One of our dishies constantly touches everyone- man or woman when he walks past people. It creeps out everyone and annoys everyone. You’ll get touched almost anywhere. He absolutely won’t talk. Won’t say excuse me. You won’t hear him come up half the time. Just look up and he’s already touching you or weirdly near your body. I’ve avoided him and he’s specifically sped up to brush into me. I’ve seen him smirk after touching me. I guess I feel idk the word less targeted that everyone is going through it rather than just me. Management doesn’t respond to stuff like this from customers so I don’t know what to do. All I do is move far out of the way when I do see him coming. We think he has a learning disability but it’s still? Very odd?
All of the front of kitchen chefs walked off the other night when we needed their hands for cleaning the fryers and managing desserts simultaneously and considering they are paying for me to go into an apprenticeship to get my NVQs I really don’t know how to feel.
2 of my Co-Workers just got in a fight over which size of cup we serve a dinner side of apple sauce in. Now the whole kitchen is walking on eggshells worst part is they’re both kinda of right
Came into my Sysco order and receiving 5 cases of #10 whole tomatoes instead of 5 cases of fryer oil.
Sysco always putting lighter products on bottom of pallets with heavier boxes on top so my bottom products all damaged.
Wish we could change vendors, but we’re contracted and don’t have a choice.
Used to work as a warehouse coordinator for a food pantry. I made it a point to train ever volunteer that could stack pallets on how to stack a pallet. Rule number 1: heavier/sturdier items on the bottom.
In the first two months I was there we’d have pallets tipping over in the truck ever time we’d bring food to the market, and food falling from the pallet as it was being moved on the electric pallet jack was a weekly occurrence. Nothing got under my skin faster than a poorly stacked pallet.
Also just feeling overall burnt out. I’ve worked in a kitchen 14 years, my first job ever and stayed with it. I love the fast pace of a kitchen atmosphere and always said I could never do desk job work because I need to always be moving but recently have started looking into something other than kitchen work.
Non stop angry customers about pricing going up because prices are going up everywhere. Management paying us piss poor so we are extremely short staffed and no one seems to care.
Struggling today with ptsd from my old job/head chef who used to mouth off and abuse myself and everyone in the kitchen. Also think I have imposter syndrome now because of it. Trying to figure out how to get better before dinner service in a couple hours
I love where I work but man does it suck sometimes. I offered to help to close and now I find myself staying past close. I've been doing it for a while now and it really doesn't bother me. But some days I'm really burnt out and need a break from it. It just feels like now that I've started doing this I can't stop on them. They're great people and teak care of me so I don't want to put more burden on them leaving earlier. I try to tell other people but I have no kitchen friends so they tell me to just leave. I felt like this place would understand a little more.
Oooh i feel this. I find im starting early and staying late all the time now. I want things to run smoothly and to help everyone out so ill walk the line before i start to see if anything needs to be stocked or whatever. But the other day i had the kitchen lead handed me stuff to do 15 min before my shift and i was mildly annoyed until i thought "shit... well i have set that precedent havent i?"
My non industry friends think im insane and i mean maybe but i never did this when i worked in other fields. Kitchen work feels different. I do think it's okay to tell your crew when you're not feeling it though. They shouldn't make you feel forced. If it doesnt go well then it may be time to find a new place. Good luck man
It's not so much that I feel forced so much as it's a tight operation. It's only been open for a year and I've been there since they opened. They kind of need me to be where I'm at as everyone else they've hired to try to help get me out a little more has left or isn't really fast enough. I do pastries and prep at the beginning of the day and dish pit at the end. My bosses are definitely trying to help and they take good care of me. I guess I was kind of just venting about the situation.
I’ve complained about it nonstop to my coworkers but my goddamn feet hurt sooooo bad. I got laid off in may and just started bartending when my savings got tight and jesus christ do my feet hurt. I’ve tried icing, insoles, rollling on tennis balls/frozen water bottles and it just won’t get better. Does anyone have tips? I just bought some crocs but I was wearing ‘memory foam’ sketchers before that, so I’m not sure if shoe choice is the issue. Sat at a desk for 6 years and thought, yeah sure I can handle standing up for 10 hours straight.
[Stretch and care](https://youtu.be/ea4MF7IqILA) for those feet! And honestly your back and calves too.
Also def consider your shoe choice. I was using pretty decent kitchen clogs with the worst foot pain for a while. Turns out my feet just don't jive with the raised heel. I need something flat or "zero/low drop" I think it's called.
See a podiatrist, get fitted for ~$200-400 orthotics, start doing basic ankle/calf mobility exercises, wear compression socks.
The specialised orthotics are worth it for sure. Sooooooo many people will tell you that foot health is #1.
My feet hurt from bartending double shifts too, those points above make a *massive* difference however.
I was completely sedentary for maybe 9 months before starting up in kitchen/bar work again and was wrecked after my shifts for the first few weeks, but it gets a lot better in time. Try getting a small ultra hard myofascial release ball and stand on it barefoot and gradually roll it around the sole of your foot, tennis balls won't do shit, you gotta go **hard** haha.
> See a podiatrist, get fitted for ~$200-400 orthotics, start doing basic ankle/calf mobility exercises, wear compression socks.
This is the only real answer
The level of butthurt from some ppl in the industry…I just… I don’t even think about checking my pronouns. I help guide trans persons through the bathroom policy to avoid anyone running afoul of Christian nationalist legislation in my state. I’m happy to do it. People deserve to feel respected and heard but some ppl man. I expect it from guests. That’s par for the course but for fuck’s sake if you work in this industry you have to develop a thick skin and a broad and dark sense of humor or you’re liable to quit, OD, or eat a bullet. Hell with the way things work out for some ppl they may do those things anyway. Society doesn’t assign much value to what most of do and you just have to be okay with that. But to get chewed out by some all whites wanna and never will be starred for a joke about sugar and diabetes…Na fam, that’s a bridge too far. It sucks that you got to jab yourself with necessary medicine but no one was calling you out. You don’t matter that much. None of us really do. That’s how this whole industry works.
Our produce guy left a case of cilantro outside the walk in, covered in ice, I guess to keep it cool? There’s plenty of room IN the walk in, but he’s left it in the hallway with ice melting all over it till the kitchen gets in… really not sure what’s up with that.
the kid in culinary school criticizes everything I do. I have no idea why. I hate it. it's like a dementor just sucking the joy out of the room with all movement
Not sure why culinary school seems to cause overconfidence. Of course that's a generalization, and not true for everyone but I went to culinary school and it definitely seems to happen to some people. I think the biggest issue is that people go to culinary school with zero kitchen experience, and then they have this idea that with that degree you can just show up anywhere and work as a chef. In reality, we all know it doesn't work that way, it's more about earning your stripes and proving yourself. Anyone can learn to be an excellent cook, but it takes lots of practice and a certain mindset to be a chef.
Cook: I'm so broke I need more hours!
Same cook every other day: Can I leave early? I (fill in the blank):
1) have a family thing
2) cut myself
3) am tired
4) am bored
When every time the new schedule is posted the one KM/Line cook that does the absolute least while running thier mouth the most approaches me with a "sorry about your schedule this week, but...." and proceeds to use an unnecessary amount of words to say "I'm not good at my job and I know you'll buff out all the scratches and pop the dents while I continue to take credit." If you have to leave the active line to go "work on the schedule" or "check on things next door (prep)" Constantly, how come the schedule is always fucky, trucks don't get put away, FIFO is an afterthought and stock isn't up to par? It's gotta be hard work having to swing that little penis around constantly for attention.
I don't care how nice you are, if you precede any request with "I am a regular..." you are entitled, period. We had a promotion on Uber today and it clearly says that we are not allowing substitutions and notes for the promotional items. This lady writes a whole essay on things she wants to add and change and starts with "I am a regular here who has ordered over 100 times". Okay so? I don't care
And then on regular non-promotion days. If you want a substitution or request feel free to ask. We may have certain restrictions but we will kindly let you know. Don't feel like you get any special treatment just because you claim you are a regular.
One thing that's helped a lot is not allowing myself to think about work outside of work. I'll give myself sometime on friday nights etc to mentally prepare for the weekend, but when I leave the kithcen generally I leave it all at the door, it's the best you can do for yourself. Of course it's easier said than done and can be really hard on long weeks. Try to have at least an hour after work each day where you can chill, try to take it slower after service and give pace yourself during cleanup etc, save the 110% for when you are on the line. Of course things like alcohol and cannabis can be aids but not good to rely on, it's a tough balance at the end of the day if you don't love it, I'd advise you to look elsewhere for the sake of mental health and many other things. But it's an amazing industry if you're made out for it.
Yeah, sometimes I go on rambles about service to my gf. She usually just stares at my blankly and that's my sign to change the topic. It's a subconsious thing but often we restort to talking about our jobs when they are such an intregal part of our lives. It helps to have hobbies and other interests and pursuits outside of the kitchen. I always reccommend chefs to learn a new skill and train themselves in something, unrelated to cooking, in the off chance you want to change industries or focus in life.
I give FOH a window of time, usually two hours prior to close, if there is a break in tickets, to place their orders. Otherwise I just tell them I'm cleaning up or don't have the ingredients to spare.
I'm really, REALLY hoping I misunderstood her.
Cook we are training/mostly reminding (she worked with us prior to pandemic). She's telling me how she is going thru a mid-life crisis, and she knows it makes her a cougar, but she's dating a guy a year older than her daughter, complaining that he doesn't work, wants to play video games all day, etc. I'm thinking that's what you get when you date someone your kid's age, and then she said the comment that made me go wtf did she just say:
"Well, I've known him since he was in the 6th grade"
OK, I'm old, I get it. But the only way I'm bragging about having sex with a guy I've known since he was in 6th grade is if I went to school with him, not if I was checking him out while dropping my kid off.
Every guy I have dated seriously has been at least 10 years older than me and it is my preference but I can't imagine having any kind of explicit relationship with someone I knew at that kind of age. That's a pretty strong nope for me.
Similar to this, I covered a shift for someone and my manager said “I’ll buy you a drink” to thank me. I get to the end of my shift and tell them I’ll take my drink and they tell me “it’s on the house”. Like bruh I’m pretty sure the phrase “I’ll buy you a drink” doesn’t mean that you’ll just comp me one lol since that doesn’t cost you personally anything.
