General Rant

[Cheffy]

Originally Posted by Gummy-Bear

Well,
At first I wanted to be a chef, until I realized that I wouldn't get to be out and about much and talking to people would be hard. I'm an extreme extrovert and need people. So I figured that catering would be the job for me.
I have heard that the job is not consistent, which is fine, I live off of tips as a waitress/hostess anyway, but what do you do when it isn't crazy? Around how much profit do you make per party? I've read on everything I can find but it seems that personal experience is the best way for this. I would love to know everything about what you do and how you do it but perhaps it isn't meant for the forum. Please, feel free to private message me.

I'm not sure why you feel it isn't for this thread, thats what it is all about sharing knowledge and making friends possibly ranting a few times lol.

My income isn't based on a per party fee but if it helps for partys of about 400 the rentals (linens etc) can run about 20,000$.

Tips are usually from smaller parties and it gets divided among everyone working there, can be anywhere from 8$ to 300$

I work atleast 36 hrs a week except in january when it gets down to about 20 or less because of the end of holiday fritz.

In the busy season i would over 50 hrs a week from 8am to 8pm sometimes longer. Overall its a good career, I like it alot. In the busier season when there is more going on and more people (from personal experience) its ok to talk more but when it slows down you in more of a spotlight and talking to much can get you in trouble.

The parties are fun especially if you worked in the morning because then you get let out early and don't have to clean up lol. But you show up usually around 4:30-5 and you serve apps, do hot fire, and plate up desserts/ salads. then you serve the entree, serve dessert clean up and split. Its really easy except when you have to many temps or new people.

I have gave you alot of information and if any of it is confusing just let me know.

[Gummy-Bear]

Originally Posted by Cheffy

I have gave you alot of information and if any of it is confusing just let me know.

Thank you so much! I am planning on taking some business classes next year, my junior year of high school. Do you think that having that under my belt would be helpful or indifferent in the catering business?
Do you work at another job during the slower times or is the pay constant enough with enough side-work that it is not necessary?

How did you get into the catering business?

[Cheffy]

Originally Posted by Gummy-Bear

Thank you so much! I am planning on taking some business classes next year, my junior year of high school. Do you think that having that under my belt would be helpful or indifferent in the catering business?
Do you work at another job during the slower times or is the pay constant enough with enough side-work that it is not necessary?

How did you get into the catering business?

I work a side job, I just bought my first house so I can't afford to not have that extra income during the slow season. Most people at my shop do fine without the extra job though.

I got into catering through my college. Its a rather funny story really. I was in the middle of my practical for soups, stocks and sauces and some twit had just stolen all of the thyme so I was rushing to the store room to beg for more when I run right into this 6'8" Chef yelling "anybody want to work for the top catering company in Denver?" So when I ran into him I stumbled back wards excused myself, apologized and went to make a beeline to the storeroom again. So as I'm darting away he yells "I like your style do you want an interview?" So without turning back I yelled "I'm sorry I'm really busy come back after class and I will gladly talk then" So surprisingly he came back, we talked, and I was hired on the spot. To this day he still laughs at me "come back later....." He jokes that I demanded that my career wait until I had "thyme."

A business degree is always good to have no matter what you are doing. You could be the garbage man and having a business degree would be beneficial to you because who knows you might get the opportunity to open your own shop and it would be good to have the knowledge of how to efficiently run it.

[Gummy-Bear]

Cute story!!!!
Do you manage your business or work for one?
Sorry I'm asking so many questions, I am so curious about just about everything culinary!

[Cheffy]

I work for one, I do not have my business degree yet nor am I ready to start my own. It requires a lot of money and a lot of time. Don't let anyone fool you owning a business is no cake walk.

I just read your little comment about cooking being an art. It is, your abosolutely right about that but I do both sculptures and cooking and love them both equally. The upside to scultpure, you only have to do it once to enjoy it over and over again. But also its the journey that makes it better so cooking has its upsides too....now i'm just rambling. Did I lose you yet?

[Gummy-Bear]

Originally Posted by Cheffy

I work for one, I do not have my business degree yet nor am I ready to start my own. It requires a lot of money and a lot of time. Don't let anyone fool you owning a business is no cake walk.

I just read your little comment about cooking being an art. It is, your abosolutely right about that but I do both sculptures and cooking and love them both equally. The upside to scultpure, you only have to do it once to enjoy it over and over again. But also its the journey that makes it better so cooking has its upsides too....now i'm just rambling. Did I lose you yet?

You sculpt? How fun! I'm much too clumsy to do anything along those lines, I'm graceful only in the kitchen. How long have you sculpted?

What about the other chefs on here? Cheffy and I seem to be the only ones really talking here. What do y'all do outside of the kitchen?

[Cheffy]

Originally Posted by Gummy-Bear

You sculpt? How fun! I'm much too clumsy to do anything along those lines, I'm graceful only in the kitchen. How long have you sculpted?

What about the other chefs on here? Cheffy and I seem to be the only ones really talking here. What do y'all do outside of the kitchen?

I've been in art classes since I was born practically. I have won many ribbons and awards for my stuff but i only have one piece still the rest i have given to my mom or grandparents and such.

[Cheffy]

Has anyone ever competed? Did you enjoy it? what did you place?

[foodpump]

What do I with my time off? Well, up to about a year ago, I had a catering biz too, lots of bread&butter corporate stuff, parties for up to 3-400, and inbetween that, my family and keeping the building from falling down I was pretty busy.

Still, I like to do anything with my hands. For a while it was restoring old english 3 and 4 spd bikes, then we moved into abigger house with an actual garage, and I declared it MINE!. When my Dad moved into a retirement home he gave me all of his old woodworking tools, and I supplemented and updated a few... Did some minor bits and pieces for the home then built my own workbench--all out of reclaimed wood. Top is solid maple--reclaimed (with about 20 hrs of reworking it) from a couple of sandwich table cutting boards, frame is solid 2" thick red oak, salvaged from pallettes. Then we started up our chocolate business, so I did all of the trim and cabinetry work, even made the customer's table tops from the leftovers of the solid laminated beech countertops from the servery area. Wasn't impressed with the flimsy s/s prep tables, so I made my own, from common 2x8 material but with wedged through-mortise and tennon construction, and scrounged up a few battered up baker's table tops and redid those too. Even made a stand for the deck ovens too, same wedged through mortise and tennon construction. Made my own chest of drawers for under one of the prep tables, 4 drawers all dovetailed and made to accept shallow full size hotel pans. Made the trays for displaying the chocolates, about 3 dzn of them, all solid Birch with plexi-glass bottoms and splined mitered joints.

Anything with my hands, with compukers I'm totally lost....

[Gummy-Bear]

Originally Posted by Cheffy

Has anyone ever competed? Did you enjoy it? what did you place?

Competition in cooking or in other subjects?

Never in cooking, being 15 and all, but I entered a poetry contest and got published, I was in 6th grade.

[Cheffy]

Congrats Gummybear. I'm refering to anything competition wise.

Thats awesome what you did food pump. Do you have pictures? My dad is really into carpentry as am I a little bit, Also bikes.

I am aquiring a 550 virago here shortly and my somewhat better half (lol) has an 1100 honda sabre shadow.

[Cheffy]

Congrats Gummybear. I'm refering to anything competition wise.

Thats awesome what you did food pump. Do you have pictures? My dad is really into carpentry as am I a little bit, Also bikes.

I am aquiring a 550 virago here shortly and my somewhat better half (lol) has an 1100 honda sabre shadow.