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Would you recommend this profession to others?
Based on your experience and insights, would you recommend pursuing a career as a chef in the hospitality industry to others?
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6 answers
Updated
Howard’s Answer
Yes, but it is not an easy job. You have to be prepared to work long hours, be flexible to change, and follow instructions.
It is not for everyone. If you try it and like it. You can be happy, make good money, and work almost anywhere you want.
It is not for everyone. If you try it and like it. You can be happy, make good money, and work almost anywhere you want.
Lynn Miller
Private and Personal Chef, Food Stylist, Recipe Developer
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Updated
Lynn’s Answer
Looking at the current economic trends affecting food service, I would not recommend pursuing a culinary career in restaurants.
Most restaurants barely survived the pandemic and many, many did not. Big, well-known chains and high-dollar restaurants scooped up the majority of the Payroll Protection Plan funding and forgivable business loans offered by Congress leaving smaller, independent operators without access to such funds.
Operators who were adept at transitioning their menus to take-out and delivery service usually did pretty well. However, dining demographics has changed significantly. The public has become accustomed to eating restaurant quality food in the comfort of their homes without bearing the expense of travel, pricey wine, beer and cocktail lists, and service charges.
Inflation of the cost of raw materials and supplies has driven menu cost/prices up considerably, and staffing has become extremely difficult because skilled employees expect and deserve better pay than FS operators have gotten away with in the past.
These two factors have changed the nature of restaurants in general. There are fewer high-end restaurants enjoy sustainable revenue streams because fewer people are willing and able to spend the money to frequent them. Cheap fast-food operations do well due to economies of scale and name recognition, but most mid-range restaurants are really suffering.
The effect is that money flows to the top- and bottom-level operations, squeezing out the mid-range, largely independent operators. This trend is unlikely to end anytime soon.
If you enjoy cooking and wish to pursue a culinary career, do not look to restaurants, but rather corporate and healthcare catering operations, culinary research and development, food product promotion, and food retail is where the growth is.
Most restaurants barely survived the pandemic and many, many did not. Big, well-known chains and high-dollar restaurants scooped up the majority of the Payroll Protection Plan funding and forgivable business loans offered by Congress leaving smaller, independent operators without access to such funds.
Operators who were adept at transitioning their menus to take-out and delivery service usually did pretty well. However, dining demographics has changed significantly. The public has become accustomed to eating restaurant quality food in the comfort of their homes without bearing the expense of travel, pricey wine, beer and cocktail lists, and service charges.
Inflation of the cost of raw materials and supplies has driven menu cost/prices up considerably, and staffing has become extremely difficult because skilled employees expect and deserve better pay than FS operators have gotten away with in the past.
These two factors have changed the nature of restaurants in general. There are fewer high-end restaurants enjoy sustainable revenue streams because fewer people are willing and able to spend the money to frequent them. Cheap fast-food operations do well due to economies of scale and name recognition, but most mid-range restaurants are really suffering.
The effect is that money flows to the top- and bottom-level operations, squeezing out the mid-range, largely independent operators. This trend is unlikely to end anytime soon.
If you enjoy cooking and wish to pursue a culinary career, do not look to restaurants, but rather corporate and healthcare catering operations, culinary research and development, food product promotion, and food retail is where the growth is.
Updated
Richard’s Answer
if your motivation is to "do what you love" and you love to cook, then maybe I would recommend it... it is not an easy career path... you will spend most of your career making very little money in high stress environments with jerk bosses and rude customers. You will NOT get to play with food and cook what you want, you will NOT get to eat the fancy foods (or even the cheap ones really) you cook. You will NOT have anything resembling a normal "work - life balance" or social life. Church on Sunday, nope you gotta work brunch. Synagogue on Friday night, nope, you gotta work the dinner rush, all your friends are coming to YOUR job to enjoy their time off.... Holidays? forget about it... 2 week vacation? are you kidding?? ... BUT once, you get past it, once you get in to your 8th, 9th, 10th, years of sweating it out on the line at various places, you get the bump up to sous or you get a gig down the street as Chef.... it's still a grind but the money is better and you can delegate changing the fryer oil... then if you are diligent and a little lucky and decide NOT to open your own place you end up with the Exec's job at a Hotel or other institution.... now you'll make money, get to play with food a little in R&D, but you won't get to work the line very often, you'll do a lot of paper work.... It's a tough go and not everyone gets to the top jobs, but it can be VERY rewarding both financially and emotionally.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Geovauni
Updated
Darren’s Answer
I Do recommend a carrier as a Chef. In my experience the most important skill in any level of restaurant cooking is ,.......................