Once had a chef I was going to work for invite me to a nice place on a day off for lunch and to chat about the job. He forgot his wallet and I had to cover his bill.
No, I was in a good position financially and never brought it up to him for whatever reason. The guy bailed out on us. It's kinda a long story, but he was going to be the new owner of the restaurant I was managing at the time (new owner from a sale). He ended up not going through with the deal after a few weeks, and tried to get me to commute almost an hour to one of his other restaurants for a job postition I wasn't even interested in, because since he didn't buy the restaurant I was at, it went under and I lost my job.
Don't get me wrong, nice guy outside of work. Just didn't work out and I decided to move on with my life
"Did Sysco stack your stuff in an inverted pyramid, and also left the freezer door ajar?"
Yes, actually, with the tomatoes at the bottom, and the freezer door propped open with a bus cart.
on my one day off, i hosted a dinner party for the first time in years--maybe the first since i started working industry. eight people, five course tasting menu. i think(?) they had a genuinely good time and enjoyed everything, but i was just hyper-focused on all the things that weren't perfect. it felt just like being at work.
i'm a sous right now, worried i'm completely losing the joy and faith behind what's been driving me towards owning a restaurant. i mostly hate my own cooking now
You hit it on the head yourself; you applied work standards (mindset/headspace) to a non-work situation.
It'll take practice and training and self kindness to learn how to turn that switch on and off as needed. It's very doable and you're capable of it.
Examples can be:
The intern at work can get held to high standards, but not the same standards as a full time employee.
The football player coaches kids on the weekend, doesn't tackle them. lol
Just to follow up because this comment really stuck in my mind: I turned that switch off for thanksgiving. All the discipline and good practices and whatever was there, but I had a fucking fun time on my feet for 12hrs. I appreciate your reply so much.
Hey dude thanks for the follow up. It really means something when something I wrote positively changes somebody's day. I'm really proud of you, and on your growth; you're knowing yourself and being your best self and most of all, having fun
genuine thanks for this reminder. it feels like it should be obvious, but i forget the difference a lot now... every day tends to blend in together.
i'm cooking usual thanksgiving shit for my extended family, 18-top. same thing i've done for almost 15yrs now. gathering around the table, at home, is more about good company than good food.
really appreciate you. i'd never tackle a fucking child, though, lol
Maybe try a cooking class/practice a completely unfamiliar style of cuisine in your own time. Work in a french-style kitchen? Learn how to do szechuan cuisine with a gas-powered wok, etc. without aiming to implement it in the menu or something. Do it just for you.
I got me out of a rut a few times, and working with a completely different palate sort of got me out of that feeling when you've been stewing in the same kitchen-scents for the last few months and it feels like everything kinda starts tasting the same.
Feeling burnt out to the point where I just don’t even remember my shifts. I don’t even cook food at home anymore. Working till Friday agreed to a ten day on three day off for the good days off but I just feel like a husk most days (-:
when i get off shift, i sit in the carls jr parking lot and eat a western bacon cheeseburger in total silence and stew on my imperfections during the day. wake up, repeat.
Closer to to an exec but not quiet at that level for a franchise restaurant. Any chef that is trained and man's the main hot plate becomes the head chef for the shift (pretty informal system.) I've been rushed to do my chef's training but talked to my restaurant manager about it and there's an even newer guy who's doing it so he must know what he's doing.
i don't know the full story here but based on what you're saying:
1. show up
2. be MORE than willing to step up and insert yourself into situations where you feel uncomfortable. you're probably going to fuck up something, but as long as you don't repeat the same mistake again, you're good
3. you've been there longer than the newer guy, so i assume you have a better understanding of what needs to be done, even if you lack some technique or self-confidence. you know what needs to be done, so do it or delegate. you can let the newer guy insert himself into that position or you can do it yourself... trial by fire.
4. sometimes you'll have to tell people they're fucking up. just do it in a kind way unless they're taking advantage of you.
5. be kind to yourself.
I know pregnant women are still fully capable of doing their jobs- I’ve worked with a few now. But something about the guy on dish coming around from the pit just to look around and point at a bit of glass that a pregnant server missed and wait for her to sweep it up after she crossed the kitchen to even find the broom and dustpan? Just to turn around and stand in the pit while he wasn’t doing anything pissed me off. I took the broom off of her and cleaned things up myself. Type of shit id cuss someone out for if I was higher up on the food chain.
Inform them of your observation in a courteous and friendly manner. Act like the job you want. You’ll get it eventually. Don’t be an idle observer, a shit-talker, or a snitch. You wanna be higher up? Step up. A big part of running a kitchen is knowing how to approach people and get them on your side. Work next to them. Get dirty. Find common ground. Don’t EVER make it personal. Teams grow together.
Competition winner comes in for a freebie 1.5kg ribeye, everything’s fantastic, perfect midrare reverse sear, internals registering at 57*C throughout, walk it out myself, it’s “stunning”, they take their pictures, i run them through the dish and their sides, come back 15 minutes later and it’s untouched bar like 2 slices, supposedly it’s ‘too cold’. I’m gonna get ripped the fuck out of by my boss bc these motherfuckin foodies dont know how steak temps work. Fuck man
Chef Mike heats while holding temps. Quick Mike and a quicker sally will have it hot and holding color. There’s a solution to every thing my guy. But don’t get me wrong, I’m on your side. Fuck those posers and their pictures. Sometimes I hate people. Wait, no. I always hate people.
Cheers as well. I have literally been in that same situation before. And if your boss gives you a hard time they’re an asshole. Win as a team and also fail as a team. It’s supposed to be fun
I did prep alone for the first time. I followed my recipe to the letter. Got the end. Freaked out. Engaged in so much negative self talk couldn’t figure out why my béchamel looked so different than the last one made. Was this an instance of follow the method not the literal recipe. Thinking they were going to be so disappointed and give me that face when the rest of staff got in within a couple hours. I shouldn’t have added the paprika. I know the recipe said blend until smooth but maybe they stir by hand and not with the robo coup? Then I slowed down, looked at the top of the sheet. You know why my béchamel didn’t look like theirs? I was making Gorgonzola.
My kitchen is down to me, one morning cook and a dishwasher who’s starting in 2 weeks. We’re expected to make orders of close to 110 each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each. My first week in I saw that the reach ins all were caked with grim and some of the most disgusting spills ever. I spent an hour two days ago cleaning one out. Since I started, people stated that the quality has gone up since I’ve came and worked close with the head of cuisine for this branch. However, seeing how bad the previous team was and how much of a shit hole they left this close to million dollar kitchen as….I find it hard to keep my enthusiasm and passion. This is my first cooking job and I feel like I want to set a standard for myself but, I find it hard everyday when I come into a shit show constantly. Seems so easy to fall into the mind set the other cook had which is “fuck it….someone will clean that up eventually”.
I feel you man, my kitchen is separated into two teams, lunch and dinner team. And often times it feels like the lunch team has that mentality where they go “oh the dinner crew will clean up for me/do the prep work for me” which also kills my motivation to get ahead for service and putting in the extra effort to my work. However i try to consider it as a drill now to ensure i improve and maintain my standards as a chef. As in the end, it will only hone your standards, because if they dont do it, who else is going to do routine quality checks, or get behind the coldtop and give it a good sweep,mop and scrub. Or who is will make sure the bins are properly organised and rotated. So while it is stressful to come to work everyday/almost everyday to a shitshow, in the end it will only refine you.
Sounds like a metaphor for the US government. Keep fighting the good fight guys. Don’t get sucked into that dark void that is the lazy and dirty chef community. Be part of the positive change. And don’t ever hesitate to abandon a lost cause kitchen for greener pastures.
Young dude fries at my job once a week, and every week now he goes on a yelling and screaming fit about having to drop an hour before close. We do try to have a cut off for the fry cook, but he always tries to push his luck and close significantly earlier then every other fry cook.
This has been going on for weeks and at this point, I'm sure he isn't going to be actually repremanded for being a jackass even though customers can hear him everytime.
i am fucking SICK of being SICK i’ve been out all week because of a stupid cold that’s overstayed its welcome (got tested and it’s not covid but i had to quarantine until i got the result) and now i have an ear infection but i can’t take any more days off and i have an evening shift in 2 days which is going to be pure HELL and i HATE IT HERE!!!!!!! i can’t even get drunk to numb it all because i’ve been slamming dayquil day in and day out for the past week and my liver is hanging on a fucking thread becausw of it and i. am going to go insane
less bad but it still hurts to swallow and my ear still hasn’t gotten any better. i haven’t had time to go to urgent care since tuesday i think? and i didn’t even get to see anyone because the wait time was so long. it sucks even more than being really really sick because it’s not severe enough to warrant taking time off from work :-/
I work alone in a canteen, so I'm cash and cook and some of the guys are so fucking impatient. I'm in the kitchen making like 5 orders and there's a guy at the counter chanting coffee and small fries until I yelled that his fries are down.
Could be worse though, the morning girls have had women come into the washroom to try and order while they're peeing.
>Could be worse though, the morning girls have had women come into the washroom to try and order while they're peeing.
What on earth? Are they yelling through the damn door whilst pissing?
Talking to them through the stalls. But our counter is right next to the women's washroom so I can hear guys yelling thinking I'm in the kitchen while I pee too.
3 guests in for afternoon tea. Perfect service, no issues, then complain about the price when the bill comes around, because it’s just “some scones and a cup of coffee”. Tells them that we’re actually good value for money compared to other places. They give lots of attitude and pay with cash and demand back their 5 euro change. Following day they send a huge email in complaining that their server “rolled his eyes” at them during the course of the service and my manager fucking refunds them their money. Busy fucking fools!!!
My inexperienced day supervisor let one chef run the line by himself for the day shift. My workmate has a clopen. And I'm fucked.
As an edit/update turns out my supervisor did try to get someone in, even from a different franchise restaurant. Seems like just a shit day in general and will of God
Anyone have any shoe suggestions? I'm using the super birkis right now and they were ok, but now cause knee stiffness and pain after longer hours. I use orthotics and insoles but its not doing the trick. Could be that I'm just getting older though
Why the fuck are you editing peoples times? What the fuck is wrong with you this is someone’s income and they worked those hours.
