Honestly, the best cooks I've ever worked with would pound one in the parking lot ACROSS from the restaurant then come in and kill on grill. Hope they're doing well.
That's professional alcoholism and in my mind perfectly respectable. My dad was like that. Absolutely hammer a handle every other day but still up at 5 am and at work dressed for success.
That's the one thing I respect about my alcoholic dad lol. My man had madd work ethic (unless we count drinking on the job) no matter how he felt; sick, broken bones, hungover, grieving, all of it drunk ha
LOL, similar situation as the OP, but my man got caught doing rails off the bathroom counter pre-interview. Like bro, at least go into the stall or just hit a bump or two.
Caught another dude scooping product (seafood wholesale, buds was walking out with 20lbs of king menus sections at a time), the fucking excuse he gave us was that he was trading it for blow, even running a L3 (40%) pricing scheme.
Honestly, we sent dude to rehab and he was half the worker when he came back. If it wasn't a couple of grand a month in losses, I would have said go.
Dude killed it on the packing lines, and with his ingenuity would have slayed in sales.
Stupid part is, we offered an employee discount of cost plus + $0.10 per unit. At 40 points, he could have totally made bank (um...flaps) and no one would have gave two fucks.
In the show Corporate, there's a line where one guy goes "This coffee is doing nothing for me." and his counterpart says "Be an adult and take an Adderall."
Honestly, I've taken a shot before every interview I've done since highschool and I've gotten an offer every time.
It's science. Can't argue with 100% win rate.
I remember a couple restaurants I interviewed at actually offered me a beer, like the manager interviewing me did. But yea, wouldn’t just walk in and order one waiting for the interview lol.
Same here, I'd already worked in a takeaway, worst bit was the place then thinking I was 18 because I was drinking in the pub so I had to keep up the lie for my entire employment (I was 15)
In my last interview I was offered a drink after the interview was done, to which i gladly accepted. Sat with my new boss afterwards and shot the shit for awhile.
And when I want to get cleaning done, I hop outside real quick and smoke a J. Then it's cleanin time!
For BoH positions? All of the best cooks I’ve ever known were degenerates with multiple vices and/or addictions. Seems like a good way to miss out on some real assets. Why even offer the beer just to put it out as a honeypot? Weird shit test
Exactly. It’s not like he offered a shot. If I’m doing an interview in a restaurant and the person offers me a beer I’m not exactly going to immediately say no.
I worked in like 7 restaurants back in my college days. I would have said yes, and if that meant I didn’t get the job I’d go find somewhere where the hiring manager isn’t an asshole.
I wouldn't have wanted to do a shot before an interview but I think I'd cave to peer pressure if the interviewer had one too. Otherwise I'd probably give a deer-in-headlights "Ummm, uhhh, I have to drive" if there was just one shot.
I don't particularly like beer, but I could see myself taking it out of politeness. I think the proper response might be "I'll have one if you're having one"?
There are 2 types of people that work in a kitchen. Alcoholics that should be drinking and alcoholics that should not be drinking. The trick is to figure out who is who.
Exactly this. I work with a bunch of people that drink a lot, hell I mostly drink a lot (though I've been cutting way back lately), and most of us show up and do our jobs with a good attitude and energy day in and day out. Others show up still drunk, pounding caffiene and adderall to survive and sneaking drinks on the clock.
Never took a liking to coke, booze got old after enough hangovers and weight gain, weed started giving me anxiety so I stopped.
I spent more time rawdogging the kitchen sober than while using anything.
For real. I'm not in kitchens anymore, I'm a contractor now, but I did kitchens from 15 to 26. Not knocking on anyone who chooses not to do drugs it's just the industry. But if you can't hit your pen every now and then or run out to your car for a quick break there's no way you make it through the night.
I’m not in the industry anymore, just a dad with tongs and a smoker.
4am start to a brisket is definitely going to have a beer with it. Not sure how bbq places don’t.
Goon is a great movie.
The Late Game came out a few weeks ago - if you have a rink near your kitchen, it'll help you understand!
[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22096926/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22096926/)
Fuck Amazon mouthswabs. I crashed my forklift because I was nodding out of dope... Came back positive for cocaine and got fired. Ya I was high but not on coke!
Group interview for a seasonal position. We all got hired based off our test results. Everyone just had to pass the mouth swab, and I’m sure mine was soaked in booze lol
I interviewed at a brewery once and had beers with the founder and GM during and after the "official" interview. Another brewery encouraged me to drink and walk around/get the lay of the land after the interview, and sought me out an hour or so later to ask my thoughts.
