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What 3 questions would you ask a prep cook during an interview?

7K views 60 replies 11 participants last post by  cook1st 
#1 ·
Right now I need to hire a prep cook, line cook and a kitchen manager. Are there any specific questions that would reveal the most as to whether or not they would be qualified? Also, any dishes you would have them prepare to see if they're able to follow directions and/or showcase their technical knowledge?
 
#2 ·
Prep cooks would be on the lower end of me worrying about experience experience. I just want to know about attendance, and if they feel they are a quick learner and could follow directions. Speed and willingness to move onto the front line would also be a plus. Cleanliness and sanitation would also be a nice touch.

 Front line cook questions would be about how they work with others. The front line people have to know how to work with, not be know it alls and dictators. I think past experience and length of their jobs would tell you a lot. Cleanliness and sanitation and organization. A good question to always ask just so you can hear the answer is, how do you feel about a party of 6 coming into the restaurant 5 minutes before closing. The answer may show temperament and take them off the stage they are performing on to get the job. Dependably  and a question on what stands in the way of being called in at the last minute. 

The kitchen manager, is a different deal altogether. Knowledge of kitchen and equipment, knife skills, past prep experience, knowledge of portions sizes. Basically knowledge of everything that goes on in the kitchen. I also had questions on "what if". When I hire managers I want them handling things like an owner would. If something happens their on it.  What if, someone calls in sick on your day off. What if, someone got hurt on the from line could they or have they had to step in like nothing happened. I'm sure you can come up with some "What if's" of your own. I would also want to know what their management skills are. I need a person to get my vision of how I wanted my employees treated, are they open to that. Of course knowledge of inventories, product security, training, and other normal things are a given.
 
#3 ·
I have them peel a potato and medium dice it, peel a carrot and small dice as fast as they can. This shows me where they are on a basic level. I inevitably have to show them the proper way to do it and see if they can mimic. This tells me if they are able to be taught.

Ask if they have their own transportation.

Ask if they know basic food safety such as the order in which to store fish/chicken/pork, etc and what the proper cook temps are.
 
#4 ·
With prep cooks (and any employee in general) I am usually interested in employment history. One question I always ask is a two-parter; describe the worst boss you ever worked for and how was your last boss. It's almost always telling to listen to someone discuss their previous employer. Even if you worked for a psychopath you really shouldn't badmouth them. If they threw a knife at you or something then obviously mention that./img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif It's like the woman that says every single ex was an asshole, but never sees her own role in any of the problems. A history of walking out of jobs without notice is a huge red flag because it will almost certainly happen again.

A line cook needs to have some skills but I'm more interested in temperment. Are they easy going? Do they have bad temper? During an interview I'll always casually ask them about their previous coworkers. I try to drop it casually in small talk- I don't want to grill them or make them think about it, just tell me the first things they think. It's almost always telling. Were they put off by poor cleanliness or lazy coworkers? I also like to ask them what the busiest kitchen they ever worked was like as well as the slowest.

I'm merely a chef, not an owner, but I've sat in on some interviews for GMs. I'm looking for the same kind of stuff Billy mentions. How do they view the staff? Are they respectful? Do they have an ownership attitude towards their jobs?
 
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#5 ·
Thanks a lot for the help here, I love love the question highlighting the temperament. Kitchen manager is going to a tough interview because I have less experience than most line cooks. The primary reason I'm looking for a kitchen manager is to keep my BOH in line, my lack of leadership and follow through when it comes to rules is starting to affect the kitchen. Thanks for your help!!
 
#6 ·
We already have a GM, but i expressed some frustration a week ago about how I felt I was doing more and more with less and less.I needed a line and/or prep cook. We always pay so little and we get an employee who has no skills and I have to train. We have yet to hire someone with more than 2 months experience on the line or prep because no one wants to work for minimum wage. After our meeting, my GM suggested maybe you should also look for a kitchen manager, which is what were now doing. In addition to that, i am now allowed to offer a more competitive wage. Posted an ad on craigslist a few months back with a minimum wage and got 3 resumes but no one showed up to interview. Two days ago posted an ad and have 14 resumes and we'll see how it goes tomorrow and the following days for interviews. 
 