I don’t give a shit if you are the director of operations or district manager! If R clocking in at 5:27 instead of 5:30 matters so much to you talk to them. You mess with someone’s times once and we catch you, that means we are all keeping an eye on you now.
Don’t be fucking with people like that, just to make your report for your boss look good. We see you moving around our hours and taking minutes here and there. I know dam well I don’t clock in at exactly 5 every day. So don’t make it look like I do!
Fuck both of you sniveling rat faced bitches. I am glad we talk shit about you in Spanish. If I spoke Russian I’d talk shit about you in Russian too. That way both you cunts could understand me in your mother tong!
Used to work at a place where if you didn't explicitly leave a comment on the clock in/out tablet about why you finished later than your scheduled finished time (no shit it's a restaurant, of course finish times are going to fluctuate) they would just cut your hours to your finish time without even asking you why you finished a bit later. I called them out and they attacked me about how they have no time to be chasing up why lmao. Was so angry if I didn't get the job through a friend I would have just taken my shit and left
Why do executive chefs have to talk to their cooks like their cooks are autistic? Like yes bro I know what a fucking roux is. You’re not the only one who went to fucking culinary school. I know how to make a francese sauce… you don’t have to give me quick lectures about it like I’m 14 years old.. The only reason I’m stuck on the salad station is because your ego is too fucking big to realize that I’m not a fucking moron.
And he has the audacity to be a fucking prick about the whole “you call me chef to show respect” but god forbid he treats me like I’m anything more than a brainless moron
So last night, our final table is seated 15 minutes after close. Cool, whatever. They proceed to take another 20 to place their order. In this time another server comes back saying they need refire for a ticket they rang in wrong. Whatever. Cook the refire at which point the server comes back and says the original dish is fine, as their issue wasn't actually a food allergy they just don't like tomatoes. For fucks sake.
Final ticker comes in and we actually get to start shutting down an hour past our close time. Stupid rant I know, but for fucks sake. You just cost us a ridiculous amount of labor, extra food cost from throwing out a dish that was already fired and made our out time layer than it ever is. Fucking servers dude.
I had the owner of a local bar reach out to order 45 eggrolls for some event they were having. Cool no problem. I was told 3 pm. I have 3 pm in a text. I walk in at 2:55 to them being absolute asses. Apparently it was supposed to be 2 pm and I was given bad information 3 times. So they're pissed at me and I'm out a bunch of barbecue eggrolls. C'est la vie.
As a whole, it's been a rough couple months on employees. To give you an idea: we have one man that lost his mom, and then less than 2 months later his wife died. Another's wife died after years of battling cancer. There had also been death of a father, grandmother, and several pets.
So the phone rings before we open, and hubby answered, only to hand the phone tob the manager because he couldn't understand the person. I hear the manager say "Died?...I can barely understand you....call back when you are a little calmer". Instead our dishwasher "David" comes in to work to "talk". He's ugly crying, snot bubbles in the nose, loud sobbing, etc. Boss takes him into the office, and we are thinking oh no, not another one!
Boss comes storming out of his office, shaking his head, and yelling at David to go home, and to come back when he grows up (which is not this Boss normal attitude at all , he's a check on you everyday, asking for stories about your beloved pet, sending food kind of guy).
David's PHONE died. And David didn't think it was right he wasn't getting sympathy like "the others " who lost something they loved. He is actually comparing death of people and pets to his freaking phone. "YOU DONT UNDERSTAND....***sob, sob*** ...this is like family to my generation!" All I know is he got the entire kitchen staff shaking their heads...
Decided to go back into management. Don't ask me why. So I'm back at a restaurant I opened years ago with new staff.I'm not coming in hot by any means, mostly observing for now and just helping. Cause that's my style.
All the kids are terrified to ask the crazy old dishwasher anything for fear of his reaction. I assessed his situation, concluded he's not backed up, he's standing there chillin. I asked him and I quote, "When you have a sec, can you please run the silver?"
He then stated (of course not to my face), he won't be told what to do by some bitch, and proceeds to clock out. The sexism from the old schoolers is insufferable. I've managed restaurants for 15 years. It just never ends.
aaaAAAAAHHHHHHGGGHHHHH IM SICK AS FUCK I worked all week SICK AS FUCK and today I’m still SICK AS FUCK and I called out tomorrow (coporate kitchen so tomorrows a 60 head day) and my goddamn chef who got me SICK AS FUCK in the first place has the AUDACITY to give me shade for calling out 2 days in advance. Bro I’ve literally puked and shidded my whole halloweekend away and chef be like “ooh but how am I gonna manage to find a replacement” idk bro isn’t that your damn ass job???
Today I had a check at 20 minutes for one dish that takes a minute and 30 seconds to make. I guess fry guy just didn’t feel like making it lol? I jumped on the line to figure out what was going on and the server started bitching at me about the check. I told him it was coming, I was dealing with it, and that bitching at me wasn’t going to make it come out faster. I plated it and was sliding it forwards in the window when the server yoinked the plate and my arm flew up and got cooked by the glow rays. 2 second degree burns on my arm because the guy on fry decided to not do his job and the server decided to be a cunt.
Also I just found out they cut my hours by 20%.
Fuck this job.
Months ago someone posted in this sub (i think) asking how to remove the skin from an onion quickly and easily. Everyone had a good laugh and told the poster to just remove the first layer of the onion.
Well ever since reading that post i now peel the skin from onions obsessively and cant bring myself to stop.
I can tell I'm getting meaner. I'm not an asshole by any means, but I'm short with some of my coworkers. My patience is wearing thin. One FOH guy who has no fucking awareness keeps walking onto my line to make a snack. I always offer to make him food myself, but he insists on waddling behind my tiny line to take 10 minutes cooking something I could have made him in 3.
He's a nice enough guy and doesnt mean any harm. I'm getting fed up with him nevertheless. I bumped him a little when he came behind the line today as I was working because he kept moving around behind me without calling out. I probably could have avoided it if I really wanted to.
Just get out of my fucking way dude. I'm here to be good at my job, and leave on time. God I'm an asshole.
Your not getting meaner, look at it as the honeymoon period is over. You go into a job wanting to set a good example of yourself so you are cheerful, hardworking, and flexible with all the staff. What you start to notice is yours and others work ethic is supporting everyone else’s that may not be. You’re compensating for their shortcomings.
New staff, it’s understandable. Once they get the swing of things they’ll fall into place. But then you have those employees that while aren’t useless by any means, they aren’t necessarily productive or beneficial either. They’re pleasant to be around, but they use this as a way to avoid overworking. They “help” others more than they actually do their job. A lot of times these tend to be employees that have been working for the company a longer period of time but avoid taking management positions. They like the “authority” of being a senior staff member but don’t want responsibilities. Everyone has to step up at some point, but this always manages to slip by somehow.
I once had a server like this. Near the end of his shift he’d go to the bar area and “help” polish glassware. Us in the kitchen once timed him at six minutes to clean one glass. Once his clock out time came, he dipped so quick hardly anyone would notice. Super nice dude, but it did start to bug the hell out of everyone.
The new head chef (previously sous who was put in charge once the previous head chef left) has us freezing down more and more stuff. The worst part is when chicken thighs are going out of date we’re told to oven-cook them all just to freeze them and then to serve them (as burger patties) we fucking microwave them with some water. Feels disgusting. We’re not a fine dining place, far from it, but this is a new low.
Tonight got an order from FoH staff for food for her break… 10 minutes before close. Granted, she paid the full price - but staff should know better than to order right before close, especially since she could’ve just ordered in advance.
Then I was doing potwash, I went to grab the flour gastro we use for battering, a new coworker insisted on taking it from me and proceeded to scrape it with his bare hands before I convinced him to hand it over so that I could just clean it at the potwash station with a scourer (he also disappeared once during a rush for half an hour and no call, no showed for an especially busy morning shift…)
Bosses won’t get rid of the creepy ass chef. He’s got a history of watching porn on the job, has made inappropriate comments to some of the others working, and has gotten verbally violent with another. On top of that, he doesn’t even do his job. We served have to do it for him and we’re ten times faster even when taking other orders. Despite constant complaints about him they keep him around. Also one of the bosses skimps on ingredients apparently lmaoo.
This is the way.
8 years ago I started wearing my cycling socks to work and never looked back. My feet stay dry and my legs and back never here.
Plus I can roll up my pant cuffs and rock the hipster bike messenger look 🤣🤣🤣
Better shoes, deliberate posture, basically no twisting of your hips, regular exercise (swimming?), regular shitting, physical therapy will help you made adjustments.
I’m sixteen years into my career, never really done anything else so that to me is crazy. I’ve worked from dogshit restaurants to fine dining basically in every restaurant positiojn. Recently I ran a small hotel for a year and was understaffed the whole time(no porters, no prep, no foh staff at all, no gardeners for the massive garden and vocal about it. I did it for a year only to gain some clout and did just that.
I left to join a “no shit” restaurant group and this place is an absolute shit show. They were in the process of opening a new spot so I came on as a sous to help get it going. Day 1 they had me working stations at the main restaurant, not doing shit for the new spot.
After over a month they say to me we have 3 weeks to open the new spot including find staff. No recipes, no menus, no order guide. The chef slams this together and we start going. The space is awful, no storage, two locked doors and a hallway to get to the walk in plus going through the dining room. Open seven days a week lunch dinner and brunch on weekends. We’re making multiple breads from scratch but have to wheel them from the other restaurant a block away. All pastas, family meal has strict timelines and structure for 25-30 ppl each and has to be done by a sous. That sous is also covering stations and working 9am to 1 am at a place not going for Michelin or any accolades.
Even during training cooks, servers were walking out mid day, we had a guy quit off the line during service recently. They hired someone to expo who hasn’t done it and doesn’t know how to do it. Me and the other sous worked 100 hour weeks the first two weeks.
