I have an unsolvable problem, but I want your advice or whatever anyway.
My boss is crazy. I've been in the industry for 10 years and I've managed a Deli for 5 and had a hand at managing a restaurant and now I've been the Lead Day Cook, or AM Sous Chef, or something of that nature for 1 1/2 years at a small 60 seat cafe. The reason I don't know what I am is that my boss refuses to give any staff members any titles.
When I started I was shocked and appalled at everything. I decided to give it a few months to see if I could organize and clean up the kitchen, with complete misgivings. Everything was a madhouse. Everything was covered in grease. There was a three burner range/oven and a small fryer and a small pizza oven for service. The hood didn't seem to work. Sweat dripped in my eyes and I was dehydrated all the time. There was no air movement. The space in the kitchen was a little bit bigger then my kitchen at home and I live in an apartment!
The staff didn't give a **** about anything. The bottles were always greasy, everything was covered in mouse **** and various crusts of food. The walls were falling apart, and we had no walk-in, only a bunch of PACKED TO THE BRIM reach-ins.
Meat was cut on the small 6 foot line, and sometimes staff forgot to bleach the surface. Pans were set on the line and sometimes I burned my hand badly. I got a plethora of burns and cuts in my first few months there and destroyed a number of clothes. I would come home with a searing unhappiness and blisters.
All the under twenty year old staff stuck around because my boss paid well. Sometimes we would have a person get hired and they would come in, look around in horror, get burned badly, and never show up again. Nobody ever sticks around. I don't know why I have, except the job market is tight.
Then there is the emotional insanity.
My boss and her husband fight almost constantly. They work 13 hour shifts seven days a week and I think they have gone around the bend. My boss screams and cries all the time, about things like forgetting to rotate the basil, or not stirring the mashed potatoes, or not telling her what inventory you ran out of so she can order it. I don't know about you but every time I was in charge of ordering inventory I would go through my list every order and check everything physically. Isn't that your job as manager??
There is a lot of mind games going on, and I'm sick of dealing with this. I only have one life, you know. Anybody have any similar experiences?
My boss is crazy. I've been in the industry for 10 years and I've managed a Deli for 5 and had a hand at managing a restaurant and now I've been the Lead Day Cook, or AM Sous Chef, or something of that nature for 1 1/2 years at a small 60 seat cafe. The reason I don't know what I am is that my boss refuses to give any staff members any titles.
When I started I was shocked and appalled at everything. I decided to give it a few months to see if I could organize and clean up the kitchen, with complete misgivings. Everything was a madhouse. Everything was covered in grease. There was a three burner range/oven and a small fryer and a small pizza oven for service. The hood didn't seem to work. Sweat dripped in my eyes and I was dehydrated all the time. There was no air movement. The space in the kitchen was a little bit bigger then my kitchen at home and I live in an apartment!
The staff didn't give a **** about anything. The bottles were always greasy, everything was covered in mouse **** and various crusts of food. The walls were falling apart, and we had no walk-in, only a bunch of PACKED TO THE BRIM reach-ins.
Meat was cut on the small 6 foot line, and sometimes staff forgot to bleach the surface. Pans were set on the line and sometimes I burned my hand badly. I got a plethora of burns and cuts in my first few months there and destroyed a number of clothes. I would come home with a searing unhappiness and blisters.
All the under twenty year old staff stuck around because my boss paid well. Sometimes we would have a person get hired and they would come in, look around in horror, get burned badly, and never show up again. Nobody ever sticks around. I don't know why I have, except the job market is tight.
Then there is the emotional insanity.
My boss and her husband fight almost constantly. They work 13 hour shifts seven days a week and I think they have gone around the bend. My boss screams and cries all the time, about things like forgetting to rotate the basil, or not stirring the mashed potatoes, or not telling her what inventory you ran out of so she can order it. I don't know about you but every time I was in charge of ordering inventory I would go through my list every order and check everything physically. Isn't that your job as manager??
There is a lot of mind games going on, and I'm sick of dealing with this. I only have one life, you know. Anybody have any similar experiences?