#7 ·
I will level with you- you're not gonna get good experienced cooks for minimum wage.  Why would a good cook work for you?  I don't know what kind of market you're in but skilled cooks are in very short supply.  I'd give my left nut to hire one good guy that cook could hold down the broiler even on a slower night, and I am willing to pay that guy or gal fairly.  In my market that cook just doesn't exist. 

Do you offer any kind of advancement?  Regular raises?  Put yourself in the shoes of the people you're interviewing (or trying to interview).  What's in it for them?  Few people will bust their ass for minimum wage, especially if there's no prospects of raises or advancement.  What kind of money will you be paying a kitchen manager?  It will be frustrating for them trying to manage a crew of unskilled minimum wage cooks.

It can work I guess if your menu is pretty simple.  But it takes experienced cooks to execute an upscale menu.

Out of curiosity what is the min where you are?
 
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#8 ·
I will level with you- you're not gonna get good experienced cooks for minimum wage. Why would a good cook work for you? I don't know what kind of market you're in but skilled cooks are in very short supply. I'd give my left nut to hire one good guy that cook could hold down the broiler even on a slower night, and I am willing to pay that guy or gal fairly. In my market that cook just doesn't exist.

Do you offer any kind of advancement? Regular raises? Put yourself in the shoes of the people you're interviewing (or trying to interview). What's in it for them? Few people will bust their ass for minimum wage, especially if there's no prospects of raises or advancement. What kind of money will you be paying a kitchen manager? It will be frustrating for them trying to manage a crew of unskilled minimum wage cooks.

It can work I guess if your menu is pretty simple. But it takes experienced cooks to execute an upscale menu.

Out of curiosity what is the min where you are?
10.50 but going to 11.50 in July. Found what I think was the ideal candidate, but wanted 50k. Is it worth it to let go of two of my employees for this one person?
 
#9 ·
10.50 but going to 11.50 in July. Found what I think was the ideal candidate, but wanted 50k. Is it worth it to let go of two of my employees for this one person?
Cook1st, you need to figure out a labor cost for the kitchen. Then you can figure out how much money to allocate for each position. We are also into the "New Normal" World of "How the hell can I hire all these people for $15 and maintain a low labor cost. You need to think of what you need these people to accomplish on a daily basis for Prep, dishwasher, front line cooks and kitchen management. When you figure out what your needs are you can then put a dollar amount limit on these positions. You may find out you would rather have a lead cook along with two other qualified front line cooks. I would rather have talent over bodies hanging around the kitchen. Think of the budget being, I have $500 a day to work with, what is the best way to spend that money to run a efficient operation.
 
#10 ·
It may be worth the money to get the right person. But it's a little bit like the salary cap in pro sports. Do you spend 40% of your entire cap space on the QB?  You still need defense, a running back, wide outs, etc.  And even if you get the perfect person he or she will need a day off.  Or get sick, or have something come up.  Then you need to have staff to cover the shifts.  BTW, minimum wage here in MN is $9.00- $11.50 is tough if they're not decent to begin with.
 
#11 ·
Cook1st, you need to figure out a labor cost for the kitchen. Then you can figure out how much money to allocate for each position. We are also into the "New Normal" World of "How the hell can I hire all these people for $15 and maintain a low labor cost. You need to think of what you need these people to accomplish on a daily basis for Prep, dishwasher, front line cooks and kitchen management. When you figure out what your needs are you can then put a dollar amount limit on these positions. You may find out you would rather have a lead cook along with two other qualified front line cooks. I would rather have talent over bodies hanging around the kitchen. Think of the budget being, I have $500 a day to work with, what is the best way to spend that money to run a efficient operation.
Well said, not to shoot myself in the foot, but this is the first time I've looked at our labor costs since becoming exec. Today I asked my crew, "if i wanted to do something paperwork related for the kitchen, what would it be." Half of them said something along the lines of lack of organization, citing a protocol and an actual daily to do list for each individual regardless of position.