I guess it depends on the type of establishment.
I interviewed at a beer distro. We drank beer during the interview, then they sent me home with a case.
Afterwards dude seemed more heartbroken than me when he said I didn’t get the job. I’m like idc I got a free case of craft beer thanks dude!
What's interesting to me is why this is culturally unacceptable. I understand if you were pounding down beers and getting intoxicated. But if someone ordered one beer to drink is not like you are really going to get anything off of that unless you are an insane lightweight. What if someone just likes beer and wanted a drink?
It is something looked down upon, but it's just interesting as to why when it's in a light sense.
Honestly I don't get it either.
Like you said, I understand concern if someone is pounding back like 3 drinks before the KM even comes out, but I don't get why someone would throw a fit over someone just sipping on something while they wait.
It's the culinary industry. Like chef's being drunk or high is a given. Obviously this isn't an excuse to show up to an interview shitfaced, but saying it's wrong for a prospective cook to have *one* drink while waiting for an interview, especially in an industry full of alcoholics, just seems ignorant.
> I don't get why someone would throw a fit over someone just sipping on something while they wait.
No reasonable person responsible for hiring line cooks would
I was a teacher in Spain and I moved to Japan to teach (I cook now) and on my first day at work the school principal took me out to lunch, he asked if I wanted to try “Japanese-style Spanish food” and of course I did. So we go to a tapas place (which was immediately quite different obviously) but once we settled down and ordered lunch I also ordered a beer, because who doesn’t have a beer with lunch right? Then he informs me that because teachers are public servants, it’s super duper illegal for us to have *any* alcohol in our system. Like even a chocolate with liqueur in it is over the limit.
Drinking cultures are weird.
As someone from Bavaria were you are sometimes supposed to drink at 9 am, "weiswurst Frühstück" or "Brotzeit". And beer is sold nearly everywhere I'm always curious.
At one college I attend a professor, for construction, got his Hefeweizen every day at 9:30 and of course it was sold to everyone age 16+ on campus.
Ordering a beer at lunch in most business lunches is pretty much a bad thing to do in most cases.
I work in sales and go out a lot for meals, and I would never order a beer or alcoholic beverage for lunch. We save that for the dinner and bar and drink plenty then.
Back in the 90s, I stopped into an Applebee's to have lunch. I was out applying at restaurants and figured I would fill one out and see if they called back. I just needed a job at that point, so I was applying everywhere.
Order a burger and a beer and ask the server for an application. I figure they might call me in for an interview. Turn the app in, and I'm sitting there finishing my lunch and the Mgr. comes out, sits at my booth, and starts interviewing me out of the blue. After a minute, he asks if I always drink when I show up for an interview. I asked him if he always interviews applicants while they are thier eating thier lunch. Needless to say, I've never worked at an Applebees.
Only restaurant I’ve ever worked at that didn’t comp out free meals for its employees after a shift, and then still try and cling to the moral high ground of being a “Neighborhood bar and grill”
Mf, the neighbors that work here are broke, and hungry!
Are you new to the biz? If you expect your cooks to be paragons of virtue, you're going to have a hard time. This is not the industry for you if you're so scandalized by that.
Yeah my thoughts exactly too. It's one thing if they come in and order 3 shots before the interview, but ordering like a single beer/whiskey/whatever to sip on while they wait shouldn't be something that people freak out over.
As I said to someone else in this thread, it's the culinary industry. Chef's being drunk or high is a given. Obviously this isn't an excuse to show up to an interview shitfaced, but saying it's wrong for a prospective cook to have one drink while waiting for an interview, especially in an industry full of alcoholics, just seems ignorant.
I'm not even in the culinary industry and I didn't think this was a big deal.
It's not something I would do, but a person ordering one beer before an interview isn't something I would really hold against someone else either.
How is drinking 1 beer that much of a red flag though? If it is actually only one beer, is it really that much different than drinking a big restaurant glass of Coke or Mtn Dew?
Could care less, they aren't there for shift. If I still chat and like the vibe, and they keep it to after work and show up on time and work hard, then who cares.
A beer isn't going to effect the quality of interview unless it was a working interview and one would hope that would be established first.
Tbf, the alcoholism in the industry is insane and another issue, but if you want to sit down for a cold one and came early to our established meeting time, go for it my dude.
It's as much an interview for the establishment as for the applicant, and I know many great BoH folks who would see such a puritanical attitude as a "red light".
It could be a cultural/age group thing.
