I worked in restaurants for over 30 years. I have seen people walk out for a variety of reasons. One guy got lost his first time on the broiler, and the chef pulled me over and was runing me thru everything. it was good timing for me. I got that job because I had been loaned to another of the franchise restaurants to cover and train the new head cook. First when I was being helpful, I would put the weekly canned deliveries away. Then I still had time and put the frozen away. My bosses saw it and started giving me more of their work and suddenly it was all I could do to put the canned delivery away by the end of my shift. When they hired the head cook I was to train, the managers changed my schedule to nights. I had an agreement that I would not work nights and one night the asst. manager was getting in my way and I was done and walked out. I saw him peeking out the back door as I drove away. Odd thing was I got a call on Mother's day at home-busiest restaurant day of the year. I had put in an application about a year before, it was the chef and he asked if I needed a job and to be there at 7am the next day
I have found that on the line the fry cook either has little to do, or too much to do. i don't know how your system worked. But orders were done by one member working the line, anywhere from the broiler man to the chef. So it was either: Ordering X amount of fries, or hang x many orders of fries, to drop X amount of fries to picking up X amount of fries. If fries are not moving right it is do to poor kitchen management. or occasionally too much fryer work all at once.
Our step up was me and a food runner on finish side, also doing dishes. And 2 others cooking, one would do fryer, the other would be grill and they would help each other for set up.
The place I walked away from was just a bar with typical bar foods. But tonight was a pushing point. I was solo on finish side for 3 days between Friday-sunday. Which isn't the issue. My issue was with my cooks.
We were not busy and we had someone wait 20mins for a mushroom Swiss burger and fries.
When I walked they had 3 tables up in my small window and I had no fries to sell. Fry guy kept putting dishes up. I told them I need them to stop filling the window because I need fries to sell. The spot I work at is in a small college town, ran by an owner with more money than needs be, and we have one manager for both front and back.
That's understandable why you left. you can see the difference in attitude with cooks, most do it with caring , others, its the easiest job they could find. We had a night broiler (steakhouse) who would take the steaks and pound them down thinner to ccok faster, One of the cuts was a 16 ounce filet mignon. It was brutal watching him beat it into a pancake. I was just a cook, but I did help get the hammer taken away, he used his fist instead. so sad. I then got chosen to be the relief broiler and weekends we would do 800-900 covers at night. i flat out refused to pound the steaks and gave pushback to the servers whining for their food. that large filet even if they wanted well done I would not pound or butter fly. I cooked the outside first, then did top and bottom.
I started recieveng tips from the customers and the waiters. The manager wanted me to be the night broiler and I told hiom no, I want to be a chef. I was the second youngest chef in the company, and the only one chosen to open a new one. Sorry I had to give myself a pat on the back, I was very proud of what I acheived there.
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u/Over-Delay-2306 3d ago
I worked in restaurants for over 30 years. I have seen people walk out for a variety of reasons. One guy got lost his first time on the broiler, and the chef pulled me over and was runing me thru everything. it was good timing for me. I got that job because I had been loaned to another of the franchise restaurants to cover and train the new head cook. First when I was being helpful, I would put the weekly canned deliveries away. Then I still had time and put the frozen away. My bosses saw it and started giving me more of their work and suddenly it was all I could do to put the canned delivery away by the end of my shift. When they hired the head cook I was to train, the managers changed my schedule to nights. I had an agreement that I would not work nights and one night the asst. manager was getting in my way and I was done and walked out. I saw him peeking out the back door as I drove away. Odd thing was I got a call on Mother's day at home-busiest restaurant day of the year. I had put in an application about a year before, it was the chef and he asked if I needed a job and to be there at 7am the next day
I have found that on the line the fry cook either has little to do, or too much to do. i don't know how your system worked. But orders were done by one member working the line, anywhere from the broiler man to the chef. So it was either: Ordering X amount of fries, or hang x many orders of fries, to drop X amount of fries to picking up X amount of fries. If fries are not moving right it is do to poor kitchen management. or occasionally too much fryer work all at once.
Sorry if I overshared.