The ability to function under stress. There are high standards that should always be met at any good restaurant. Many would argue that cooking in a restaurant isn't fast food cooking. I would disagree. Although it isn't the same assembly line Cook as say McDonald's. It is very fast paced. The second most important skill would be multitasking. You need to be able to start several different food items cooking or warming in the proper order, so when ready to plate them all are ready at same time. You don't want to order a Steak dinner Med rare, Stuffed bake potato with side of sour cream, Green beans. And a Side salad and have it all arrive at the same time. Or plate the potato and veggies before the Steak is done. In above example If using a flame grill to cook steak. A 1/2 in thick Steak goes down first, if your doing salad it will be in cooler ready and yo place in window or you make with prepared ingredients from a make table place in window. Baked potato will be hot and wrapped in foil. Bowl up sour cream garnish usually with chives, get bowl ready for veggie. Start next ticket, Flip steak, work 2nd ticket as needed. Pull Steak,plate. Pull potato fold back foil slice add chess bacon whatever's on 1st ticket. Spoon veggie in hot bowl you have in window or warming box.put plate in window. Return to ticket #2 Start Ticket number 3. A good rule though had to achieve consistently is 5 seconds per item. In this case 3 hot items plated in 15 seconds. All three items hot and cook to specifications, And positioned, garnished as to be a delight to the eye. Sounds like alot right?
--Wrong that was an easy order all you really cooked was a Steak. Rest was to different extents ready to go. #3 most important skill is timing. You'll have to work with others to make it all come together. There is nothing worse than taking someone out fine dinning and being disappointed because part was cold or under or over cooked or sloppelie plated. If you enjoy being challenged at work or take satisfaction in perfection. You may have what it takes to become a Great Cook in any restaurant. Make outstanding food and you will stand out too.
The ability to function under stress. There are high standards that should always be met at any good restaurant. Many would argue that cooking in a restaurant isn't fast food cooking. I would disagree. Although it isn't the same assembly line Cook as say McDonald's. It is very fast paced. The second most important skill would be multitasking. You need to be able to start several different food items cooking or warming in the proper order, so when ready to plate them all are ready at same time. You don't want to order a Steak dinner Med rare, Stuffed bake potato with side of sour cream, Green beans. And a Side salad and have it all arrive at the same time. Or plate the potato and veggies before the Steak is done. In above example If using a flame grill to cook steak. A 1/2 in thick Steak goes down first, if your doing salad it will be in cooler ready and yo place in window or you make with prepared ingredients from a make table place in window. Baked potato will be hot and wrapped in foil. Bowl up sour cream garnish usually with chives, get bowl ready for veggie. Start next ticket, Flip steak, work 2nd ticket as needed. Pull Steak,plate. Pull potato fold back foil slice add chess bacon whatever's on 1st ticket. Spoon veggie in hot bowl you have in window or warming box.put plate in window. Return to ticket #2 Start Ticket number 3. A good rule though had to achieve consistently is 5 seconds per item. In this case 3 hot items plated in 15 seconds. All three items hot and cook to specifications, And positioned, garnished as to be a delight to the eye. Sounds like alot right?
--Wrong that was an easy order all you really cooked was a Steak. Rest was to different extents ready to go. #3 most important skill is timing. You'll have to work with others to make it all come together. There is nothing worse than taking someone out fine dinning and being disappointed because part was cold or under or over cooked or sloppelie plated. If you enjoy being challenged at work or take satisfaction in perfection. You may have what it takes to become a Great Cook in any restaurant. Make outstanding food and you will stand out too.
I'm excited to put your great advice to good use!
Geovauni
Updated
Jason’s Answer
Like many situations in life, you really have to love what you do . I love cooking so it made it a little easier for me to go through the heat and clime through the ranks. You have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices , such as holidays ,friends, and other social activities because your working weekends and every day in between. Pay starts out low and your responsibilities are not as big. You will only move up the chef ladder with extra initiative and willing to make mistakes to create new dishes. Never be scared to make mistakes ,they happen. You also learn from them.( sorry about the cliches) If you love making happy great food is really the way to do it. Start teaching yourself with simple dishes and simple knife skill . Don't think you're going to master every dish you might read or see but don't be scared to try anything also. That is what's fun about cooking ,you can twist anything your way. Read as much about ingredients as you can to familiarize yourself with any possibility and get great end results. If you really want to become a chef don't ever let your EGO get in your way and be humble in everything. Too many ego's can kill a kitchen team very quickly. I hope this helps a bit. Thanks.
Thank you for giving me advice.
Geovauni
Updated
Michel’s Answer
I love what I do. I hate the sacrifices I have made to do it. In 30 years, Ive sacrificed a lot of time with friends and family to pursue my career, my "passion." Nights, weekends, holidays, long hours, always at work. In the process, I have become very successful in the industry and can support my family in the Bay Area. I love what I do but I am not going to lie and say it hasn't been hard. If you are in, you need to be 110% in. Take good care of your body or else you will regret it further down the path.
Hi Michel! Do you have any other insights to help Geovauni determine if this is a desired career path?
Sharyn Grose, Admin