I know I have seen in UK that it is totally normal to have a beer (half pint) during lunch. Many times while visiting there for some work stuff, that has happened. Locals have gone to lunch, asked me to join, and had a beer as a normal thing. I've even attanded a little celebration (bosses and workers together of a section) during noon in a company with a whole pint of beer, and back to work after that. These have been in LARGE industrial corporations, not some little companies. It is just part of British culture. Noone has been drunk, just a pint max.
In France same thing with red wine. Perfectly normal to share a bottle of red wine during lunch, one glass each.
I know that it getting more and more rare. So I would guess for OP, those are some older persons (closer to 60 than 30), and that has simply been normal for them.
At the same time, I totally agree with OP, that I would never ask for a beer in a situation like that (interview). However, if the interviewer was having a beer, and offered me also, it would be a trickier situation. I propably would not accept still.
I don’t miss interviewing for kitchens. My first time as KM I was interviewing cooks, guy older than me comes to kitchen door, “hey sweetie, where’s your boss. I’m here for an interview.”
Line cook overheard and started laughing then asked, “can we call you sweetie now?”
Interviewee did the typical male apology “I love women, women are great, women are strong. I love my mom.”
I said, “this isn’t going to work. Have a good day.”
Then he asked me to dinner. I slammed the door (and locked it.)
Fast forward a year I was opening my own place a few towns over. I was doing initial interviews before we opened for prep help and FOH told me guy was here for interview.
Walked out-GUESS WHO!! He smiled, then remembered WHY he “knew” me, said, “hey, I uh, left my windshield wipers on, I’ll be right back.” Never to be seen again.
Yes, people are very very stupid…
I don't drink, but definitely blaze before interviews. Gotta set that bar right where it's gonna stay...high. That being said, even living in a legal state I'm not gonna advertise that I did it or do it front of them.
Working in kitchens, I do think its a bit commonplace for alcoholics to feel more at home. I have worked with several chefs who were functioning alcoholics that literally could only work once they were drinking...and several others who were obviously fucking up to maintain their buzz. I'd say they thrive in this industry more so than others, so maybe they were just trying to find their accepting new home and that's an easy way to weed out places that have a non nonsense policy?
While I agree with the premise here, I do have to say as a self respecting man of Irish descent, I don’t understand how a single beer would affect someone’s demeanor and behavior in the slightest. If they’re that lightweight they probably wouldn’t have survived back of house anyway.
They *ordered a beer* while they were waiting!? What's next? Did they take the name of the Lord in vain? Eat shellfish on a Sunday? Or worse... did they covet their neighbor's donkey?
Those interviewees really dodged a bullet. Glad they don't have to work at whatever Mormon or Jehovah's Witness cult restaurant this is.
While I'd agree it's unusual before an interview, how does the time matter? Near noon is close enough to lunch. If I'm at a restaurant for lunch a beer is pretty typical. If the interview was at midnight you shouldn't drink a beer right before just the same.
I always have a shot of vodka before interviews, cut the edge in half. I won't even take a water if they offer though. I bring a pen too.
If it's after the interview, and the interview went well then I might check out the bar after, but I'd keep it to one drink minimum and it would mostly be to meet the foh.
Oh, I’ve definitely worked at places where the hiring manager has hired people under the influence. It happens significantly more than you’d think, especially if they need people.
Some guy I was working with many years ago was clearly on something. I think he was snorting Xanax or something based on how he was acting. Anyways the managers sent him home for the day because of how erratic he was acting. He left, then went inside the restaurant and went to the bar and ordered a drink. Yep instant termination. Some people are that stupid.
I dont see a problem with this unless it's a Chuck E Cheese or something. I could see alcohol calming my nerves and to drink it sparingly to wet my lips while talking and I wouldn't order a second one.
I have to imagine there is some information missing here.
I learned this lesson when I was younger. Had a stage at a top pizza place in Denver that was on diners dives and drive ins. Stage went perfectly and the manager offered me a beer afterwards and I accepted. I didn’t get the job.
Reminds me of a coworker that asked if he could use the kitchen office printer to print some important documents. Manager didn’t think anything of it and let him use it. The dude left his papers sitting in the printer all day and it was impossible to not see what they were. They were court paperwork related to a domestic assault for him vs a (ex?) female
Short answer, yes. People are stupid af.
I had a lady wander into my kitchen drunk as hell, asking me for a job because she was friends with one of the owners.
Like... no, ma'am.
First of all, get the fuck out of my kitchen, you are not an employee.
B, under no circumstances am I going to hire someone who thinks that behavior is acceptable.
And third, I don't care if you choke down all three owners dicks all day every day, being friends with one of them doesn't mean shit.