Does that mean I should write out a list for position, eg. cook, food runner, support, morning prep or by name?

Also, were running 28% labor cost , we were at 22% for my first 2 months as exec, but I was also working 80-90 hours a week which included getting there saturday at noon to prep, then line/expo till 9pm, then to finishing up brunch prep till 9am sunday where I would try to squeeze a 30 min prior to brunch service(11-3). Another nap till 4 and then take part of a 2 man line, hoping i could squeeze in inventory/ordering and leaving by 10pm. This is not me bragging about how dedicated I am, but to disclose that my lack of leadership and inability to properly delegate has forced me to take it upon myself and it's starting to feel like I am doing more and more with less and less. My co-sous recently left, stating he was not ready to take on the sous position that it involved too much(really wasnt, i did at least 1.6x he did when i was sous and with less experience nonetheless) only to have him come back as a line cook with the same pay. Mind you, he only wanted a $1.50 raise for the sous position(he got and gets $12/hr) and my other co sous works only one shift on fri,sat,sun.

Another thing i just recently noticed is that my AM prep girls will text me on my days off asking if there's any other prep work that needs to be done. While I have given our PM crew the prep sheets to fill out(a recent thing), they are not thorough and I end up having to double check when I come in. Sometimes the prep girls will take it upon themselves to also check the line, but that is not always the case.

How do i really know what my kitchen needs, when I know I am part of the problem? And is this problem solvable? Two weeks ago out of frustration,I walked out during service, and on the owner's ticket. I was weeded all night, one owner texted me if I was able to get the order to him tonight, i replied "no" which is the first time i ever didnt do it the same night, he comes in just the rush was dying and orders 6 items(3 apps and 3 entrees). Pacing back and forth...i calmly asked the line...should i walk out??? They asked, why and i said," I don't want to work for an owner that would do this, yes i know he's the owner and even if it's for quality control---he knew we were one man down and that we were busy and still wants to order all this shit. No phone call to to let us know so we can perhaps prepare it or ask us before placing the order. Maybe, I'm overreacting." I got back to cooking his stuff and a min later, i apologized to the other cook. " You have to pull the pho broth, wrap the meat in the ice bath, strain the marinara, and cut up the gelatin upstairs and place it in the meatballs and then make meatballs, but im leaving and I am truly sorry that you are stuck in the middle of this." I left, turned my phone off because if they called, I would have returned...I'm what you call a "yes man." I say and do everything they ask with what I have and then I get mad at whoever even though I should have said no or prioritized.

I didnt show up to work the next day(first day off in 18 days), which prompted them to run only bar menu. I also kept my phone off and made a pro and con list, and made an outline for the meeting i set up for the next day with the GM. After we talked, my gm said, maybe you need a line or a prep cook to assist you, but maybe look at adding a kitchen manager to the Craigslist ad. Now, ive interviewed everyone and im surprised about the talent pool out there. While i have two stand out candidates for kitchen manager, my prep and line cooks were less than stellar. All of them were asked questions related to the position they wanted which i got from this site. Questions can be found here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1f_iD2p56pEYTFOUTlDc0pwajQ

and asked them to take an onion, julienne half and small dice the other along with an omelette. Omelette portion was an extra bonus to see if they could possibly help brunch and their heat control, if they used butter or oil, or if they used any cream or milk, which pan did they want. Some didnt know their cuts by name, but after telling them what I wanted they did an ok job and the people who did know fared even worse. As for the omlette portion, all took 15 min just to get it out and one cleaned their stations afterwards.

I feel slightly lost and hope a couple of new hires will strengthen the kitchen as well as me.
 
#12 ·
Well said, not to shoot myself in the foot, but this is the first time I've looked at our labor costs since becoming exec. Today I asked my crew, "if i wanted to do something paperwork related for the kitchen, what would it be." Half of them said something along the lines of lack of organization, citing a protocol and an actual daily to do list for each individual regardless of position.

Does that mean I should write out a list for position, eg. cook, food runner, support, morning prep or by name?