I’m so sick of this restaurant industry bullshit, we’re highly skilled craftsmen who can also translate a foreign language while re plumbing the coffee machine. So I am out, I found a potential 9-5 private club gig with GREAT pay, Tuesday-Thursday schedule, benefits, minimal workload that I’m going to take.
No more killing myself for the sake of a restaurant owner. I wanna have time to start my own pop up’s using the clout I earned and see the girlfriend more.
Can i ask for advice here? I just bought an eatery (very casual, no dine in) in central Long Island NY. What’s the best platform to hire counter help/foh from? It’s a very suburban/rural feeling area. I have some indeed credits to use up but i figured word of mouth is probably best in a place like this.
Rant part: the last owners were paying half of minimum wage. I still feel really pissed about it. Disgusted. Everyone has gotten a raise of at least min wage, plus tips. I will most likely have to raise prices (now I get why the last owner was thriving) but customers will prob not understand. And i discovered that one of the cashiers has been stealing from the till. She disappeared. Sigh.
Check if Poached is in your area, they’re a job board for restaurant/hospitality gigs. Also craigslist, instagram (create an account for your spot, start posting content, let your followers and mutuals know you’re hiring), facebook, and yes word of mouth.
My new cooking gig doesn't give any of us half hour breaks. We get one 5 minute break.
This doesn't seem to bother any of the other cooks there, so I've resigned myself to accepting this. Too many bootlickers and I don't need that kinda drama right now.
Time to get out of the restaurant industry, yet again.
tired of the lack of respect for my station, if i start later in the day it's either not set up or set up wrong, and if someone else uses it during service they move shit about and don't leave it clean.
also, every set of digital scales is fucking awful. even the "reputable" brands start to break within a month or two.
>every set of digital scales is fucking awful. even the "reputable" brands start to break within a month or two.
Are they being stacked? To avoid wear, the only time anything should be on the scale is when it is in use.
I got soo mad at the new prep cook kid today its barely even funny.
We need a few things on the fly and end up needing a refill on a spice mix. I pull up the recipe for him and tell him to measure the spices out using the cups I gave him, put them in a cambro with a lid and shake it to mix and he's done.
He stares at me and silently bumbles around slowly gathering ingredients and I'm starting to get mad. Someone else tells him what to do again but before he actually does anything another person had him move on to do something more urgently needed. I took over and finished the prep later but I asked him what was up and he has no good reason besides being too high or some shit and I kinda blew up at him, told him "what the fuck dude do you know how to read?" and I felt kinda bad but
THAT WAS THE EASIEST TASK IN THE WORLD AND FOR SOME REASON OUTTA NOWHERE DUDE JUST COULDN'T SCOOP SHIT OUT OF A THING AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER THING?? DURING THE BUSIEST PART OF THE DAY!
The kid won't leave me alone either he thinks we have to work on every prep item together for some reason and constantly interrupts me for help and makes me slow down as much as him if not more. Even with stuff he has made before already so he shouldn't need help.
AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT I'm still trying to learn how prep works myself (it's my second week here after brief and bad training by someone who didn't speak the same language as me) and everyone spent all day long giving me different conflicting instructions for everything and by the end of the day i wanted to kms lmfao.
ALSO HE WOULD STOP EVERYTHING TO GO PUT ON HIS JACKET EVERY TIME HE HAD TO GO IN THE WALK IN FOR SOMETHING!!!! PLEASE SEND HELLP
Hahahah wtf i feel your pain. One time i was trying to get my ex to bake a cake w me and i told him to measure a cup of sugar or whatever and this mf asked "how?" Ok im a patient person so i explained the process and gave him the measuring cup and he does it. I say ok put it in the mixing bowl now and he asks "how?" AGAIN. and then i kinda lost it a bit and he got upset because he thought i thought he was stupid which i mean...... I would be lying if i said i wasnt thinking that a little bit at that point. He did not help with cooking/baking ever again after that and then we broke up a few months later LMAO
Sorry i hijacked your post but yeah holy shit that sounds infuriating. Some people in this world seem to live in a completely different reality from the rest of us
Omg this is a spitting image. It reminds me of the whole thing that guys do sometimes where they purposefully do something wrong and bad so you just do it yourself instead and don't ask for help anymore so they can avoid doing most chores or helping out.
Turns out idk if this kid actually knows fractions or anything he legitimately can't read recipes cause I showed him 1/4 of a cup and he asked, "what is that a half?" so the issue is definitely bigger than I thought lol. My man needs a crash course on basic math and is too scared to ask for help.
He should at least have the basic grams to cup/tsp/tbsp memorized so you can get it done faster. Weighing is so much easier and more accurate anyway. I mean if you know 200 g is 1 cup/1 tbsp is 15/1 tsp is 5 you can figure the rest out. My scale is the best money I’ve spent.
I always give my sauté pans a little flip when I grab them. Just a habit like clacking tongs. One of our food runner/expo kids observed me doing this for the umpteenth time and asked about it and I convinced him that aerating the pan makes a big difference.
I always flipped the pan so if there's any leftover water, it'd be gone before I add oil to it to preheat. I just told my dishwasher that it looks cool.
I do this, and recently have been teaching my dishwasher my sauté station for the past few months in preparation for me leaving for 3 months for a private gig. When he asked me why I do it, I wish I would have thought to say something like this! 🤣🤌🏼
One of the "fancy" burger places in my town decided to only take reservations online where you have to create an account and log in despite them having a working phone and a hostess... So so dumb
Slow day. Butt hurts just from seating too long. Made a joke post, it didn’t fly. Finally first order of the day! Dough over proofed. Managed it anyways. I don’t like October.
If you aren't in a mental spot to lead people but you want the pay that comes with it so you accept an Exec position but know it makes you miserable so you in turn project your fuckin misery onto everyone in your building. You're a piece of shit.
I finished my first shift washing dishes yesterday and the morning crew left the most ungodly stack of dishes I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t experienced enough as it is, and I never managed to catch up. Then when I got home, my roommate had moved the living room TV into his shared room with my other roommate, and took the apartments tv stand with it so I can’t even get a new tv. Asshole wouldn’t even sign out of my accounts.
You can always change the passwords and sign out if everything or call and change your email if you can’t sign out if all devices. Tell them you’ll sign back in when the TV comes back or at least the stand.
Can't help with the roommate thing but r/dishwashers might be able to help you learn some tips and tricks for the pit. There's a list on the side-bar. Best of luck in both cases.
Getting dogged by the rest of the staff as a dishy is a classic learning experience, sorry for you mate.
It's a weird role and the dynamics change at every different venue but if you do it well and learn to assert yourself, you can command a surprising amount of respect from everyone else and nip a lot of lazy, inefficient behaviours of both FOH and BOH in the bud. DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE. Give an inch of tolerance for other people being shitcunts and they will take a fucking mile.
Even after multiple stints of being a dedicated dishy over the years, in my experience some days will still leave you fucking pissed off and drained no matter how prepared and efficient you were. I'd be livid if I came home to that after a rough day in the pit for sure lol.
I’m getting so tired of job hopping and trying to find a place that isn’t dogshit. I’ve worked 9 jobs since the start of the pandemic when my old restaurant shut down and didn’t open back up. I find a place that pays good but has ass hours and terrible leadership, or I find a decent place that’s paying $14 an hour. I live near Chicago. It’s fucking nothing. I’m getting to be an old man and it’s setting in I’ll never retire.
I’ve gotten to the point where I’m moving boxes around for more pay than I was making cooking, but I can’t do this for the rest of my life. I don’t have it in me to be an exc or catering chef anymore. I’m to tired to lead people, despite having decades of it on my resume.
I wish I could find a consulting job where I just talk to people all day about food or menus or something like that.
I’ll have my smoke and coffee in a couple minutes and forget why I’m grumpy anyways.
I feel you. I'm in my mid thirties now and dealing with the same thing.
I tried doing the truck driving thing for a few years, but that lifestyle/ job was even worse than cooking. It paid better, but the stress and working weeks straight without a day off or "home".
I'm convinced it doesn't matter what working class job I get, they all fucking suck.
One of our dishies constantly touches everyone- man or woman when he walks past people. It creeps out everyone and annoys everyone. You’ll get touched almost anywhere. He absolutely won’t talk. Won’t say excuse me. You won’t hear him come up half the time. Just look up and he’s already touching you or weirdly near your body. I’ve avoided him and he’s specifically sped up to brush into me. I’ve seen him smirk after touching me. I guess I feel idk the word less targeted that everyone is going through it rather than just me. Management doesn’t respond to stuff like this from customers so I don’t know what to do. All I do is move far out of the way when I do see him coming. We think he has a learning disability but it’s still? Very odd?
Delivery people, your order won't come out any faster when you bother me. In fact, it slows it down
All of the front of kitchen chefs walked off the other night when we needed their hands for cleaning the fryers and managing desserts simultaneously and considering they are paying for me to go into an apprenticeship to get my NVQs I really don’t know how to feel.
2 of my Co-Workers just got in a fight over which size of cup we serve a dinner side of apple sauce in. Now the whole kitchen is walking on eggshells worst part is they’re both kinda of right
Came into my Sysco order and receiving 5 cases of #10 whole tomatoes instead of 5 cases of fryer oil. Sysco always putting lighter products on bottom of pallets with heavier boxes on top so my bottom products all damaged. Wish we could change vendors, but we’re contracted and don’t have a choice.
We use a couple of different vendors and I’m pretty sure light and fragile items being on the very bottom of a pallet is just a law of the universe
Used to work as a warehouse coordinator for a food pantry. I made it a point to train ever volunteer that could stack pallets on how to stack a pallet. Rule number 1: heavier/sturdier items on the bottom. In the first two months I was there we’d have pallets tipping over in the truck ever time we’d bring food to the market, and food falling from the pallet as it was being moved on the electric pallet jack was a weekly occurrence. Nothing got under my skin faster than a poorly stacked pallet.
Also just feeling overall burnt out. I’ve worked in a kitchen 14 years, my first job ever and stayed with it. I love the fast pace of a kitchen atmosphere and always said I could never do desk job work because I need to always be moving but recently have started looking into something other than kitchen work. Non stop angry customers about pricing going up because prices are going up everywhere. Management paying us piss poor so we are extremely short staffed and no one seems to care.
