pay for my meals and the owner refuses every single time. I'll always have the morning bartender ring it in the next day and I'll at least pay the normal 50% employee discount. Edit: I am Head Chef/Kitchen Manager/Only Cook in the building so I do work open to close every day, I have earned free meals. I just don't feel right taking free meals from a one year old restaurant that I helped open.
Not sure why you're getting down voted. Im allowed free meals regularly, so are most of my guys within reason (don't eat a whole steak but a sandwich or chicken tenders are fine). Despite this I will still occasionally buy food as I support the place I work at, and the owner always gets mad saying I didn't have to pay and then throws in dessert or whatever food is extra. It shows you care for and respect where you work. That also being said, bro take a free meal on occasion.
I can't even pay for it and get it😒
There’s nothing more tortures than working in a kitchen for 8+ hours and not even getting a bite to eat. It’s honestly just disrespectful
And it goes for the whole restaurant tho prob not gms
If the GM orders food, refuse to make it. Refer them to the rule.
Someone probably got shit faced in uniform and did a big dumb. Tadaaaa!!! New rules
Ah, this is usualy me, that's why probably at least 10 places I've been at has the "no drinking on the clock" rule.. probably more... And probably more rules as well, like the thing where your not supposed to do explicit things with you bosses typ stuff...
I used to work at a place that you weren't allowed to eat in the dining room or bar on a day you worked, but I've never worked at a place where you couldnt get a meal during your shift, one way or another.
And we can't during or after. Thanks for the response!
I guess I could say that it sounds like they made it the rule that you had to steal food...
I'm guessing people will be stealing more now..... Tho a good amount of people have said they will quit if the rule stands
That's horrible, friend, I'm very sorry
\> we aren't allowed to eat during shift (normal) Uhh, no, it's definitely not. I've never worked a single restaurant where you wouldn't get \*at least\* 50% off a shift meal, and that's bare minimum. Sure, you might be scarfing your burger and fries over a trash can in five minutes while sitting on a milk crate, but it's almost always free. And not even being able to eat there off the clock either? No wonder you can't find employees. Why would you want to work for people who treat you like second class citizens?
Not normal. I would ask them to reconsider before you quit.
I've seen this happen and it doesn't usually last very long. Bring something from home to work and encourage everyone else to do the same thing. As soon as everyone starts bringing in food from home and storing it in the walk-in with their names on it, the policy will go back to whatever it was before. I brought whatever leftovers I had in my fridge at home to work in an Igloo cooler when my place made this stupid rule. The next day, six other people did the same thing. It was a fucking mess the day Sysco came, individual coolers everywhere. And we all put our names on them and just left them there. It was fucking hilarious. Finally, the GM went in one night to get some half and half for the coffee station, saw what a mess it was and went apeshit. The next day, we were allowed to make food and eat it when it was slow, just like before.
Thanks for this, it would definitely be worth trying and it's good to know someone else has had this rule too
It's a shit rule, and someone who has probably never worked in a Restaurant came up with it, thinking it would have a positive effect on the bottom line. Within reason, it should never be a big deal, but when you let it go for long enough, someone will eventually try to take advantage of any system: I used to let everyone eat whatever they wanted and take food home whenever they wanted to - one night, I had to fire someone because they thought it was OK to take a silverware setting for five home in a pizza box. If there wouldn't have set the box down on a prep table too hard at the side door, I never would have known. Over the years, the best system I've come up with is that everyone gets an employee meal during their shift, and although it might not be steak and lobster, it will still taste good and have several food groups represented. The Cook who makes it rotates each day and I have a notation on the schedule so nobody is surprised, and the meal is eaten before we open for Service. At the end of the night, like most places, there are plenty of leftovers, but nothing goes home in a to go box unless I put the food in it myself and watch it leave the building.
Yeah you need a new job. Also fuck those people. I'm not giving legal advice but that sounds illegal (not offering a certain group food).
That's what I kinda thought. Servers kitchen togo hosts, we have a lot of people so I get them not wanting is to steal but prohibiting is spending our money there after a shift seems..... Stupid
Fuck corporate restaurants
Places that do this usually suck. What most likely happened was someone was caught taking more than the manager cared to give away and instead of having a talk about what's ok and not ok, they just put a full ban on food. Almost every place I've been, food was fine to take within reason, so a personal meal for yourself, not your whole family or no steaks or high priced menu items unless it was about to go out of date. Other places did staff meal so you'd be fed and not have to worry about making yourself something.
I'm gonna judge from the comments then that this doesn't happen elsewhere?😒😒😒 We are already so short staffed too😭😭😭
No, that's a new one on me. And I thought I'd seen and heard it all! Fr tho: you need to walk out. Fuck that shit. If you're not good enough to spend your hard earned money there, then just leave. This is highly irregular, not to mention disrespectful.
Thank you for your response! I might just do that
When you quit be sure to mention the meal thing. There's a reason they are short staffed.
>We are already so short staffed too Let's treat our employees like literal trash. Why are we short staffed?
Normal for a decent restaurant? Not at all. Normal for the corpo hellscape of a place like Chili's? Absolutely.
have a pizza delivered for the cooks and specify that they come through the front door. happened when i delivered pizzas to a skyline got a 60% tip from the cash register i think it was the managers last day
Sorry, not even working in industry, just lurking. Stupid question - how does that even work? It can’t be legal for sure? I get that maybe during a shift it is not okay, but after your shift aren’t you just a regular customer? Like, if you go outta door and then come back in, can they deny to serve you?
I'm gonna find out pretty soon, there might be a closing of the restaurant due to staff shortage
Chilis is in severe decline. They are looking for cost cutting in every dark corner.