Also, were running 28% labor cost , we were at 22% for my first 2 months as exec, but I was also working 80-90 hours a week which included getting there saturday at noon to prep, then line/expo till 9pm, then to finishing up brunch prep till 9am sunday where I would try to squeeze a 30 min prior to brunch service(11-3). Another nap till 4 and then take part of a 2 man line, hoping i could squeeze in inventory/ordering and leaving by 10pm. This is not me bragging about how dedicated I am, but to disclose that my lack of leadership and inability to properly delegate has forced me to take it upon myself and it's starting to feel like I am doing more and more with less and less. My co-sous recently left, stating he was not ready to take on the sous position that it involved too much(really wasnt, i did at least 1.6x he did when i was sous and with less experience nonetheless) only to have him come back as a line cook with the same pay. Mind you, he only wanted a $1.50 raise for the sous position(he got and gets $12/hr) and my other co sous works only one shift on fri,sat,sun.

Another thing i just recently noticed is that my AM prep girls will text me on my days off asking if there's any other prep work that needs to be done. While I have given our PM crew the prep sheets to fill out(a recent thing), they are not thorough and I end up having to double check when I come in. Sometimes the prep girls will take it upon themselves to also check the line, but that is not always the case.

How do i really know what my kitchen needs, when I know I am part of the problem? And is this problem solvable? Two weeks ago out of frustration,I walked out during service, and on the owner's ticket. I was weeded all night, one owner texted me if I was able to get the order to him tonight, i replied "no" which is the first time i ever didnt do it the same night, he comes in just the rush was dying and orders 6 items(3 apps and 3 entrees). Pacing back and forth...i calmly asked the line...should i walk out??? They asked, why and i said," I don't want to work for an owner that would do this, yes i know he's the owner and even if it's for quality control---he knew we were one man down and that we were busy and still wants to order all this shit. No phone call to to let us know so we can perhaps prepare it or ask us before placing the order. Maybe, I'm overreacting." I got back to cooking his stuff and a min later, i apologized to the other cook. " You have to pull the pho broth, wrap the meat in the ice bath, strain the marinara, and cut up the gelatin upstairs and place it in the meatballs and then make meatballs, but im leaving and I am truly sorry that you are stuck in the middle of this." I left, turned my phone off because if they called, I would have returned...I'm what you call a "yes man." I say and do everything they ask with what I have and then I get mad at whoever even though I should have said no or prioritized.

I didnt show up to work the next day(first day off in 18 days), which prompted them to run only bar menu. I also kept my phone off and made a pro and con list, and made an outline for the meeting i set up for the next day with the GM. After we talked, my gm said, maybe you need a line or a prep cook to assist you, but maybe look at adding a kitchen manager to the Craigslist ad. Now, ive interviewed everyone and im surprised about the talent pool out there. While i have two stand out candidates for kitchen manager, my prep and line cooks were less than stellar. All of them were asked questions related to the position they wanted which i got from this site. Questions can be found here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1f_iD2p56pEYTFOUTlDc0pwajQ

and asked them to take an onion, julienne half and small dice the other along with an omelette. Omelette portion was an extra bonus to see if they could possibly help brunch and their heat control, if they used butter or oil, or if they used any cream or milk, which pan did they want. Some didnt know their cuts by name, but after telling them what I wanted they did an ok job and the people who did know fared even worse. As for the omlette portion, all took 15 min just to get it out and one cleaned their stations afterwards.

I feel slightly lost and hope a couple of new hires will strengthen the kitchen as well as me.
WOW, I think you are now seeing why Chefs run kitchen. A well run kitchen is all about organization. That being said your more of a doer than a paper pusher. There is nothing wrong with who you are I think most Chefs are better where they feel comfortable. I really feel like your stuck between a rock and a hard place. Employees need job descriptions, training and again not feeling like everything is in disarray. You are the guy that s/b bringing the calm. Your also working why to many hours and your temper, lack of sleep and everything being in disarray in your own life is showing up. Sit down and look at the kitchen and figure out what Daily prep needs to be done and make a list. Look at the front line and hire whats needed with you only backing them up if or when needed. You don't run a station on the like you expedite. You can't manage anything if your manning a station. I have a strange feeling a kitchen mgr isn't the answer, I think you'll buck heads. I think if you get the front line figured out it will free you up to do inventory, ordering and whatever. My feelings are if your working over 60 hrs a week the kitchen is managing you and not you managing the kitchen. .....The best
 