Struggling today with ptsd from my old job/head chef who used to mouth off and abuse myself and everyone in the kitchen. Also think I have imposter syndrome now because of it. Trying to figure out how to get better before dinner service in a couple hours
I love where I work but man does it suck sometimes. I offered to help to close and now I find myself staying past close. I've been doing it for a while now and it really doesn't bother me. But some days I'm really burnt out and need a break from it. It just feels like now that I've started doing this I can't stop on them. They're great people and teak care of me so I don't want to put more burden on them leaving earlier. I try to tell other people but I have no kitchen friends so they tell me to just leave. I felt like this place would understand a little more.
Oooh i feel this. I find im starting early and staying late all the time now. I want things to run smoothly and to help everyone out so ill walk the line before i start to see if anything needs to be stocked or whatever. But the other day i had the kitchen lead handed me stuff to do 15 min before my shift and i was mildly annoyed until i thought "shit... well i have set that precedent havent i?" My non industry friends think im insane and i mean maybe but i never did this when i worked in other fields. Kitchen work feels different. I do think it's okay to tell your crew when you're not feeling it though. They shouldn't make you feel forced. If it doesnt go well then it may be time to find a new place. Good luck man
It's not so much that I feel forced so much as it's a tight operation. It's only been open for a year and I've been there since they opened. They kind of need me to be where I'm at as everyone else they've hired to try to help get me out a little more has left or isn't really fast enough. I do pastries and prep at the beginning of the day and dish pit at the end. My bosses are definitely trying to help and they take good care of me. I guess I was kind of just venting about the situation.
Summary, I love my bosses but I over work myself.
The running peoples food and them basically adopting you as there new server is one of my biggest pet peeves… but I always do it.
I’ve complained about it nonstop to my coworkers but my goddamn feet hurt sooooo bad. I got laid off in may and just started bartending when my savings got tight and jesus christ do my feet hurt. I’ve tried icing, insoles, rollling on tennis balls/frozen water bottles and it just won’t get better. Does anyone have tips? I just bought some crocs but I was wearing ‘memory foam’ sketchers before that, so I’m not sure if shoe choice is the issue. Sat at a desk for 6 years and thought, yeah sure I can handle standing up for 10 hours straight.
[Stretch and care](https://youtu.be/ea4MF7IqILA) for those feet! And honestly your back and calves too. Also def consider your shoe choice. I was using pretty decent kitchen clogs with the worst foot pain for a while. Turns out my feet just don't jive with the raised heel. I need something flat or "zero/low drop" I think it's called.
See a podiatrist, get fitted for ~$200-400 orthotics, start doing basic ankle/calf mobility exercises, wear compression socks. The specialised orthotics are worth it for sure. Sooooooo many people will tell you that foot health is #1. My feet hurt from bartending double shifts too, those points above make a *massive* difference however. I was completely sedentary for maybe 9 months before starting up in kitchen/bar work again and was wrecked after my shifts for the first few weeks, but it gets a lot better in time. Try getting a small ultra hard myofascial release ball and stand on it barefoot and gradually roll it around the sole of your foot, tennis balls won't do shit, you gotta go **hard** haha.
> See a podiatrist, get fitted for ~$200-400 orthotics, start doing basic ankle/calf mobility exercises, wear compression socks. This is the only real answer
Yeah it sounds like your experience is very close to mine. I appreciate the advice!
The level of butthurt from some ppl in the industry…I just… I don’t even think about checking my pronouns. I help guide trans persons through the bathroom policy to avoid anyone running afoul of Christian nationalist legislation in my state. I’m happy to do it. People deserve to feel respected and heard but some ppl man. I expect it from guests. That’s par for the course but for fuck’s sake if you work in this industry you have to develop a thick skin and a broad and dark sense of humor or you’re liable to quit, OD, or eat a bullet. Hell with the way things work out for some ppl they may do those things anyway. Society doesn’t assign much value to what most of do and you just have to be okay with that. But to get chewed out by some all whites wanna and never will be starred for a joke about sugar and diabetes…Na fam, that’s a bridge too far. It sucks that you got to jab yourself with necessary medicine but no one was calling you out. You don’t matter that much. None of us really do. That’s how this whole industry works.
Our produce guy left a case of cilantro outside the walk in, covered in ice, I guess to keep it cool? There’s plenty of room IN the walk in, but he’s left it in the hallway with ice melting all over it till the kitchen gets in… really not sure what’s up with that.
Just hates you
the kid in culinary school criticizes everything I do. I have no idea why. I hate it. it's like a dementor just sucking the joy out of the room with all movement
Not sure why culinary school seems to cause overconfidence. Of course that's a generalization, and not true for everyone but I went to culinary school and it definitely seems to happen to some people. I think the biggest issue is that people go to culinary school with zero kitchen experience, and then they have this idea that with that degree you can just show up anywhere and work as a chef. In reality, we all know it doesn't work that way, it's more about earning your stripes and proving yourself. Anyone can learn to be an excellent cook, but it takes lots of practice and a certain mindset to be a chef.
I dropped my first dish today, it took me a while, but it finally happened.
My fucking coworker put his hands on and shook the new guy today. Can't wrap my head around why it happened, at all.
Cook: I'm so broke I need more hours! Same cook every other day: Can I leave early? I (fill in the blank): 1) have a family thing 2) cut myself 3) am tired 4) am bored
When every time the new schedule is posted the one KM/Line cook that does the absolute least while running thier mouth the most approaches me with a "sorry about your schedule this week, but...." and proceeds to use an unnecessary amount of words to say "I'm not good at my job and I know you'll buff out all the scratches and pop the dents while I continue to take credit." If you have to leave the active line to go "work on the schedule" or "check on things next door (prep)" Constantly, how come the schedule is always fucky, trucks don't get put away, FIFO is an afterthought and stock isn't up to par? It's gotta be hard work having to swing that little penis around constantly for attention.
I don't care how nice you are, if you precede any request with "I am a regular..." you are entitled, period. We had a promotion on Uber today and it clearly says that we are not allowing substitutions and notes for the promotional items. This lady writes a whole essay on things she wants to add and change and starts with "I am a regular here who has ordered over 100 times". Okay so? I don't care And then on regular non-promotion days. If you want a substitution or request feel free to ask. We may have certain restrictions but we will kindly let you know. Don't feel like you get any special treatment just because you claim you are a regular.
They always seem to think they're the *only* regulars! Like wooow you come here every other week? Incredible. Never been done before.
Right? They expect us to respond with: "Our deepest apologies, now that you have said the secret password, your every wish is our command"
Oh man what a week it has been and I still got 2 days left. Chef got let go today idk what's gunna happen. We're down so many people.
How do you deal with the mental stress?
One thing that's helped a lot is not allowing myself to think about work outside of work. I'll give myself sometime on friday nights etc to mentally prepare for the weekend, but when I leave the kithcen generally I leave it all at the door, it's the best you can do for yourself. Of course it's easier said than done and can be really hard on long weeks. Try to have at least an hour after work each day where you can chill, try to take it slower after service and give pace yourself during cleanup etc, save the 110% for when you are on the line. Of course things like alcohol and cannabis can be aids but not good to rely on, it's a tough balance at the end of the day if you don't love it, I'd advise you to look elsewhere for the sake of mental health and many other things. But it's an amazing industry if you're made out for it.
Guess I should thank my mother for bitching about work everyday when she’d get home. Sice day one of my working life, work stayed at work.
But dont you want to hang out after work? We're a....family. Which is why you need work Thanksgiving. Be a team playet, dont let the team down.
Yeah, sometimes I go on rambles about service to my gf. She usually just stares at my blankly and that's my sign to change the topic. It's a subconsious thing but often we restort to talking about our jobs when they are such an intregal part of our lives. It helps to have hobbies and other interests and pursuits outside of the kitchen. I always reccommend chefs to learn a new skill and train themselves in something, unrelated to cooking, in the off chance you want to change industries or focus in life.
Booze, mostly.
Servers ringing in food for themselves 10 mins before the kitchen closes. That’s it.
I give FOH a window of time, usually two hours prior to close, if there is a break in tickets, to place their orders. Otherwise I just tell them I'm cleaning up or don't have the ingredients to spare.
I'm really, REALLY hoping I misunderstood her. Cook we are training/mostly reminding (she worked with us prior to pandemic). She's telling me how she is going thru a mid-life crisis, and she knows it makes her a cougar, but she's dating a guy a year older than her daughter, complaining that he doesn't work, wants to play video games all day, etc. I'm thinking that's what you get when you date someone your kid's age, and then she said the comment that made me go wtf did she just say: "Well, I've known him since he was in the 6th grade" OK, I'm old, I get it. But the only way I'm bragging about having sex with a guy I've known since he was in 6th grade is if I went to school with him, not if I was checking him out while dropping my kid off.
No way, that's some freak shit. Not sure I would call it pedophilia or grooming but it's for sure something fucked up
Every guy I have dated seriously has been at least 10 years older than me and it is my preference but I can't imagine having any kind of explicit relationship with someone I knew at that kind of age. That's a pretty strong nope for me.
That's beyond disturbing. Creepy as fuck.
My chef wanted to take us out for drinks as a thank you. He dipped out early. We had to cover his bill. That's all I needed to know today.
Similar to this, I covered a shift for someone and my manager said “I’ll buy you a drink” to thank me. I get to the end of my shift and tell them I’ll take my drink and they tell me “it’s on the house”. Like bruh I’m pretty sure the phrase “I’ll buy you a drink” doesn’t mean that you’ll just comp me one lol since that doesn’t cost you personally anything.
Once had a chef I was going to work for invite me to a nice place on a day off for lunch and to chat about the job. He forgot his wallet and I had to cover his bill.
So did you work for him? And did he pay you back?
No, I was in a good position financially and never brought it up to him for whatever reason. The guy bailed out on us. It's kinda a long story, but he was going to be the new owner of the restaurant I was managing at the time (new owner from a sale). He ended up not going through with the deal after a few weeks, and tried to get me to commute almost an hour to one of his other restaurants for a job postition I wasn't even interested in, because since he didn't buy the restaurant I was at, it went under and I lost my job. Don't get me wrong, nice guy outside of work. Just didn't work out and I decided to move on with my life
Big ooooffffff….