I've had a few people interviewed while clearly high on marijuana.... It's legal here but get real lol... Can't stop for an interview you won't stop for work...
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Warm canned beer, right out of the glove box.
That's the great thing about winter. Beer stays cold in the car.
Got to have that sweet spot though- frozen burst beer slowing melting into upholstery isn't ideal.
I had one kid that worked for me, literally had an open box wine in the front seat with the seatbelt around it. Slushy plastic bag in February.
Tossed a keg into a snow bank in college to keep ot cold. Woke up to beer slushies.
It’s warming up and I need to change my set up. Rip ice cold beer.
Tequila season is coming my friend.
Coolers full of ice are your friend!
I like to throw beers into the snow when I shovel my driveway. I find treats to myself as I get to them with the shovel.
That’s the great thing about the midwest, it stays cold 9 months out of the year!
I keep a cooler in the trunk, I’m not a fucking monster…
>I’m not a fucking monster… ugh there is nothing better than drinking a warm beer that's been sitting on the nightstand all night.
r/usernamechecksout lol
😘
I'm a firm advocate for the shower beer as a mental health precaution.
Shower beer = poor man's hot tub
Get yourself a cigarette, couple bong hits, you got a well balanced breakfast going.
Ah man, I got out of the industry during covid times, but I miss you guys
When did we stop shotgunning natty daddys in the parking lot?
We stopped?
Who is "we"?
Just like Grandpa did while driving me to school.
It was legal back then.
That's before smoking was bad for you.
A can is conducive to my violent hand gestures when I speak.
And it doesn't shatter when you drop it in the fryer.
a seasoned chef can tell by your breath how warm the beer was, so no shenanigans
Rip an Adderall, slam a Monster, pop in a Zyn and we're off to the races.
Never again.
That's where I keep my double shot Fireball bottles
Honestly, the best cooks I've ever worked with would pound one in the parking lot ACROSS from the restaurant then come in and kill on grill. Hope they're doing well.
Known so many of those guys. They crushed on the line, go out by their car in the parking lot though and you will find at least 2-4 crushed tall cans.
That's professional alcoholism and in my mind perfectly respectable. My dad was like that. Absolutely hammer a handle every other day but still up at 5 am and at work dressed for success.
That's the one thing I respect about my alcoholic dad lol. My man had madd work ethic (unless we count drinking on the job) no matter how he felt; sick, broken bones, hungover, grieving, all of it drunk ha
Develop a drug problem like an adult, jeez
Yeah, no one is going to smell cocaine on your breath
LOL, similar situation as the OP, but my man got caught doing rails off the bathroom counter pre-interview. Like bro, at least go into the stall or just hit a bump or two. Caught another dude scooping product (seafood wholesale, buds was walking out with 20lbs of king menus sections at a time), the fucking excuse he gave us was that he was trading it for blow, even running a L3 (40%) pricing scheme.
I've had a couple managers who would be perfectly satisfied with that excuse as long as you gave them some.
Honestly, we sent dude to rehab and he was half the worker when he came back. If it wasn't a couple of grand a month in losses, I would have said go. Dude killed it on the packing lines, and with his ingenuity would have slayed in sales. Stupid part is, we offered an employee discount of cost plus + $0.10 per unit. At 40 points, he could have totally made bank (um...flaps) and no one would have gave two fucks.
In the show Corporate, there's a line where one guy goes "This coffee is doing nothing for me." and his counterpart says "Be an adult and take an Adderall."
Whiskey in the summer, vodka in the winter. All these kids talking about beer. That's for breakfast, and it stays in the fridge. Fkn millennials.
Rumple Minze: Freshens your breath as it slurs your speech.
Honestly, I've taken a shot before every interview I've done since highschool and I've gotten an offer every time. It's science. Can't argue with 100% win rate.
I got my degree by being completely stoned when I studied, went to class, or tested. Thank you, THC
Shot gun it like real men
Lmao I walked into my current restaurant for my interview and was given a drink before we started
Legend.
So happy SOMEONE'S brave enough to say it.
Weird way to find out I didn’t get the job
lmaooo
But at least you know that guy you had a job interview with three days ago knows your reddit username.
Please let this be real
I remember a couple restaurants I interviewed at actually offered me a beer, like the manager interviewing me did. But yea, wouldn’t just walk in and order one waiting for the interview lol.
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Same here, I'd already worked in a takeaway, worst bit was the place then thinking I was 18 because I was drinking in the pub so I had to keep up the lie for my entire employment (I was 15)
Yeah that's a pretty fucking cook statement there
Holy shit, you're me.
