[HatlessCook]

Im a recent culinary student graduate!
I started working at a newly opened restaurant as a prep cook and recently for the past 3 weeks they have not scheduled me and the first week I wasnt scheduled I asked about not being scheduled and theu said to come on the weekend and work the same shift from the week past week. But now I'm told we aren't busy and we're located in a prime location with students. Im available to work at any given time till close everyday and I'm not sure whats going on. I want to push and ask questions but I don't want to lose my first job in the field! Currently I'm looking into another job but I really like my co-workers!

 

[chefbillyb]

Welcome Hatless! In many cases a new restaurant will over hire in the BOH and FOH. The kitchen staff drop like flies and only the strong survive. In six months you will look at the kitchen and only fine a few people left from the original hire. This is a rude awakening that your needs don't matter. The only thing the kitchen manager or chef are interested in is covering each station and get past the restaurant opening stage.

I would always recommend to anyone to wait 6 months to apply to any new restaurant. I never saw any thing good to come out of working through a new opening.........Good luck.........ChefBillyB

 

[HatlessCook]

Thank you chefbillyb, for responding to my post! One if the reasons I took the job other then the fact it was the first offer and only that came to me is the fact that the owner had 4 other really popular restaurants in the area which was doing very well! May you clairfy why I should wait until 6 months to look elsewhere?

 

[chefbillyb]

When a owner, corp or Chef open a new restaurant they are in a fail safe mode. That means they over hire just to have bodies stationed in one area cooking a few items. In many cases there isn't enough work for everyone. This makes it hard on the employees thinking they got a job but they aren't getting the hours. The kitchen will over staff and send people home early. It may be different in your cases because this person has a few restaurants in to to draw seasoned/trained employees from.

I've owned and opened many restaurants and I always over staffed both FOH and BOH. The restaurant is in Fail-safe mode until it's not. When it's not is when everyone is trained and the place is running like a clock.

Look at the Restaurant in Time Square NYC that Guy Fieri's opened. It was reviewed a few days after opening with bad reviews on food and service. There is no reason to have bad service in a new restaurant. If anything there s/b not but service....http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/12/guy-fieri-times-square-restaurant-closing-timeline.html