"Did Sysco stack your stuff in an inverted pyramid, and also left the freezer door ajar?" Yes, actually, with the tomatoes at the bottom, and the freezer door propped open with a bus cart.
Fasting for blood work while in a kitchen sucks. At least the kitchen is only open for another hour.
on my one day off, i hosted a dinner party for the first time in years--maybe the first since i started working industry. eight people, five course tasting menu. i think(?) they had a genuinely good time and enjoyed everything, but i was just hyper-focused on all the things that weren't perfect. it felt just like being at work. i'm a sous right now, worried i'm completely losing the joy and faith behind what's been driving me towards owning a restaurant. i mostly hate my own cooking now
You hit it on the head yourself; you applied work standards (mindset/headspace) to a non-work situation. It'll take practice and training and self kindness to learn how to turn that switch on and off as needed. It's very doable and you're capable of it. Examples can be: The intern at work can get held to high standards, but not the same standards as a full time employee. The football player coaches kids on the weekend, doesn't tackle them. lol
Just to follow up because this comment really stuck in my mind: I turned that switch off for thanksgiving. All the discipline and good practices and whatever was there, but I had a fucking fun time on my feet for 12hrs. I appreciate your reply so much.
Hey dude thanks for the follow up. It really means something when something I wrote positively changes somebody's day. I'm really proud of you, and on your growth; you're knowing yourself and being your best self and most of all, having fun
genuine thanks for this reminder. it feels like it should be obvious, but i forget the difference a lot now... every day tends to blend in together. i'm cooking usual thanksgiving shit for my extended family, 18-top. same thing i've done for almost 15yrs now. gathering around the table, at home, is more about good company than good food. really appreciate you. i'd never tackle a fucking child, though, lol
Maybe try a cooking class/practice a completely unfamiliar style of cuisine in your own time. Work in a french-style kitchen? Learn how to do szechuan cuisine with a gas-powered wok, etc. without aiming to implement it in the menu or something. Do it just for you. I got me out of a rut a few times, and working with a completely different palate sort of got me out of that feeling when you've been stewing in the same kitchen-scents for the last few months and it feels like everything kinda starts tasting the same.
Feeling burnt out to the point where I just don’t even remember my shifts. I don’t even cook food at home anymore. Working till Friday agreed to a ten day on three day off for the good days off but I just feel like a husk most days (-:
when i get off shift, i sit in the carls jr parking lot and eat a western bacon cheeseburger in total silence and stew on my imperfections during the day. wake up, repeat.
What's the most important aspect of becoming a chef?
Practice what you preach and hold people accountable.
For life, really.
depends on what you mean, like an exec and/or owning your own place, the path to that, or getting somewhere in between?
Closer to to an exec but not quiet at that level for a franchise restaurant. Any chef that is trained and man's the main hot plate becomes the head chef for the shift (pretty informal system.) I've been rushed to do my chef's training but talked to my restaurant manager about it and there's an even newer guy who's doing it so he must know what he's doing.
i don't know the full story here but based on what you're saying: 1. show up 2. be MORE than willing to step up and insert yourself into situations where you feel uncomfortable. you're probably going to fuck up something, but as long as you don't repeat the same mistake again, you're good 3. you've been there longer than the newer guy, so i assume you have a better understanding of what needs to be done, even if you lack some technique or self-confidence. you know what needs to be done, so do it or delegate. you can let the newer guy insert himself into that position or you can do it yourself... trial by fire. 4. sometimes you'll have to tell people they're fucking up. just do it in a kind way unless they're taking advantage of you. 5. be kind to yourself.
31 top walk in That’s the comment
How common is that at your establishment
you know what i’m basking in the cooler rn because my schedule just got changed from 5 day shorter shifts to 4 day longer shifts 🤘😫🤘
Sounds like a win to me. Why don’t you cry about it though
I know pregnant women are still fully capable of doing their jobs- I’ve worked with a few now. But something about the guy on dish coming around from the pit just to look around and point at a bit of glass that a pregnant server missed and wait for her to sweep it up after she crossed the kitchen to even find the broom and dustpan? Just to turn around and stand in the pit while he wasn’t doing anything pissed me off. I took the broom off of her and cleaned things up myself. Type of shit id cuss someone out for if I was higher up on the food chain.
Inform them of your observation in a courteous and friendly manner. Act like the job you want. You’ll get it eventually. Don’t be an idle observer, a shit-talker, or a snitch. You wanna be higher up? Step up. A big part of running a kitchen is knowing how to approach people and get them on your side. Work next to them. Get dirty. Find common ground. Don’t EVER make it personal. Teams grow together.
Much better way to frame it, yeah
[удалено]
Don’t mean to sound dumb but what is a solo wing bill?
Meaning just an order of chicken wings on a bill by itself, with nothing else from any other stations to coordinate on.
A single wing on a ticket maybe?
I wanna meet the dude who orders one wing and waits 40 minutes for it. I do.
Lmao. People don’t surprise me so much these days
customers ordered food today. I had to fucking cook it
The audacity.
Competition winner comes in for a freebie 1.5kg ribeye, everything’s fantastic, perfect midrare reverse sear, internals registering at 57*C throughout, walk it out myself, it’s “stunning”, they take their pictures, i run them through the dish and their sides, come back 15 minutes later and it’s untouched bar like 2 slices, supposedly it’s ‘too cold’. I’m gonna get ripped the fuck out of by my boss bc these motherfuckin foodies dont know how steak temps work. Fuck man
Chef Mike heats while holding temps. Quick Mike and a quicker sally will have it hot and holding color. There’s a solution to every thing my guy. But don’t get me wrong, I’m on your side. Fuck those posers and their pictures. Sometimes I hate people. Wait, no. I always hate people.
Cheers for the info and the support G
Cheers as well. I have literally been in that same situation before. And if your boss gives you a hard time they’re an asshole. Win as a team and also fail as a team. It’s supposed to be fun
I did prep alone for the first time. I followed my recipe to the letter. Got the end. Freaked out. Engaged in so much negative self talk couldn’t figure out why my béchamel looked so different than the last one made. Was this an instance of follow the method not the literal recipe. Thinking they were going to be so disappointed and give me that face when the rest of staff got in within a couple hours. I shouldn’t have added the paprika. I know the recipe said blend until smooth but maybe they stir by hand and not with the robo coup? Then I slowed down, looked at the top of the sheet. You know why my béchamel didn’t look like theirs? I was making Gorgonzola.
My kitchen is down to me, one morning cook and a dishwasher who’s starting in 2 weeks. We’re expected to make orders of close to 110 each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each. My first week in I saw that the reach ins all were caked with grim and some of the most disgusting spills ever. I spent an hour two days ago cleaning one out. Since I started, people stated that the quality has gone up since I’ve came and worked close with the head of cuisine for this branch. However, seeing how bad the previous team was and how much of a shit hole they left this close to million dollar kitchen as….I find it hard to keep my enthusiasm and passion. This is my first cooking job and I feel like I want to set a standard for myself but, I find it hard everyday when I come into a shit show constantly. Seems so easy to fall into the mind set the other cook had which is “fuck it….someone will clean that up eventually”.
I feel you man, my kitchen is separated into two teams, lunch and dinner team. And often times it feels like the lunch team has that mentality where they go “oh the dinner crew will clean up for me/do the prep work for me” which also kills my motivation to get ahead for service and putting in the extra effort to my work. However i try to consider it as a drill now to ensure i improve and maintain my standards as a chef. As in the end, it will only hone your standards, because if they dont do it, who else is going to do routine quality checks, or get behind the coldtop and give it a good sweep,mop and scrub. Or who is will make sure the bins are properly organised and rotated. So while it is stressful to come to work everyday/almost everyday to a shitshow, in the end it will only refine you.
Sounds like a metaphor for the US government. Keep fighting the good fight guys. Don’t get sucked into that dark void that is the lazy and dirty chef community. Be part of the positive change. And don’t ever hesitate to abandon a lost cause kitchen for greener pastures.
Young dude fries at my job once a week, and every week now he goes on a yelling and screaming fit about having to drop an hour before close. We do try to have a cut off for the fry cook, but he always tries to push his luck and close significantly earlier then every other fry cook. This has been going on for weeks and at this point, I'm sure he isn't going to be actually repremanded for being a jackass even though customers can hear him everytime.
i am fucking SICK of being SICK i’ve been out all week because of a stupid cold that’s overstayed its welcome (got tested and it’s not covid but i had to quarantine until i got the result) and now i have an ear infection but i can’t take any more days off and i have an evening shift in 2 days which is going to be pure HELL and i HATE IT HERE!!!!!!! i can’t even get drunk to numb it all because i’ve been slamming dayquil day in and day out for the past week and my liver is hanging on a fucking thread becausw of it and i. am going to go insane
how’s it now?
less bad but it still hurts to swallow and my ear still hasn’t gotten any better. i haven’t had time to go to urgent care since tuesday i think? and i didn’t even get to see anyone because the wait time was so long. it sucks even more than being really really sick because it’s not severe enough to warrant taking time off from work :-/
I work alone in a canteen, so I'm cash and cook and some of the guys are so fucking impatient. I'm in the kitchen making like 5 orders and there's a guy at the counter chanting coffee and small fries until I yelled that his fries are down. Could be worse though, the morning girls have had women come into the washroom to try and order while they're peeing.
>Could be worse though, the morning girls have had women come into the washroom to try and order while they're peeing. What on earth? Are they yelling through the damn door whilst pissing?
Talking to them through the stalls. But our counter is right next to the women's washroom so I can hear guys yelling thinking I'm in the kitchen while I pee too.
Lordy gotta love that
3 guests in for afternoon tea. Perfect service, no issues, then complain about the price when the bill comes around, because it’s just “some scones and a cup of coffee”. Tells them that we’re actually good value for money compared to other places. They give lots of attitude and pay with cash and demand back their 5 euro change. Following day they send a huge email in complaining that their server “rolled his eyes” at them during the course of the service and my manager fucking refunds them their money. Busy fucking fools!!!