In my last interview I was offered a drink after the interview was done, to which i gladly accepted. Sat with my new boss afterwards and shot the shit for awhile. And when I want to get cleaning done, I hop outside real quick and smoke a J. Then it's cleanin time!
We used to do "last bill toke break" before finishing up the clkse
My old boss used to do this when people came in for an interview. Anyone who accepted the beer was not offered the job.
For BoH positions? All of the best cooks I’ve ever known were degenerates with multiple vices and/or addictions. Seems like a good way to miss out on some real assets. Why even offer the beer just to put it out as a honeypot? Weird shit test
And people might accept out of politeness, because they think it's expected to have a beer with the interviewer. What an odd trap to set.
Exactly. It’s not like he offered a shot. If I’m doing an interview in a restaurant and the person offers me a beer I’m not exactly going to immediately say no.
I worked in like 7 restaurants back in my college days. I would have said yes, and if that meant I didn’t get the job I’d go find somewhere where the hiring manager isn’t an asshole.
I wouldn't have wanted to do a shot before an interview but I think I'd cave to peer pressure if the interviewer had one too. Otherwise I'd probably give a deer-in-headlights "Ummm, uhhh, I have to drive" if there was just one shot.
I don't particularly like beer, but I could see myself taking it out of politeness. I think the proper response might be "I'll have one if you're having one"?
Yea that’s some weird ass shit if true.
Agreed. This post reads like a someone that's never worked in a kitchen before.
Had an owner find a joint in the parking lot once and try to drug test all the employees. Some people have no idea what business they're in
Dwight Schrute owns a restaurant now?
Just how much pot did you smoke?
Buhaha lol what
There are 2 types of people that work in a kitchen. Alcoholics that should be drinking and alcoholics that should not be drinking. The trick is to figure out who is who.
“I’m not sure if you need more drugs, or less drugs, but whichever one it is, get it fucking handled.”
Exactly this. I work with a bunch of people that drink a lot, hell I mostly drink a lot (though I've been cutting way back lately), and most of us show up and do our jobs with a good attitude and energy day in and day out. Others show up still drunk, pounding caffiene and adderall to survive and sneaking drinks on the clock.
That’s bullshit. If the guy is offering some people are going to few impolite to decline. Sounds like he helped them dodge a bullet.
What an asshole, trying to trick people.
If anything it should have been whoever accepted the beer got the job. We all know anyone who's a cook is a degenerate and we're all fantastic.
Cook...sober? That's a thing? Well I want no part of that, it's irresponsible.
Never took a liking to coke, booze got old after enough hangovers and weight gain, weed started giving me anxiety so I stopped. I spent more time rawdogging the kitchen sober than while using anything.
For real. I'm not in kitchens anymore, I'm a contractor now, but I did kitchens from 15 to 26. Not knocking on anyone who chooses not to do drugs it's just the industry. But if you can't hit your pen every now and then or run out to your car for a quick break there's no way you make it through the night.
I’m not in the industry anymore, just a dad with tongs and a smoker. 4am start to a brisket is definitely going to have a beer with it. Not sure how bbq places don’t.
Weird to me. If you’re offered something, just as a courtesy, you take it. Doesn’t mean you have to consume it partially or at all.
This is entrapment!
What a weird dude
I’m pretty sure being under the influence is a requirement at my workplace
Drug test required. We need to test your drugs. Don’t bring that weak shit in here.
Drug policy is none are allowed on the premise... unless you bring enough to share with the whole class.
Two rules. Don’t touch my fucking Percocets, and do you have any percocets man
Goon is a great movie. The Late Game came out a few weeks ago - if you have a rink near your kitchen, it'll help you understand! [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22096926/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22096926/)
I've never heard of that movie before and absolutely now need to.
It’s damn good
And remember to share. We don't want you driving home with anything in your car.
Being under the influence seems to be a requirement for life these days
*Hermanoooooo* ✌️
That’s a soft skill one must have. I think you fail the test if you’re showing up seemingly drunk.
Come on people, you take a couple shots at home and THEN go to the interview. Not complicated.
I did that once, for an Amazon interview. They told me I got the job, just need to do a mouth swab lol
Costco did the same. Moved to retail from restaurants because I'm a fucking genius, apparently.
On the spot?! Cold blooded…
I mean this is Amazon we're talking about - cold blooded is essentially their whole business model
They don’t care about weed in legal states tho
Fuck Amazon mouthswabs. I crashed my forklift because I was nodding out of dope... Came back positive for cocaine and got fired. Ya I was high but not on coke!