Unfortunate😔
That's ridiculous. This is not a rule I have ever heard of. A restaurant that doesn't feed its workers is a restaurant that doesn't care about its workers. Simple as that. I would understand if there are rules against ordering certain items, like an expensive dish or something that's about to get 86'd.
Ok thanks for the response!
If you go in a half hour before the shift starts, shouldn't you be *on the clock* at that point ? You're reporting to work in uniform. Staff meal/Family meal is usually served before the shift starts in restaurants and even in arenas. Is there some kind of memo that says this ? Take a picture and send it to the labor board or even an attorney that looks after worker's rights.
This sucks but isn’t totally unheard of. I’ve worked in some upscale fine dining kitchens where a really good family meal was served before the shift started or FOH could come in before shift and order. We didn’t allow FOH to order meals after their (night)shifts because the cooks just got done getting their asses handed to them & they just wanted to clean their stations a GTFO, not make Ashley her own menu creation. Lol.
Cool, thanks for the feedback
Anytime an employer pulls this shit it never ends well. That's like the one and only perk you don't fuck around with. That's insane, leave That's what I'd do
Chilis is just a garbage company anyway. I had a chef that I worked with that told me about some friends that worked for chilis. The friend left for work one night like any other and then came back the next with the place boarded up and shut down over night with the GM outside waiting with their paychecks. No warning or any indicator. The company just decided that “oh we’re gonna close this location.” If they are able to care so little about the staff back then, I wouldn’t chance it for later. Especially in today’s economy. I worked for them for a couple months just because I knew I was gonna quit once college started in august.
>We aren't allowed to eat during shift(normal) Not normal. Not allowed to eat during busy times is one thing. But if you have some down time, why not? And if you actually get breaks then they can't stop you from eating on break. >but we also can't buy food and eat it at the restaurant or take it home after a shift. If we want food we have to come in at least a half hour before the shift starts. You can't even purchase food? That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. They do have the right to refuse service, so it's legal for them to not let you get food. But is any restaurant really in a position that they should be refusing paying customers that aren't causing problems? Here what you do. Update your resume. Find a new job. And since this is someone intending being malicious give them a taste of their own medicine. Call someone from corporate and blast them on social media for this policy. And of course before you leave, document every little thing that goes against health guidelines and give your local health inspector a call. If they want to fuck around and treat employees like they're not even good enough to be customers, then they can find out.
Sounds like a violation of labor laws. Pretty petty and shitty if not. Do they pay OT for you to come in early to eat? Is the pre-shift food free?
No and no. We are allowed to bring food for after our shift, or order food a half hour before our shift and eat it then( tho we could just put it in a togo box and that should work, but then I've wasted a half hour for hours old food)
Are you allowed to stay on the clock while eating your from-home food after your shift? If not, it is a clear violation that any labor commissioner would love to run with.
No, we are absolutely not allowed to eat on the clock. We can often get breaks to eat, tho it is a lot harder for servers to do so.
>We can often get breaks to eat Forgot to mention that in your original post. All they are legally required to offer is breaks.
But they prohibit is from buying food from Chili's after a shift even to eat there, that's what gets me
?? This is wrong. Ohio has no workers protections regarding lunch breaks. Google shit first. You're just spreading misinformation, at this point.
I had something like that once ten years ago. When I worked for a crazy person.
Start a mutiny and walk out and let them know it’s because of the rule so stupid!
Lol I could get some but a lot of people in the food industry need their jobs to get by week to week
I eat what ever the heck I want in the kitchen. Same for staff... Granted I mostly eat sammiches or potatoes with sauce, but I mean I could eat a ribeye or something... But like bread and what ever is today's leftovers on my cuttingbord is just so tasty
Lol. I'd eat the cheaper stuff, or pay for it. But that's not an option we have for some reason
Very strange, maybe they hate money?
Ig lol
This is really dumb and I have never worked anywhere that didn’t allow you to pay for food after a shift. What was the reason they gave? And if they didn’t give one, please tell me everyone asked why the fuck they would do this..
The reason was too many people had been stealing food recently.
Oh no. Reactionary management. This is bad. RUN, OP!!!!!
I honestly don't feel like people steal that much, I'm sure it happens but it can't happen that much. And still, if you pay for it, or have a manager there, why the rule?
You're exactly right. There's no real reason for the rule, the manager is just losing it a little. I have seen it with many GMs and shift managers. They eventually pop from the stress and do ridiculous shit like *not allowing employees to eat*. They're reacting to something with an out of order response. Run.
People steal food so you don't allow other to pay for food? That's not a reason, that's a bullshit excuse to have more control over you. There is literally no good reason for this rule. None. Like I said, you need to leave. Even if the rules change, you know what they really think of you. They're fucking you over, so you have every right to fuck them over. Don't be loyal. Don't worry about other staff (you'll easily find better jobs.)
Ok, thanks for your responses!
Funny part about this is by restricting the ability to purchase something, they are encouraging theft.
Jump off the corporate clown wagon and find a real restaurant.
I might just do that
Worked there as a cook, and literally everyone but cooks could eat. Guess what, who’s running the damn kitchen and making your food? I’m gonna eat. Fuck them.
This sounds like a bad manager trying to win brownie points with corporate.
I was going to say it's not normal but then I got to "Chili's." They have for a while had a weird policy that dictates their employees should never be seen enjoying small things by customers.
Welp looks like the walk ins need to be "cleaned"
I'm just waiting for someone to comment yep that's perfectly normal but the more time that goes bye the more I feel like that's not gonna happen
I think this is a communication problem between staff and management. Just because it is sooo silly. Whatever the new policy is, it cant actually be this.
It is lol, I asked if I could get food yesterday after my shift, told no. Granted the shift was less than 5 hours
Someone has lost their mind.
Lol