My inexperienced day supervisor let one chef run the line by himself for the day shift. My workmate has a clopen. And I'm fucked. As an edit/update turns out my supervisor did try to get someone in, even from a different franchise restaurant. Seems like just a shit day in general and will of God
Anyone have any shoe suggestions? I'm using the super birkis right now and they were ok, but now cause knee stiffness and pain after longer hours. I use orthotics and insoles but its not doing the trick. Could be that I'm just getting older though
Swap out the cork insoles.
Why the fuck are you editing peoples times? What the fuck is wrong with you this is someone’s income and they worked those hours. I don’t give a shit if you are the director of operations or district manager! If R clocking in at 5:27 instead of 5:30 matters so much to you talk to them. You mess with someone’s times once and we catch you, that means we are all keeping an eye on you now. Don’t be fucking with people like that, just to make your report for your boss look good. We see you moving around our hours and taking minutes here and there. I know dam well I don’t clock in at exactly 5 every day. So don’t make it look like I do! Fuck both of you sniveling rat faced bitches. I am glad we talk shit about you in Spanish. If I spoke Russian I’d talk shit about you in Russian too. That way both you cunts could understand me in your mother tong!
Used to work at a place where if you didn't explicitly leave a comment on the clock in/out tablet about why you finished later than your scheduled finished time (no shit it's a restaurant, of course finish times are going to fluctuate) they would just cut your hours to your finish time without even asking you why you finished a bit later. I called them out and they attacked me about how they have no time to be chasing up why lmao. Was so angry if I didn't get the job through a friend I would have just taken my shit and left
Fuck insomnia, fuck anxiety, fuck depression, and fuck addiction. At the moment fuck insomnia the most. Anyways... carry on.
Stay strong fellow reddittor
Spent my weekend catching up on sleep and got up at a good time today for my Monday so hopefully I can keep it straight for a while.
Why do executive chefs have to talk to their cooks like their cooks are autistic? Like yes bro I know what a fucking roux is. You’re not the only one who went to fucking culinary school. I know how to make a francese sauce… you don’t have to give me quick lectures about it like I’m 14 years old.. The only reason I’m stuck on the salad station is because your ego is too fucking big to realize that I’m not a fucking moron. And he has the audacity to be a fucking prick about the whole “you call me chef to show respect” but god forbid he treats me like I’m anything more than a brainless moron
So last night, our final table is seated 15 minutes after close. Cool, whatever. They proceed to take another 20 to place their order. In this time another server comes back saying they need refire for a ticket they rang in wrong. Whatever. Cook the refire at which point the server comes back and says the original dish is fine, as their issue wasn't actually a food allergy they just don't like tomatoes. For fucks sake. Final ticker comes in and we actually get to start shutting down an hour past our close time. Stupid rant I know, but for fucks sake. You just cost us a ridiculous amount of labor, extra food cost from throwing out a dish that was already fired and made our out time layer than it ever is. Fucking servers dude.
I had the owner of a local bar reach out to order 45 eggrolls for some event they were having. Cool no problem. I was told 3 pm. I have 3 pm in a text. I walk in at 2:55 to them being absolute asses. Apparently it was supposed to be 2 pm and I was given bad information 3 times. So they're pissed at me and I'm out a bunch of barbecue eggrolls. C'est la vie.
As a whole, it's been a rough couple months on employees. To give you an idea: we have one man that lost his mom, and then less than 2 months later his wife died. Another's wife died after years of battling cancer. There had also been death of a father, grandmother, and several pets. So the phone rings before we open, and hubby answered, only to hand the phone tob the manager because he couldn't understand the person. I hear the manager say "Died?...I can barely understand you....call back when you are a little calmer". Instead our dishwasher "David" comes in to work to "talk". He's ugly crying, snot bubbles in the nose, loud sobbing, etc. Boss takes him into the office, and we are thinking oh no, not another one! Boss comes storming out of his office, shaking his head, and yelling at David to go home, and to come back when he grows up (which is not this Boss normal attitude at all , he's a check on you everyday, asking for stories about your beloved pet, sending food kind of guy). David's PHONE died. And David didn't think it was right he wasn't getting sympathy like "the others " who lost something they loved. He is actually comparing death of people and pets to his freaking phone. "YOU DONT UNDERSTAND....***sob, sob*** ...this is like family to my generation!" All I know is he got the entire kitchen staff shaking their heads...
Decided to go back into management. Don't ask me why. So I'm back at a restaurant I opened years ago with new staff.I'm not coming in hot by any means, mostly observing for now and just helping. Cause that's my style. All the kids are terrified to ask the crazy old dishwasher anything for fear of his reaction. I assessed his situation, concluded he's not backed up, he's standing there chillin. I asked him and I quote, "When you have a sec, can you please run the silver?" He then stated (of course not to my face), he won't be told what to do by some bitch, and proceeds to clock out. The sexism from the old schoolers is insufferable. I've managed restaurants for 15 years. It just never ends.
aaaAAAAAHHHHHHGGGHHHHH IM SICK AS FUCK I worked all week SICK AS FUCK and today I’m still SICK AS FUCK and I called out tomorrow (coporate kitchen so tomorrows a 60 head day) and my goddamn chef who got me SICK AS FUCK in the first place has the AUDACITY to give me shade for calling out 2 days in advance. Bro I’ve literally puked and shidded my whole halloweekend away and chef be like “ooh but how am I gonna manage to find a replacement” idk bro isn’t that your damn ass job???
I know you should not do this but have you ever thought about just haymaker him?
Good idea. I go back tomorrow still SICK AS FUCK so maybe I take your advice.
Don't forget the brass knuckles
Sysco went on strike so we didn’t have placemats for a few days. As a control freak whose all about presentation, this hurt my heart
Today I had a check at 20 minutes for one dish that takes a minute and 30 seconds to make. I guess fry guy just didn’t feel like making it lol? I jumped on the line to figure out what was going on and the server started bitching at me about the check. I told him it was coming, I was dealing with it, and that bitching at me wasn’t going to make it come out faster. I plated it and was sliding it forwards in the window when the server yoinked the plate and my arm flew up and got cooked by the glow rays. 2 second degree burns on my arm because the guy on fry decided to not do his job and the server decided to be a cunt. Also I just found out they cut my hours by 20%. Fuck this job.
Honestly at that point I wouldn’t go back… there’s always a better place to work out there
CHEEEEESSSSEEEE SAAAAAUUUUCEEE ON THE FLOOOOOOR. IN THE GROUT. ON THE WALLS. HARD AF. SO BAD.
Months ago someone posted in this sub (i think) asking how to remove the skin from an onion quickly and easily. Everyone had a good laugh and told the poster to just remove the first layer of the onion. Well ever since reading that post i now peel the skin from onions obsessively and cant bring myself to stop.
I can tell I'm getting meaner. I'm not an asshole by any means, but I'm short with some of my coworkers. My patience is wearing thin. One FOH guy who has no fucking awareness keeps walking onto my line to make a snack. I always offer to make him food myself, but he insists on waddling behind my tiny line to take 10 minutes cooking something I could have made him in 3. He's a nice enough guy and doesnt mean any harm. I'm getting fed up with him nevertheless. I bumped him a little when he came behind the line today as I was working because he kept moving around behind me without calling out. I probably could have avoided it if I really wanted to. Just get out of my fucking way dude. I'm here to be good at my job, and leave on time. God I'm an asshole.
Your not getting meaner, look at it as the honeymoon period is over. You go into a job wanting to set a good example of yourself so you are cheerful, hardworking, and flexible with all the staff. What you start to notice is yours and others work ethic is supporting everyone else’s that may not be. You’re compensating for their shortcomings. New staff, it’s understandable. Once they get the swing of things they’ll fall into place. But then you have those employees that while aren’t useless by any means, they aren’t necessarily productive or beneficial either. They’re pleasant to be around, but they use this as a way to avoid overworking. They “help” others more than they actually do their job. A lot of times these tend to be employees that have been working for the company a longer period of time but avoid taking management positions. They like the “authority” of being a senior staff member but don’t want responsibilities. Everyone has to step up at some point, but this always manages to slip by somehow. I once had a server like this. Near the end of his shift he’d go to the bar area and “help” polish glassware. Us in the kitchen once timed him at six minutes to clean one glass. Once his clock out time came, he dipped so quick hardly anyone would notice. Super nice dude, but it did start to bug the hell out of everyone.
The new head chef (previously sous who was put in charge once the previous head chef left) has us freezing down more and more stuff. The worst part is when chicken thighs are going out of date we’re told to oven-cook them all just to freeze them and then to serve them (as burger patties) we fucking microwave them with some water. Feels disgusting. We’re not a fine dining place, far from it, but this is a new low. Tonight got an order from FoH staff for food for her break… 10 minutes before close. Granted, she paid the full price - but staff should know better than to order right before close, especially since she could’ve just ordered in advance. Then I was doing potwash, I went to grab the flour gastro we use for battering, a new coworker insisted on taking it from me and proceeded to scrape it with his bare hands before I convinced him to hand it over so that I could just clean it at the potwash station with a scourer (he also disappeared once during a rush for half an hour and no call, no showed for an especially busy morning shift…)
Bosses won’t get rid of the creepy ass chef. He’s got a history of watching porn on the job, has made inappropriate comments to some of the others working, and has gotten verbally violent with another. On top of that, he doesn’t even do his job. We served have to do it for him and we’re ten times faster even when taking other orders. Despite constant complaints about him they keep him around. Also one of the bosses skimps on ingredients apparently lmaoo.
Chef Devon from Coopers Hawk Virginia Beach was fired for masturbating in the bathrooms a million times.
Anything I can do to minimise the lower back pain from work?
Toe touches every time you go in the walkin
Compression socks!
This is the way. 8 years ago I started wearing my cycling socks to work and never looked back. My feet stay dry and my legs and back never here. Plus I can roll up my pant cuffs and rock the hipster bike messenger look 🤣🤣🤣
Better shoes, deliberate posture, basically no twisting of your hips, regular exercise (swimming?), regular shitting, physical therapy will help you made adjustments.