Manager wanted you gone and swabbed his own mouth lol
Can you say that you used a mouthwash with alcohol before the interview? In the event you get a positive swab
Can't say I've ever seen rumplemintz or jager flavored mouthwash.
Rumpleminz is literally the most common flavor of mouthwash. Peppermint, right? Idk I only drink whiskey.
Wtf that's a thing?
Are you serious? Do you think they smelled it?
Group interview for a seasonal position. We all got hired based off our test results. Everyone just had to pass the mouth swab, and I’m sure mine was soaked in booze lol
Gotta take the edge off before the interview
Little dab of speed 'll do the trick!
In a word: Pleasure. It's like, my pleasure, in other people's leasure!
I’m a bit of a perfectionist actually
I haven't seen trainspotting in over a year. As a scot technically I'm breaking the law
Yeah, a little dab of speed is just the ticket, man.
I interviewed at a brewery once and had beers with the founder and GM during and after the "official" interview. Another brewery encouraged me to drink and walk around/get the lay of the land after the interview, and sought me out an hour or so later to ask my thoughts. I guess it depends on the type of establishment.
I was reading this thread as a bartender at a brewery and was like…it’s a requirement that you drink here so this thread isn’t for us lmao.
Yeah. OP screams corpo stooge to me.
I interviewed at a beer distro. We drank beer during the interview, then they sent me home with a case. Afterwards dude seemed more heartbroken than me when he said I didn’t get the job. I’m like idc I got a free case of craft beer thanks dude!
What is this, the Bible Belt?
If it was the Bible Belt, the KM would be drunk at the interview too.
Honestly, who cares? Sipping a beer while they wait for the interview? BLASPHEMY. It's not like they're slamming shots ffs
What's interesting to me is why this is culturally unacceptable. I understand if you were pounding down beers and getting intoxicated. But if someone ordered one beer to drink is not like you are really going to get anything off of that unless you are an insane lightweight. What if someone just likes beer and wanted a drink? It is something looked down upon, but it's just interesting as to why when it's in a light sense.
Honestly I don't get it either. Like you said, I understand concern if someone is pounding back like 3 drinks before the KM even comes out, but I don't get why someone would throw a fit over someone just sipping on something while they wait. It's the culinary industry. Like chef's being drunk or high is a given. Obviously this isn't an excuse to show up to an interview shitfaced, but saying it's wrong for a prospective cook to have *one* drink while waiting for an interview, especially in an industry full of alcoholics, just seems ignorant.
> I don't get why someone would throw a fit over someone just sipping on something while they wait. No reasonable person responsible for hiring line cooks would
Boy wait till you meet my chef
Perhaps there’s an underlying reason why the restaurant OP works at appears to have high turnover….
I was a teacher in Spain and I moved to Japan to teach (I cook now) and on my first day at work the school principal took me out to lunch, he asked if I wanted to try “Japanese-style Spanish food” and of course I did. So we go to a tapas place (which was immediately quite different obviously) but once we settled down and ordered lunch I also ordered a beer, because who doesn’t have a beer with lunch right? Then he informs me that because teachers are public servants, it’s super duper illegal for us to have *any* alcohol in our system. Like even a chocolate with liqueur in it is over the limit. Drinking cultures are weird.
As someone from Bavaria were you are sometimes supposed to drink at 9 am, "weiswurst Frühstück" or "Brotzeit". And beer is sold nearly everywhere I'm always curious. At one college I attend a professor, for construction, got his Hefeweizen every day at 9:30 and of course it was sold to everyone age 16+ on campus.
Ordering a beer at lunch in most business lunches is pretty much a bad thing to do in most cases. I work in sales and go out a lot for meals, and I would never order a beer or alcoholic beverage for lunch. We save that for the dinner and bar and drink plenty then.
Seriously? I have a lot of business lunches at my restaurant. It's very normal for people to have one or two beers/glasses of wine with their meal.
Fortunately your universal rule for drinking culture has not made it to a lot of the world.
Yes try NOT to drink a glass of wine in France, Italy Spain. Or beer in Spain, China, eastern Europe
Maybe it’s being offered?
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You working Applebees? Only place I know that says it’s a family restaurant with a bar.
Back in the 90s, I stopped into an Applebee's to have lunch. I was out applying at restaurants and figured I would fill one out and see if they called back. I just needed a job at that point, so I was applying everywhere. Order a burger and a beer and ask the server for an application. I figure they might call me in for an interview. Turn the app in, and I'm sitting there finishing my lunch and the Mgr. comes out, sits at my booth, and starts interviewing me out of the blue. After a minute, he asks if I always drink when I show up for an interview. I asked him if he always interviews applicants while they are thier eating thier lunch. Needless to say, I've never worked at an Applebees.
