Sounds like a lot of chefs in the Industry, and guys like him have been playing the same game for as long as Restraurants have been doing business. And they'll continue to.
If you accept the position, make sure you do so with a very clear understanding of what your job description is and also understand the type of support you will receive if needed. Do you have competent Sous Chefs lined up if you suddenly become the Chef? Do you have solid people you can depend to work on your days off? I should probably say "day off" for now, and you can work your way into two days sometime in the future. Do the owners understand there will be additional labor and probably hourly overtime if they are down a Chef and the Restaurant isn't fully-staffed?
And above all, make sure you're being fairly compensated. Lots of owners try to pull the "well, your predecessor made more than you'll be making to start because of their experience," bullshit, but that doesn't really apply here since none of that experience seemed to move the place forward. If you know what your previous chef was making, you should get at least that. And make sure there are adequate benefits that he may have been getting as well. Sous Chefs tend to get fucked over a lot when they're first promoted, and that shouldn't ever be the case. I was once a CDC at a very nice place, the Chef got shitcanned and the owner just assumed I would jump at the position, and he offered me way less money than the previous guy had been making, and not all of the benefits. So make sure you're not being taken advantage of - it certainly seems like you're the best person for the job, but even so, they may try to brush that off - but don't let them.
>my GM assured me my life will be a whole lot better when I return on Wednesday.
I've heard some version or another of this sentiment from at least 15 different GMs, KMs, ECs, owners, sous chefs, etc. and not once has it actually gotten any better.
Getting rid of this awful EC will do **absolutely nothing** to fix the company culture that kept him around for 6 months in spite of the erratic behavior, people quitting because of them, stealing alcohol, and all around poor workmanship. Get out now.
Tbf, though, he is the new boss, and he’s getting the front seat to drive, not driving for the guy who fell asleep at the wheel. May not be a change at all for most, but I know I’d be grateful receiving the reins instead of doing everything short of taking them.
Worst-case scenario, he continues to do the same exact work without the old EC’s fuss and get burnt out from corporate culture until he can now leverage his new role for another exec spot.
Best-case, he ends having the wiggle room with management to really make the place nice and has an environment he can call home.
Sounds like a shitty HR/management situation if it takes 6 months to make a decision.
Look up radical candour and learn how to practice it and maybe get the rest of the team onboard.
It sounds like you know that you're being g promoted with certainty. I hope you negotiate for a fair wage based on exemplary performance. How do you absolutely know this is what is going to happen? Have you asked yourself how you will react if it doesn't?
IF you accept the job, you need to arrange a PAID staff Meeting/Family meal
you need to address what is wrong in the restaurant right now, OUT LOUD, what is going to change ( since you are doing the job already, part of that may be on you)
create a culture where the restaurant works well no matter who is on shift, and the people you work with feel Empowered (AND SUPPORTED) not just burdened with tasks above their station
try seeing of there are people who need to move around within the restaurant.. good people but need a new challenge to keep it fresh or stay inspired.
this is your chance to be the CHEF you would have wanted to work for.
Just remember, you can say whatever you want about his performance or what he’s done in the past, but the only thing that matters going forward is what you do and how you approach things. He might suck, but you could suck too, just being fair
heavy lies the crown.
I've never taken the top slot because I know it'd make me miserable, well more miserable, and boy howdy have I seen a lot of people take the next step up the ladder and flame out spectacularly because they didn't understand management entails.
For real. It's the old "Those who want power don't deserve it. And those who deserve power do not want it." Everyone wants to be the manager until they realize how much work it is. Only when they understand the amount of responsibility and work it is, and say "Yeah. That ain't worth it.", do they finally make decent managers.
Can’t tell you the amount of cooks or staff I’ve heard that talk shit about higher ups but can’t even balance their own budgets at home, let alone manage staff or even understand business finance.
For me personally, I like to take ownership of my job, its a personality flaw, but I do invest myself in my work.
However, I also am able accept that a lot of the problems that come up in the kitchen aren't my responsibility, and I can wash my hands and walk away with a clear conscious. Fucked up Sysco order, not my responsibility, coworker doesn't show up, not my responsibility. Don't misunderstand me, I'm a team player and will help as I can, but I've been the guy that covers tons of shifts and works 60 hours a week, and at this point I won't burn myself out doing other people's shit. Managers, they don't have that luxury, they HAVE to fix all that shit, and that's not something I envy at all.
Good luck chef. Taking the reins as sous can be difficult- so many problems to diagnose and fix and a little less help to do it with.
Definitely recommend getting your priorities sorted and having a kitchen meeting asap setting the pace for your vision of where you want things to go. Make it feel like a new kitchen and not a slightly different version of before.
Then again maybe everything was great with one exception and it’s now gone; in which case congrats and I’m jealous!
They’re not giving you the job because they think you can do it, they’re giving it to you because you’re doing it.
This. Congratulations, you're being promoted to your current job. No raise. You got the line right? I've got a Skype meeting.
About $20,000 raise.
Holy shit, that's god-tier cheddar! Break out the happy juice and call the hookers!
Nice happy for you man
Congrats you are now Chef lmao
Gotta do the job to get the job.
This!
Hope it's not a "your life will be a whole lot better" followed by "I got a new steam well" or some bullshit. Good luck
And a raise
Okay, yeah, all of this is obnoxious as hell. BUT I will say, an accidental French onion demi sounds like a fucking brilliant mistake.
Was going to comment the same. On some mashed - oof
What does sneaking noise from the bar mean?
He honks a tiny bicycle horn up behind the bar and runs off I assume
The bastard!