#16 ·
$12/hr for a sous sounds kinda low to me. that's all.
Yea, my chef gave me 30k when I became his sous chef granted i only worked there for roughly six months and only had 6 months of experience which i solely gained at the restaurant. When I asked my line cook about the promotion and his salary requirements, he was adamant about not going salary bc he saw how much i worked and that he would be happy with 12/hr.
 
#18 · (Edited)
How long had you been there when you became "exec. " ?!?!

This is your first restaurant you've worked at and now you're running it? Congrats but wow.
Trust me, you're not the first to say "wow," but usually in a bad way. Like, what are the owners thinking kind of way. I learn quick and there must be a lack of chefs out there. I think I've been cooking for 14 months now and really didn't cook too much recreationally but always enjoyed it. Got fired from first cook position after two weeks then applied to the restaurant I'm currently at. Learned all three station after 3 months, became sous in 6 and exec in 9 months I think. I'm fully aware of what others think when I first tell them I'm the head chef given my experience, but someone on this site to just stop focusing so much on that sh*t and do my job which really helped.

My main insecurity is my knowledge base along with my skill set relative to the other chefs outthere.
 
#19 ·
My main insecurity is my knowledge base along with my skill set relative to the other chefs outthere.
You should only be insecure, if you are not working on improving both your knowledge base and your skill set as you progress in your career. The best chefs are those that are continually striving to learn and grow.

No one is born or starts out knowing everything that they need to know and with the optimum skill set. A career is a process. Everyone starts. Everyone finishes. Some finish further along in knowledge and skills.

Don't spend much time, or your wheels, on where you are presently "at" in your career. Focus instead on where and what you want for your future.
 
#20 ·
Cook1st, After reading your post again and seeing how you were put in this position I have only I suggestion. Have the GM hire a qualified Chef and you be his Sous Chef. This will put you in a better position to not only succeed in this job, but, learn and grow. You have to much to learn and it can't be learning on the fly. You will get hurt in the long run and the restaurant will also suffer. It's not your fault your in this situation, it's the stupidity of the owners and GM. If I owned this restaurant there is no way I would put you in this position with the amount of experience you have. I feel your on your way to an unhappy ending. Chef Bill
 
#21 · (Edited)
My feelings are if your working over 60 hrs a week the kitchen is managing you and not you managing the kitchen. ..
All things being equal, I think this is a great barometer. Sure you are on salary and shouldn't expect to get out after 40 but you also shouldn't be there 80 every week either.

From reading through this thread, I'll agree with a few other posters.

Hiring a chef for you to learn from is a good idea. You should also be continually learning. In your case, how to organize and manage generally, reading cookbooks to learn what ever you don't know but also how to set the example. You make a rule, not arbitrarily but because it's logical and then you personally follow the rule and demand everyone else follow the rule.

So everyone works clean and neat. All items are labeled and dated. (they have labels that wash off, not cheap but useful), everybody cleans, what the staff see you doing they will be more inclined to do.

You may be putting in a more hours now and for a while but as you organize, set expectations and the staff learns to follow your expectations, your hours should decrease.

Obviously there is much more to all of this than anyone can cover here but you have to keep working on it.

One last thing. Don't ever walk out in the middle of a shift again. Deal with it. Go home. Talk it over the next day.
 
#22 · (Edited)
My feelings are if your working over 60 hrs a week the kitchen is managing you and not you managing the kitchen. ..
All things being equal, I think this is a great barometer. Sure you are on salary and shouldn't expect to get out after 40 but you also shouldn't be there 80 every week either.

One last thing. Don't ever walk out in the middle of a shift again. Deal with it. Go home. Talk it over the next day.
I am wondering about the owners.

Is this their first shop?

Do they have a few million in cash just sitting there (maybe some skim from a Capital Hill bailout?) to finance their dream of having a place where "the elite meet and greet"?