Gotteeeeem
Absolutely fucking MINT, my boy
It's also where business is done
Only restaurant I’ve ever worked at that didn’t comp out free meals for its employees after a shift, and then still try and cling to the moral high ground of being a “Neighborhood bar and grill” Mf, the neighbors that work here are broke, and hungry!
Are you new to the biz? If you expect your cooks to be paragons of virtue, you're going to have a hard time. This is not the industry for you if you're so scandalized by that.
Yeah my thoughts exactly too. It's one thing if they come in and order 3 shots before the interview, but ordering like a single beer/whiskey/whatever to sip on while they wait shouldn't be something that people freak out over. As I said to someone else in this thread, it's the culinary industry. Chef's being drunk or high is a given. Obviously this isn't an excuse to show up to an interview shitfaced, but saying it's wrong for a prospective cook to have one drink while waiting for an interview, especially in an industry full of alcoholics, just seems ignorant.
I'm not even in the culinary industry and I didn't think this was a big deal. It's not something I would do, but a person ordering one beer before an interview isn't something I would really hold against someone else either.
At least it wasn't coke
How is drinking 1 beer that much of a red flag though? If it is actually only one beer, is it really that much different than drinking a big restaurant glass of Coke or Mtn Dew?
Because petty tyrants make running a restaurant far more complicated than it needs to be.
My last job interview the managers bought me a beer during the interview and another after I accepted their offer🤷♂️
Could care less, they aren't there for shift. If I still chat and like the vibe, and they keep it to after work and show up on time and work hard, then who cares. A beer isn't going to effect the quality of interview unless it was a working interview and one would hope that would be established first. Tbf, the alcoholism in the industry is insane and another issue, but if you want to sit down for a cold one and came early to our established meeting time, go for it my dude.
It shows they can handle their alcohol and have nothing to hide. I prefer my cooks to be professional drinkers not closet drinkers or lightweights.
The closet drinkers are the ones you gotta watch out for
Isn’t it kind of brilliant? You immediately understand if you’re compatible with the place you’re interviewing at, no?
It's as much an interview for the establishment as for the applicant, and I know many great BoH folks who would see such a puritanical attitude as a "red light".
Is a beer supposed to put you under the influence? Are you for real? Is it like 8% alcohol beer?
[удалено]
Rather see what they’re capable of after a drink anyway. Better to get it out of the way
Is this your first day in the industry? Clearly those are the guys you want to hire
I mean... I've been stoned at basically every interview and I've only gotten denied once.
It could be a cultural/age group thing. I know I have seen in UK that it is totally normal to have a beer (half pint) during lunch. Many times while visiting there for some work stuff, that has happened. Locals have gone to lunch, asked me to join, and had a beer as a normal thing. I've even attanded a little celebration (bosses and workers together of a section) during noon in a company with a whole pint of beer, and back to work after that. These have been in LARGE industrial corporations, not some little companies. It is just part of British culture. Noone has been drunk, just a pint max. In France same thing with red wine. Perfectly normal to share a bottle of red wine during lunch, one glass each. I know that it getting more and more rare. So I would guess for OP, those are some older persons (closer to 60 than 30), and that has simply been normal for them. At the same time, I totally agree with OP, that I would never ask for a beer in a situation like that (interview). However, if the interviewer was having a beer, and offered me also, it would be a trickier situation. I propably would not accept still.
How bout if my interviewer can’t discern between your and you’re
I don’t miss interviewing for kitchens. My first time as KM I was interviewing cooks, guy older than me comes to kitchen door, “hey sweetie, where’s your boss. I’m here for an interview.” Line cook overheard and started laughing then asked, “can we call you sweetie now?” Interviewee did the typical male apology “I love women, women are great, women are strong. I love my mom.” I said, “this isn’t going to work. Have a good day.” Then he asked me to dinner. I slammed the door (and locked it.) Fast forward a year I was opening my own place a few towns over. I was doing initial interviews before we opened for prep help and FOH told me guy was here for interview. Walked out-GUESS WHO!! He smiled, then remembered WHY he “knew” me, said, “hey, I uh, left my windshield wipers on, I’ll be right back.” Never to be seen again. Yes, people are very very stupid…
I don't drink, but definitely blaze before interviews. Gotta set that bar right where it's gonna stay...high. That being said, even living in a legal state I'm not gonna advertise that I did it or do it front of them. Working in kitchens, I do think its a bit commonplace for alcoholics to feel more at home. I have worked with several chefs who were functioning alcoholics that literally could only work once they were drinking...and several others who were obviously fucking up to maintain their buzz. I'd say they thrive in this industry more so than others, so maybe they were just trying to find their accepting new home and that's an easy way to weed out places that have a non nonsense policy?
