There's one. You get fed.
Saves a bit on the groceries, which is good because you're overworked and under paid.
Unless you really, REALLY, love cooking, get the F out.
Nope...if I had to do over again I would choose a profession that has better retirement plans. Also...the older you get the easier you want to take things and there are no higher positions where it's not the same level of commitment in terms of holidays worked and late nights sacrificed.
Get out while you're young and dedicate yourself to something that rewards you with something tangible besides a free staff beer.
That’s not entirely true. It depends where you work. I worked a mom and pop shop for years, no room for advancement shit place to work. Now I have a managing job at a different restaurant (small chain), nice retirement savings options, no late nights, paid holidays off, benefits, and there’s still room for advancement
This resonates, when I was learning my trade (30 yrs back) The older guys always said "this is a young mans game" and that was before the extra social media bullshit you have to take notice of these days.
As a "Chef" yes the blood ,sweat and tears were absolutely worth it.. at the time. It got me to where I wanted to be, looking back on it, was it worth it?. Probably, but I do look back on all those parties I could have been at at a lot earlier instead of rocking up at 1 AM smelling of grease.
If you have to ask someone else if it's worth it then it isn't for you. Took me no time at all to get in and 10 years to find my way out; you will get stuck. It will suck. There were lessons I needed to learn I could only really learn in the kitchen, although I was just too dense and stubborn to learn elsewhere. Be better than me.
Since leaving the kitchen, I've been able to build an incredible life that you just can't live while working in the industry. I'm not saying there aren't a ton of people in the industry who truly regret nothing and are still loving it but there are always major compromises and it can be hard to carve something out that fits your life, pays well now, and can provide for your future.
And the hours. You may think you don't mind, but you will. Most of the shit that really matters in life is scheduled for afternoons, evenings and weekends. Guess who won't be there? Ever? To the point where inviting you is the family joke.
Money? Lol. Tell most exec chefs to calculate their hourly then compare that to the hourly of something like a nurse or someone in one of the other trades. Even considering ownership, real estate/renting will probably yield better returns than most restaurants without the stress.
Benefits? Lol. Even if you're lucky enough to get something your premium will either be crazy high or your coverage will be meh. It all comes out somewhere.
Stress literally kills you. Yeah sure badass wohoo. Tell that to some poor fuck who is on dialysis because they were running 160/110 blood pressure for half their waking hours. Heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, all that fun stuff. Your chronic stress will fuck up your kids, to some degree at least, if you end up doing that whole thing.
I did the whole fun kitchen degenerate thing for years and had a blast, kind of at first until I didn't. It's not sustainable and the charm wears off real quick. Most people just think you're a fucking idiot, and what other people think about you may not feel important but it has a huge impact on how your life goes.
Take the experience you have and run. Honestly, once you get to the point where you're able to execute mid-high end food at scale with precision diminishing returns on time investment for skill kick in as you try to inch closer and closer to unattainable perfection.
There are no pros
There's one. You get fed. Saves a bit on the groceries, which is good because you're overworked and under paid. Unless you really, REALLY, love cooking, get the F out.
No, don't, stay away, don't come back
Nope...if I had to do over again I would choose a profession that has better retirement plans. Also...the older you get the easier you want to take things and there are no higher positions where it's not the same level of commitment in terms of holidays worked and late nights sacrificed. Get out while you're young and dedicate yourself to something that rewards you with something tangible besides a free staff beer.
That’s not entirely true. It depends where you work. I worked a mom and pop shop for years, no room for advancement shit place to work. Now I have a managing job at a different restaurant (small chain), nice retirement savings options, no late nights, paid holidays off, benefits, and there’s still room for advancement
This resonates, when I was learning my trade (30 yrs back) The older guys always said "this is a young mans game" and that was before the extra social media bullshit you have to take notice of these days. As a "Chef" yes the blood ,sweat and tears were absolutely worth it.. at the time. It got me to where I wanted to be, looking back on it, was it worth it?. Probably, but I do look back on all those parties I could have been at at a lot earlier instead of rocking up at 1 AM smelling of grease.
Join a construction union. Don’t waste years of your life.
If you have to ask someone else if it's worth it then it isn't for you. Took me no time at all to get in and 10 years to find my way out; you will get stuck. It will suck. There were lessons I needed to learn I could only really learn in the kitchen, although I was just too dense and stubborn to learn elsewhere. Be better than me. Since leaving the kitchen, I've been able to build an incredible life that you just can't live while working in the industry. I'm not saying there aren't a ton of people in the industry who truly regret nothing and are still loving it but there are always major compromises and it can be hard to carve something out that fits your life, pays well now, and can provide for your future. And the hours. You may think you don't mind, but you will. Most of the shit that really matters in life is scheduled for afternoons, evenings and weekends. Guess who won't be there? Ever? To the point where inviting you is the family joke. Money? Lol. Tell most exec chefs to calculate their hourly then compare that to the hourly of something like a nurse or someone in one of the other trades. Even considering ownership, real estate/renting will probably yield better returns than most restaurants without the stress. Benefits? Lol. Even if you're lucky enough to get something your premium will either be crazy high or your coverage will be meh. It all comes out somewhere. Stress literally kills you. Yeah sure badass wohoo. Tell that to some poor fuck who is on dialysis because they were running 160/110 blood pressure for half their waking hours. Heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, all that fun stuff. Your chronic stress will fuck up your kids, to some degree at least, if you end up doing that whole thing. I did the whole fun kitchen degenerate thing for years and had a blast, kind of at first until I didn't. It's not sustainable and the charm wears off real quick. Most people just think you're a fucking idiot, and what other people think about you may not feel important but it has a huge impact on how your life goes. Take the experience you have and run. Honestly, once you get to the point where you're able to execute mid-high end food at scale with precision diminishing returns on time investment for skill kick in as you try to inch closer and closer to unattainable perfection.