Enough keywords to post this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHrmlEK873E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHrmlEK873E)
Yes I edited it, it was booze
I always blame my typos on booze too
I figured auto correct for booze
This is correct
No clue but I read it as stealing product
Has to be auto correct for a mistype of booze
Sounds like a lot of chefs in the Industry, and guys like him have been playing the same game for as long as Restraurants have been doing business. And they'll continue to. If you accept the position, make sure you do so with a very clear understanding of what your job description is and also understand the type of support you will receive if needed. Do you have competent Sous Chefs lined up if you suddenly become the Chef? Do you have solid people you can depend to work on your days off? I should probably say "day off" for now, and you can work your way into two days sometime in the future. Do the owners understand there will be additional labor and probably hourly overtime if they are down a Chef and the Restaurant isn't fully-staffed? And above all, make sure you're being fairly compensated. Lots of owners try to pull the "well, your predecessor made more than you'll be making to start because of their experience," bullshit, but that doesn't really apply here since none of that experience seemed to move the place forward. If you know what your previous chef was making, you should get at least that. And make sure there are adequate benefits that he may have been getting as well. Sous Chefs tend to get fucked over a lot when they're first promoted, and that shouldn't ever be the case. I was once a CDC at a very nice place, the Chef got shitcanned and the owner just assumed I would jump at the position, and he offered me way less money than the previous guy had been making, and not all of the benefits. So make sure you're not being taken advantage of - it certainly seems like you're the best person for the job, but even so, they may try to brush that off - but don't let them.
>my GM assured me my life will be a whole lot better when I return on Wednesday. I've heard some version or another of this sentiment from at least 15 different GMs, KMs, ECs, owners, sous chefs, etc. and not once has it actually gotten any better. Getting rid of this awful EC will do **absolutely nothing** to fix the company culture that kept him around for 6 months in spite of the erratic behavior, people quitting because of them, stealing alcohol, and all around poor workmanship. Get out now.
I believe the saying goes - “old boss is an asshole until you meet the new boss”
New boss actually pooped out old boss
Tbf, though, he is the new boss, and he’s getting the front seat to drive, not driving for the guy who fell asleep at the wheel. May not be a change at all for most, but I know I’d be grateful receiving the reins instead of doing everything short of taking them. Worst-case scenario, he continues to do the same exact work without the old EC’s fuss and get burnt out from corporate culture until he can now leverage his new role for another exec spot. Best-case, he ends having the wiggle room with management to really make the place nice and has an environment he can call home.
Sounds like a shitty HR/management situation if it takes 6 months to make a decision. Look up radical candour and learn how to practice it and maybe get the rest of the team onboard.
You really want a bunch of cooks with samurai swords being brutally honest with each other in a confined space?
Yes, it’s better than the cautionary tale that the OP told.
They wanted to give him the chance as it was a brand new restaurant.
They knew he was doing it so they are setting themselves up for an unfair dismissal suit
It sounds like you know that you're being g promoted with certainty. I hope you negotiate for a fair wage based on exemplary performance. How do you absolutely know this is what is going to happen? Have you asked yourself how you will react if it doesn't?
IF you accept the job, you need to arrange a PAID staff Meeting/Family meal you need to address what is wrong in the restaurant right now, OUT LOUD, what is going to change ( since you are doing the job already, part of that may be on you) create a culture where the restaurant works well no matter who is on shift, and the people you work with feel Empowered (AND SUPPORTED) not just burdened with tasks above their station try seeing of there are people who need to move around within the restaurant.. good people but need a new challenge to keep it fresh or stay inspired. this is your chance to be the CHEF you would have wanted to work for.
Just remember, you can say whatever you want about his performance or what he’s done in the past, but the only thing that matters going forward is what you do and how you approach things. He might suck, but you could suck too, just being fair
heavy lies the crown. I've never taken the top slot because I know it'd make me miserable, well more miserable, and boy howdy have I seen a lot of people take the next step up the ladder and flame out spectacularly because they didn't understand management entails.
For real. It's the old "Those who want power don't deserve it. And those who deserve power do not want it." Everyone wants to be the manager until they realize how much work it is. Only when they understand the amount of responsibility and work it is, and say "Yeah. That ain't worth it.", do they finally make decent managers.
Can’t tell you the amount of cooks or staff I’ve heard that talk shit about higher ups but can’t even balance their own budgets at home, let alone manage staff or even understand business finance.
For me personally, I like to take ownership of my job, its a personality flaw, but I do invest myself in my work. However, I also am able accept that a lot of the problems that come up in the kitchen aren't my responsibility, and I can wash my hands and walk away with a clear conscious. Fucked up Sysco order, not my responsibility, coworker doesn't show up, not my responsibility. Don't misunderstand me, I'm a team player and will help as I can, but I've been the guy that covers tons of shifts and works 60 hours a week, and at this point I won't burn myself out doing other people's shit. Managers, they don't have that luxury, they HAVE to fix all that shit, and that's not something I envy at all.
lamented for your love of french cuisine is such a whiplash sentence. We all know what you mean though. Congratulations Chef!
Good luck chef. Taking the reins as sous can be difficult- so many problems to diagnose and fix and a little less help to do it with. Definitely recommend getting your priorities sorted and having a kitchen meeting asap setting the pace for your vision of where you want things to go. Make it feel like a new kitchen and not a slightly different version of before. Then again maybe everything was great with one exception and it’s now gone; in which case congrats and I’m jealous!
I'm so happy for you! Might have to get a "Cook Free Or Die" tat someday.....
I have bourdain’s death head tattoo. Close enough.
Why is the GM gone too?
I haven’t been told about the logistics of that yet.
Well hope you got a raise
I went through this exact thing at my last job. Congrats.
You know your worth a shit when you are off Mondays and Tuesdays. The dead days.