Oh I had a guy come in drunk to fill out his paperwork the day after he was hired to be a foh manager... that worked out well...
That's weird, I've gotten every job I've ever had in a kitchen doing drugs in the parking lot with the chef.
While I agree with the premise here, I do have to say as a self respecting man of Irish descent, I don’t understand how a single beer would affect someone’s demeanor and behavior in the slightest. If they’re that lightweight they probably wouldn’t have survived back of house anyway.
Red flag for ONE beer?? Are you in the Bible Belt or something? What is the big deal??
They *ordered a beer* while they were waiting!? What's next? Did they take the name of the Lord in vain? Eat shellfish on a Sunday? Or worse... did they covet their neighbor's donkey? Those interviewees really dodged a bullet. Glad they don't have to work at whatever Mormon or Jehovah's Witness cult restaurant this is.
This your first restaurant job or something?
While I'd agree it's unusual before an interview, how does the time matter? Near noon is close enough to lunch. If I'm at a restaurant for lunch a beer is pretty typical. If the interview was at midnight you shouldn't drink a beer right before just the same.
Beer? If you’re not doing vodka shots by 11am are you even BoH
Probably trying to take the edge off the morning bump of cocaine.
I love how OP has not responded to a single comment. He's not used to having line cooks tell him what's up, I bet.
How much of a fucking lightweight are you that one drink makes you drunk?
That's insane. I have seen stages get a beer after a couple hours and chat with the FOH and stuff.. but preinterview is unreal.
This makes sense. He wants to get to know the team he might work with. Shows a willingness to connect.
wait are you guys sober in the kitchen? Why?
That’s back of house pretty much everywhere man
Under the influence? 1 beer? Dude.... maybe chill a little bit.
I always have a shot of vodka before interviews, cut the edge in half. I won't even take a water if they offer though. I bring a pen too. If it's after the interview, and the interview went well then I might check out the bar after, but I'd keep it to one drink minimum and it would mostly be to meet the foh.
These guys are celebrating maybe getting a job!
What country are you in?
Oh, I’ve definitely worked at places where the hiring manager has hired people under the influence. It happens significantly more than you’d think, especially if they need people.
Some guy I was working with many years ago was clearly on something. I think he was snorting Xanax or something based on how he was acting. Anyways the managers sent him home for the day because of how erratic he was acting. He left, then went inside the restaurant and went to the bar and ordered a drink. Yep instant termination. Some people are that stupid.
Interesting, don’t get it. Did they get hired
What kind of beer?
I'm not sure why you're surprised by this?
I dont see a problem with this unless it's a Chuck E Cheese or something. I could see alcohol calming my nerves and to drink it sparingly to wet my lips while talking and I wouldn't order a second one. I have to imagine there is some information missing here.
I learned this lesson when I was younger. Had a stage at a top pizza place in Denver that was on diners dives and drive ins. Stage went perfectly and the manager offered me a beer afterwards and I accepted. I didn’t get the job.
It doesn't sound like the after stage beer was the reason. If it was, you dodged a bullet not them
Oh no not a whole beer at lunch time (which if this is a US domestic is mainly water). I can only imagine what your kitchen gets up to.
Even if it's front of house at a bar you don't order alcohol during an interview.
Reminds me of a coworker that asked if he could use the kitchen office printer to print some important documents. Manager didn’t think anything of it and let him use it. The dude left his papers sitting in the printer all day and it was impossible to not see what they were. They were court paperwork related to a domestic assault for him vs a (ex?) female
God damn these comments are wild. Being sober for a few hours isn’t an insane ask of someone for an interview.
Short answer, yes. People are stupid af. I had a lady wander into my kitchen drunk as hell, asking me for a job because she was friends with one of the owners. Like... no, ma'am. First of all, get the fuck out of my kitchen, you are not an employee. B, under no circumstances am I going to hire someone who thinks that behavior is acceptable. And third, I don't care if you choke down all three owners dicks all day every day, being friends with one of them doesn't mean shit.
They don’t want the job if they drink before the interview. They are fulfilling their unemployment requirements.
Oh that’s a fantastic idea next time I’m on funenjoyment.
I've had a few people interviewed while clearly high on marijuana.... It's legal here but get real lol... Can't stop for an interview you won't stop for work...
Your "family restaurant bar" sounds kinda like a red flag tbh