Why hire another couple mouths to feed when they could hire an EC, drop the kid to sous (if the EC is willing to keep him) and get rid of one of the 2 who are always on their phones (another of this OP's thread).

IMO these owners are not being good stewards of their investment.

When the money runs out and the place crumbles, what is going to happen to the people who depend on this job to feed the kids ?

Most of you have either worked places like this or have heard about them thru the coconut telegraph.

I know I have.

Steak and cigar investors is how I term them.

Not bad people (still friends with a couple) just don't care about the long term health of their investment (which is crazy 'cuz many own other businesses or manage other peoples money).

To borrow from @IceMan..... I'm not sayin' I'm just sayin.....

mimi
 
#23 ·
Cook1st, After reading your post again and seeing how you were put in this position I have only I suggestion. Have the GM hire a qualified Chef and you be his Sous Chef. This will put you in a better position to not only succeed in this job, but, learn and grow. You have to much to learn and it can't be learning on the fly. You will get hurt in the long run and the restaurant will also suffer. It's not your fault your in this situation, it's the stupidity of the owners and GM. If I owned this restaurant there is no way I would put you in this position with the amount of experience you have. I feel your on your way to an unhappy ending. Chef Bill
This is a solution, I have never thought of. Of all the possible routes I plague my mind with, this is one of the best. Usually, it's either me hiring another line or prep cook or a kitchen manager, but I think this situation is well over my head. Plus, if things go awry, it looks better that I was a sous than a head chef given my experience for future employers and my resume. I do want to give this a valiant attempt, but at what point do I take a back seat and go with the sous chef route. Am i at that breaking point already?
 
#24 ·
All things being equal, I think this is a great barometer. Sure you are on salary and shouldn't expect to get out after 40 but you also shouldn't be there 80 every week either.

From reading through this thread, I'll agree with a few other posters.

Hiring a chef for you to learn from is a good idea. You should also be continually learning. In your case, how to organize and manage generally, reading cookbooks to learn what ever you don't know but also how to set the example. You make a rule, not arbitrarily but because it's logical and then you personally follow the rule and demand everyone else follow the rule.

So everyone works clean and neat. All items are labeled and dated. (they have labels that wash off, not cheap but useful), everybody cleans, what the staff see you doing they will be more inclined to do.

You may be putting in a more hours now and for a while but as you organize, set expectations and the staff learns to follow your expectations, your hours should decrease.

Obviously there is much more to all of this than anyone can cover here but you have to keep working on it.

One last thing. Don't ever walk out in the middle of a shift again. Deal with it. Go home. Talk it over the next day.
I kind of want to go the selfish route and see what I can do with the given circumstances, finish this out. Were getting busier and compared to our sales last year, were beating them by an average of 28%(monthly) while we reduced food and labor costs(21%)monthly only looking in the past 6 months. I've created/changed the HH menu, bar menu, late night menu, brunch menu, dinner menu, pre fixe menu for parties more than 12, catering menu(large parties) in less than 6 months. On top of that, we've done more and more with less and less. Are the problems I am encountering fixable given my experience and skill set? Or is it time for me to throw in the head chef towel and suggest moving to sous? A part of me would rather fire me or at least wait until they bring up that i am unable to handle the kitchen, but as of right now...i feel like I'm killing it, while it slowly kills me...
 
#25 ·
     My late night answer is "Are your hours decreasing as the kitchen becomes more organized?" or are you working the same or more hours as when you started? 

You won't ever get to 40 hours but if you started the job working 70-80 or more, have continually improved the numbers and are doing all this while cutting your hours down closer to 60 because                                   you are running a leaner, more efficient operation that improves by the day or week, then you are on the right track. But if you still feel like you are breaking your back, still working too many hours and don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, then hire a chef. 

Changing all the menus isn't an accomplishment if you still need to work too many hours to get the work done and are lowering percentages by having less staff or doing more work yourself. If you hire the new staff you mentioned but don't have proper responsibilities for them and their presence doesn't reduce the work load accordingly, what good are they? Just bigger payroll.

