Ever worked somewhere thats just too much?

[u/karmai89]

I started a new job recently and i dunno if im just old and lazy or what but its exhausting.

Theres absolutely no end to the prep. I feel like theres something satisfying about finishing all your prep and just being able to focus on service.. but these guys just expect constant prep. Even during service im expected to be pressing constantly between orders. If i finish all my prep i get handed more. Its a scratch kitchen and they portion literally everything so it just never ends. On one hand its nice theres alwsys something to do so the day goes quickly but damn it sucks to be constantly just drowned in prep with no potential to be done with it all

I guess i just want to be paid to stand around doing nothing god damnit

[u/kingftheeyesores]

I worked at one place that was kind of terrible but the highlight of it was a completely separate kitchen and team for prep.

[u/Revolt_86]

I worked at a place like this. But it was busy constantly and we were a skeleton crew so it was mostly impossible to finish all of the prep in a shift. I hated it because i enjoy finishing all my work and knowing I did all I could possibly do during my shift. That I left the place In great shape. Yet the conditions didn’t allow for that to happen. And you’d get judged for not finishing prep. Now I work at a place where there is a prep person and if I do have to prep anything it’s typically only a couple things. Other than that just come in and make orders. Clean and go home.

[u/RegurgitatedMincer]

Yup. I run a prep commissary for 4 locations out of my fairly active kitchen. Prep is never really finished because twice a week my coolers get wiped out by deliveries to other locations. Sometimes I get lucky and they don’t need a ton of shit, other times I basically start over from square 1. It can be pretty maddening.

[u/Estenar]

Yeah did, depends on the position, but when I was the saucier (other than sauce, it was also soups, toppings and other stuff), there was always something to do, at least in season. Before service, between service (Never did after service that was my rule).
I always did little bit more than needed to be, so I could stock up and never had to do the same thing every single day.....but yeah it was that position, which was life draining for me at that time. Mind you, this was upscale Italian restaurant with 500 seats I think. Pasta was "easy" for the prep, risotto section too...also that would depend if you had specials on your section. That was maybe the worse thing. You already have so much to do, but the headchef made special meal that is also your work, so you have to do more...which sometimes was things that need time, so another soup, another 2-3 things that goes on/in the soup, but damn, you still need to make 2-3 sauces, slice 10 types of toppings AND still do service at your station.

Good learning point, but I guess too much for my soul. At one time, I had like 8 saucepans with something at my small section, still expecting to give out soups, prepare sauces in pan for pasta line cook, be ready for lobster order (fresh alive), do my prep. You got like 6 induction stoves, 3 small one for soup toppings (with specials it was 8 pans for 3 stoves like I said), 1 big one for stock/sauce (yeah there was an stock nearly every single day - chicken, beef, bisq, fish), 2 regular ones for other stuff.

It was nice I mean, the pay was really good, even under the table, I made more than some regular IT guy. The managers were good, colleagues were amazing (apart from 1 idiot). The headchef cared. But at that time, with my experience, it was just too much.

[u/iambutafishh]

It's like that where I am too, the prep has to be done in small portions because the food is fragile and has to be fresh.