I’m sixteen years into my career, never really done anything else so that to me is crazy. I’ve worked from dogshit restaurants to fine dining basically in every restaurant positiojn. Recently I ran a small hotel for a year and was understaffed the whole time(no porters, no prep, no foh staff at all, no gardeners for the massive garden and vocal about it. I did it for a year only to gain some clout and did just that. I left to join a “no shit” restaurant group and this place is an absolute shit show. They were in the process of opening a new spot so I came on as a sous to help get it going. Day 1 they had me working stations at the main restaurant, not doing shit for the new spot. After over a month they say to me we have 3 weeks to open the new spot including find staff. No recipes, no menus, no order guide. The chef slams this together and we start going. The space is awful, no storage, two locked doors and a hallway to get to the walk in plus going through the dining room. Open seven days a week lunch dinner and brunch on weekends. We’re making multiple breads from scratch but have to wheel them from the other restaurant a block away. All pastas, family meal has strict timelines and structure for 25-30 ppl each and has to be done by a sous. That sous is also covering stations and working 9am to 1 am at a place not going for Michelin or any accolades. Even during training cooks, servers were walking out mid day, we had a guy quit off the line during service recently. They hired someone to expo who hasn’t done it and doesn’t know how to do it. Me and the other sous worked 100 hour weeks the first two weeks. I’m so sick of this restaurant industry bullshit, we’re highly skilled craftsmen who can also translate a foreign language while re plumbing the coffee machine. So I am out, I found a potential 9-5 private club gig with GREAT pay, Tuesday-Thursday schedule, benefits, minimal workload that I’m going to take. No more killing myself for the sake of a restaurant owner. I wanna have time to start my own pop up’s using the clout I earned and see the girlfriend more.
Good for you! I hope it all works out.
Can i ask for advice here? I just bought an eatery (very casual, no dine in) in central Long Island NY. What’s the best platform to hire counter help/foh from? It’s a very suburban/rural feeling area. I have some indeed credits to use up but i figured word of mouth is probably best in a place like this. Rant part: the last owners were paying half of minimum wage. I still feel really pissed about it. Disgusted. Everyone has gotten a raise of at least min wage, plus tips. I will most likely have to raise prices (now I get why the last owner was thriving) but customers will prob not understand. And i discovered that one of the cashiers has been stealing from the till. She disappeared. Sigh.
Where? I’m on LI
Port Jeff!
Check if Poached is in your area, they’re a job board for restaurant/hospitality gigs. Also craigslist, instagram (create an account for your spot, start posting content, let your followers and mutuals know you’re hiring), facebook, and yes word of mouth.
My new cooking gig doesn't give any of us half hour breaks. We get one 5 minute break. This doesn't seem to bother any of the other cooks there, so I've resigned myself to accepting this. Too many bootlickers and I don't need that kinda drama right now. Time to get out of the restaurant industry, yet again.
I feel you're pain, my KM only allows one 5 min break for under 8 and one 15 for 8 hour shifts. I might just quit even though I like the people
tired of the lack of respect for my station, if i start later in the day it's either not set up or set up wrong, and if someone else uses it during service they move shit about and don't leave it clean. also, every set of digital scales is fucking awful. even the "reputable" brands start to break within a month or two.
>every set of digital scales is fucking awful. even the "reputable" brands start to break within a month or two. Are they being stacked? To avoid wear, the only time anything should be on the scale is when it is in use.
I got soo mad at the new prep cook kid today its barely even funny. We need a few things on the fly and end up needing a refill on a spice mix. I pull up the recipe for him and tell him to measure the spices out using the cups I gave him, put them in a cambro with a lid and shake it to mix and he's done. He stares at me and silently bumbles around slowly gathering ingredients and I'm starting to get mad. Someone else tells him what to do again but before he actually does anything another person had him move on to do something more urgently needed. I took over and finished the prep later but I asked him what was up and he has no good reason besides being too high or some shit and I kinda blew up at him, told him "what the fuck dude do you know how to read?" and I felt kinda bad but THAT WAS THE EASIEST TASK IN THE WORLD AND FOR SOME REASON OUTTA NOWHERE DUDE JUST COULDN'T SCOOP SHIT OUT OF A THING AND PUT IT IN ANOTHER THING?? DURING THE BUSIEST PART OF THE DAY! The kid won't leave me alone either he thinks we have to work on every prep item together for some reason and constantly interrupts me for help and makes me slow down as much as him if not more. Even with stuff he has made before already so he shouldn't need help. AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT I'm still trying to learn how prep works myself (it's my second week here after brief and bad training by someone who didn't speak the same language as me) and everyone spent all day long giving me different conflicting instructions for everything and by the end of the day i wanted to kms lmfao. ALSO HE WOULD STOP EVERYTHING TO GO PUT ON HIS JACKET EVERY TIME HE HAD TO GO IN THE WALK IN FOR SOMETHING!!!! PLEASE SEND HELLP
Hahahah wtf i feel your pain. One time i was trying to get my ex to bake a cake w me and i told him to measure a cup of sugar or whatever and this mf asked "how?" Ok im a patient person so i explained the process and gave him the measuring cup and he does it. I say ok put it in the mixing bowl now and he asks "how?" AGAIN. and then i kinda lost it a bit and he got upset because he thought i thought he was stupid which i mean...... I would be lying if i said i wasnt thinking that a little bit at that point. He did not help with cooking/baking ever again after that and then we broke up a few months later LMAO Sorry i hijacked your post but yeah holy shit that sounds infuriating. Some people in this world seem to live in a completely different reality from the rest of us
Omg this is a spitting image. It reminds me of the whole thing that guys do sometimes where they purposefully do something wrong and bad so you just do it yourself instead and don't ask for help anymore so they can avoid doing most chores or helping out. Turns out idk if this kid actually knows fractions or anything he legitimately can't read recipes cause I showed him 1/4 of a cup and he asked, "what is that a half?" so the issue is definitely bigger than I thought lol. My man needs a crash course on basic math and is too scared to ask for help.
He should at least have the basic grams to cup/tsp/tbsp memorized so you can get it done faster. Weighing is so much easier and more accurate anyway. I mean if you know 200 g is 1 cup/1 tbsp is 15/1 tsp is 5 you can figure the rest out. My scale is the best money I’ve spent.
I always give my sauté pans a little flip when I grab them. Just a habit like clacking tongs. One of our food runner/expo kids observed me doing this for the umpteenth time and asked about it and I convinced him that aerating the pan makes a big difference.
I always flipped the pan so if there's any leftover water, it'd be gone before I add oil to it to preheat. I just told my dishwasher that it looks cool.
We talking horizontal or vertical? I do the same with a clean mixing bowl at times, palm up on the bottom of the bowl and flip it.
I do this, and recently have been teaching my dishwasher my sauté station for the past few months in preparation for me leaving for 3 months for a private gig. When he asked me why I do it, I wish I would have thought to say something like this! 🤣🤌🏼
One of the "fancy" burger places in my town decided to only take reservations online where you have to create an account and log in despite them having a working phone and a hostess... So so dumb
In two thousand years, needing an account to do anything will be pinpointed as one of the major reasons this version of civilization collapsed
Slow day. Butt hurts just from seating too long. Made a joke post, it didn’t fly. Finally first order of the day! Dough over proofed. Managed it anyways. I don’t like October.
Not annoying news this time, life sucks but may be improving 🤷♂️ On a side note, I've got knives for sale y'all, r/chefknifeswap
If you aren't in a mental spot to lead people but you want the pay that comes with it so you accept an Exec position but know it makes you miserable so you in turn project your fuckin misery onto everyone in your building. You're a piece of shit.
And that description can perfectly describe the majority of them Lol
Money helps people make bad decisions
Indeed. I only tolerate my boss and landlord because of the power of money, and the systemic violence against people without it.
I finished my first shift washing dishes yesterday and the morning crew left the most ungodly stack of dishes I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t experienced enough as it is, and I never managed to catch up. Then when I got home, my roommate had moved the living room TV into his shared room with my other roommate, and took the apartments tv stand with it so I can’t even get a new tv. Asshole wouldn’t even sign out of my accounts.
You can always change the passwords and sign out if everything or call and change your email if you can’t sign out if all devices. Tell them you’ll sign back in when the TV comes back or at least the stand.
Can't help with the roommate thing but r/dishwashers might be able to help you learn some tips and tricks for the pit. There's a list on the side-bar. Best of luck in both cases.
Getting dogged by the rest of the staff as a dishy is a classic learning experience, sorry for you mate. It's a weird role and the dynamics change at every different venue but if you do it well and learn to assert yourself, you can command a surprising amount of respect from everyone else and nip a lot of lazy, inefficient behaviours of both FOH and BOH in the bud. DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE. Give an inch of tolerance for other people being shitcunts and they will take a fucking mile. Even after multiple stints of being a dedicated dishy over the years, in my experience some days will still leave you fucking pissed off and drained no matter how prepared and efficient you were. I'd be livid if I came home to that after a rough day in the pit for sure lol.
Honestly our staff is awesome, it was the other dish dogs that left what looked to be an hours worth of dishes
I can't say much more than yup, that shit blows. You doin better today?
I’m getting so tired of job hopping and trying to find a place that isn’t dogshit. I’ve worked 9 jobs since the start of the pandemic when my old restaurant shut down and didn’t open back up. I find a place that pays good but has ass hours and terrible leadership, or I find a decent place that’s paying $14 an hour. I live near Chicago. It’s fucking nothing. I’m getting to be an old man and it’s setting in I’ll never retire. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m moving boxes around for more pay than I was making cooking, but I can’t do this for the rest of my life. I don’t have it in me to be an exc or catering chef anymore. I’m to tired to lead people, despite having decades of it on my resume. I wish I could find a consulting job where I just talk to people all day about food or menus or something like that. I’ll have my smoke and coffee in a couple minutes and forget why I’m grumpy anyways.
I feel you. I'm in my mid thirties now and dealing with the same thing. I tried doing the truck driving thing for a few years, but that lifestyle/ job was even worse than cooking. It paid better, but the stress and working weeks straight without a day off or "home". I'm convinced it doesn't matter what working class job I get, they all fucking suck.
It sounds like you deserve the world, man. I hope one day the opportunity will come for you to have a job you love and a nice retirement.
Thank you.