If you set behavioral and job standards, but don't have the backbone to make sure the staff upholds them, you aren't getting better. 

It isn't a question of doing more and more with less and less. That is entirely the wrong focus. Any given situation requires a certain amount of materials, tools and manpower to do correctly and the knowledge and experience to pull together all those factors in the right way.

     I understand your wanting to muscle your way through it all but that isn't what is best for the restaurant. With the limited experience you have, get some one in who can show you how to do it.

Think of it like building a house. Sure, you could struggle and fight to make it happen over a considerable period of time. And by the time you get done, you might be able to convince yourself that what you did is as good as there is.

Or you could get a general contractor who is familiar with the concept of building codes, having lines plumb and level, properly fitted windows and doors, architectural design basics as well as the permitting process for utilities and have them guide you. You end up with a completed job done in much less time, many less worries and far more knowledge for the next challenge. 

In short, you are in over your head and you know it or you wouldn't be here looking for justification. Put your pride aside. Humility is nothing to be ashamed of. Great chefs recognize the need to learn and that starts by acknowledging the phrase "I don't know". 
 
#26 ·
My late night answer is "Are your hours decreasing as the kitchen becomes more organized?" or are you working the same or more hours as when you started?

You won't ever get to 40 hours but if you started the job working 70-80 or more, have continually improved the numbers and are doing all this while cutting your hours down closer to 60 because you are running a leaner, more efficient operation that improves by the day or week, then you are on the right track. But if you still feel like you are breaking your back, still working too many hours and don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, then hire a chef.

Changing all the menus isn't an accomplishment if you still need to work too many hours to get the work done and are lowering percentages by having less staff or doing more work yourself. If you hire the new staff you mentioned but don't have proper responsibilities for them and their presence doesn't reduce the work load accordingly, what good are they? Just bigger payroll.

If you set behavioral and job standards, but don't have the backbone to make sure the staff upholds them, you aren't getting better.

It isn't a question of doing more and more with less and less. That is entirely the wrong focus. Any given situation requires a certain amount of materials, tools and manpower to do correctly and the knowledge and experience to pull together all those factors in the right way.

I understand your wanting to muscle your way through it all but that isn't what is best for the restaurant. With the limited experience you have, get some one in who can show you how to do it.

Think of it like building a house. Sure, you could struggle and fight to make it happen over a considerable period of time. And by the time you get done, you might be able to convince yourself that what you did is as good as there is.

Or you could get a general contractor who is familiar with the concept of building codes, having lines plumb and level, properly fitted windows and doors, architectural design basics as well as the permitting process for utilities and have them guide you. You end up with a completed job done in much less time, many less worries and far more knowledge for the next challenge.

In short, you are in over your head and you know it or you wouldn't be here looking for justification. Put your pride aside. Humility is nothing to be ashamed of. Great chefs recognize the need to learn and that starts by acknowledging the phrase "I don't know".
Damn, that simile really hit it home. Yes, I definitely know I am in over my head. This recent weekend was the first time I didnt have to sleep at work on saturday to get all of brunch prep done and we only 86 one item. I didnt even work brunch service. The night before I skipped work, but told my GM it was a stress test. We had two dinner parties 30pp(pre fixe)l and 19 ppl(pre fixe+kids menu), along with a strong happy hour and a stage on her first day. Also, the guy who always shows up late showed up 3 hours late.

My GM was actually pleased with everything, great customer feedback, and only 1 item sent back due to a incorrect order by the server. A part of it is that I actually prefer to do it all by myself, but then I also want the "right" to bitch about it.

I think it's possible that I could succeed as exec, but I feel the primary concern is the "If you set behavioral and job standards, but don't have the backbone to make sure the staff upholds them, you aren't getting better," which is a crucial component of a leader and a head chef of a kitchen.

That's why I'm here asking questions and looking for feedback...it's because I don't know. To a certain degree, I know I'm going to stick it out regardless of what anyone says and yes, a part of me is seeking some sort of validation, but there's also a part of me that recognizes where I need help and that is 100% of the reason I'm on ChefTalk.
 
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