In my checkered sixteen years of restaurant work, I have held many positions. Ninety-three percent have been less than desirable and have ranged from dishwasher, salad bitch, fryer bitch, head fryer bitch, line cook, chef de partie, lead chef de partie, sous chef, executive sous chef (even when there were no other sous chefs?), kitchen manager, chef de cuisine, executive chef and assistant director of blame coordination. As a certain former owner (glorified pretzel salesman actually) once told me, "just like none of your staff knows what it is like to be executive chef, none of you understand what it is like to be an owner." I recently had an informal interview for a new opportunity and what stuck with me most was the owner telling me that he's not stuck on titles. That's a deal breaker if I've ever heard one and I'd love to hear some of your opinions on the subject.
Chris "Chx Atlantis" Greene
www.kitchenconvoluted.com
sent from my mobile cow uniform
Thank you Mr. Minor
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3 comments:
How informal was it? Wast it at a bar? I guess just remember that if it feels wrong, then chances are it is.
I am excited you are seeking a new opportunity. Sometimes we wait it out far longer than we should because we need our paychecks. If your life outside of work is happy and fruitful, then it could take years to actually leave after you've made the decision to do so.
You need a kitchen that allows you to thrive. You need to be able to really trust the owners, and they need to trust you too. I have no doubt you are "in it to win it" now more than ever with support and pride of your loving family.
As far as titles go, I personally feel you need the hierarchy and respect to really be able to pull off fine dining. It's difficult to maintain discipline and focus with casual leadership.
If it sounds like he is avoiding titles so he can pay you less, then you can point him to the Director of DIYA. Good luck.
Thanks, Diggilicious. You'll shit your proverbial pants when I tell you who the informal meeting was with, but suffice it to say it was in an upstairs "banquet" room where we used to change our shorts. I do need the hierarchy. It is what leadership is about and what makes a systemic operation thrive. If I worked @ a bank, it would be okay if my boss was less talented, less efficent and basically a weaker link, but @ a restaurant it doesn't jibe unless you're from the group home and what what. Happy Sunday, Chef. Everytime me and Starch mentioned the B word to-night, I thought about you and Knorr-andaise and WWAMD.
"I'm not hung up on titles" is another way of saying "I don't want to pay you what you're worth"
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