Anyone who has ever had to work as a chef or server at a restaurant, fast-food place, or hotel knows just how tough things can get. Not only is the job itself often very stressful, with long hours and not enough recognition, but from time to time you also have to deal with rude customers and toxic managers.
‘Kitchen Confidential’ is a very popular online group that draws in hundreds of thousands of food service industry and hospitality workers from around the world. Today, we’re featuring some of their most honest and wittiest posts and photos about what it’s like to be in their shoes. Scroll down to check them out. All of this might feel very relatable to you…
#1 I Had To Quit My Delivery Job Today Due To Depression, This Is How My Manager Responded
Image credits: bikepunxx
#2 I’m Still In Shock
Image credits: ScooterBobb
#3 They're Ready
Image credits: flyart
Though failure rates can be hard to track, Investopedia reports that roughly a third (30%) of restaurants fail within the first year of opening. Meanwhile, based on the data from the National Restaurant Association, 80% of such establishments end up shuttering their doors within the first 5 years of operating.
The most important thing to consider before starting a new restaurant is the initial cost of purchasing it. Ideally, you should have far more money than just what you need to open the establishment. You may need to dip into your savings to sustain your operations until you start bringing in positive cash flow. And that means having a financial cushion that you can use to get through the tough times that may be ahead.
#4 Server Came Back And Said They Had A Guest Who Was Autistic And All They Wanted Was A Tower Of Grilled Cheese. I Was More Than Happy To Oblige
Image credits: Substantial-Water-10
#5 I’m A Health Inspector (Sorry Everyone). This Restaurant Today Had A Walken Cooler
Image credits: puntini
#6 I'm A Closing Server. I Love You. It's Gonna Be Stupid Hot Tomorrow. I Popped These In The Freezer Tonight For You. Thank You For All You Do
Image credits: brainonvacation78
Some of the main start-up costs include things like finding a suitable space, leasing it, renovating it if needed, purchasing all the supplies you need to run the business, and paying the salaries of all your staff. Naturally, you’ll need to keep paying everyone good salaries on time; otherwise, you won’t have anyone in your corner anymore. You have to offer your staff stability and support, not excuses that you can’t make ends meet for timely payroll.
Your success as a restauranteur doesn’t just depend on all of your hard work (though that’s certainly a major factor). There’s a lot of luck involved, too. However, you can determine quite a lot of things that are going to impact your overall business and profit margins. You get to decide the location of the restaurant, the type of food you serve, the menu, who works at your business, the workplace culture, what the quality of the food and service will be like, etc.
#7 Flipping Burgers
Image credits: solside65
#8 Turn Around And My Buddy Is Moving Tomatoes, Guy Didn’t Spill A Drop
Image credits: Hylianguitar
#9 No Substations, No Exceptions
Image credits: reddit.com
According to Investopedia, some ways to control your expenses and drive more business involve buying secondhand equipment and utensils, good marketing (social media, word-of-mouth, etc.), and using energy-saving lights. Your biggest expenses are likely to be the cost of food and labor. A qualified manager with lots of experience can be a good investment if they have a good eye for keeping food costs down (e.g., by preventing as much food waste as they can) and are good at employee scheduling and hiring.
Celeb chefs aside, restaurant profit margins tend to fall in the range of somewhere between 0% to 15%, with an average between 3% to 5%. So, every decision you make can make or break these already razor-thin profit margins.
#10 Gob-Smacked
Image credits: Electronic_Muscle252
#11 When Your Job Bails You Out Of Jail Because They Are Short Handed
Image credits: ScarletRead
#12 How It Feels To Make The Big Soup
Image credits: chefchaos_
The hospitality industry, which is a subsection of the service industry, is very broad and varied. It includes areas like food and beverage services, tourism, theme parks, event planning, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars, on top of sports, wellness, and entertainment. But broadly speaking, what unites most people working in this industry is that they provide a service to customers.
#13 Saw This
Image credits: safewayz
#14 Might Be A Repost. Found On The Facebook
Image credits: rootinuti611
#15 A Miracle Happened Today
Image credits: kisses4beergirl
Owning and running a restaurant might sound like a dream come true, and many people hope to open one someday. However, from a practical, entrepreneurial, managerial, and financial point of view, it can be a massive challenge. If you don’t have any experience running a business, or if you’re super unlucky, your restaurant can fail, and you may have to declare bankruptcy.
#16 After All These Years I Didnt Know This
Image credits: elmurfudd
#17 What My Coworker Considers Clean vs. What I Consider Clean
Image credits: DMmeyourinbox
#18 Does My Supplier Hate Me? We Ordered 150 Lbs Of Halibut For The Weekend….we Got One 152lb. Fish…i Wanted A Few Collars Man!
Image credits: fucks_equal_zero
So, while nobody’s trying to dissuade you from following your dreams of making it big in the food industry, you should put a ton of effort into market research, create a solid business plan, and have people on your team whom you can trust. Even the best entrepreneur can’t be everywhere at once, 24/7. You need competent, well-trained, motivated managers and staff to whom you can delegate your tasks.
#19 When I’m Mad Sometimes I Write Secret Swear Words Inside People’s Fancy Grilled Cheeses
Image credits: trashpancakes
#20 How My Italian Chef Responded Before Seeing I Dropped The Bomb My Grandma Had Cancer😭
Image credits: reaperkid1
#21 Im A Private School Chef And I Love It
Image credits: dirtyhippie8727
A big part of motivation and loyalty comes down to the relationships you forge with your employees. First of all, you’ve got to get the basics right. That means offering a competitive salary, time off, proper training, room for personal and professional growth, healthcare, etc. On top of that, you want to ensure that you and your managers genuinely support your workers. Faking empathy won’t cut it here. If you want to avoid burnout, exhaustion, and demotivation, you’ve got to offer good work-life balance, actively listen to everyone’s problems, and give them a voice.
#22 Gm Told Me Cracking A Double Egg Means I Knocked Someone Up, And Brother I'm Shakin In My Nonslip Clogs
Image credits: toxiclimeade
#23 She's Been With Me Ten Years, Through Four Head Chefs. Today, She Clicked Her Last Clack
Image credits: six7five
#24 The Way The New Guy Labeled This Box
Image credits: nooyork
Employees are big fans of autonomy, purposeful work, and growth. So, if you end up micromanaging your entire team, distrust everyone and anyone, and offer no raises or career opportunities, you shouldn’t be surprised if your team is demotivated and looking for better jobs. In the long term, you want to find a business approach that offers sustainable growth and authentically leads to a loyal workforce. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s also far cheaper than having to constantly hire and train new people to replace those who have left in anger.
#25 This Is A Real Knife That Is Used By The Fish Cutter At My Current Job. He's Been Using It For 35 Years
Image credits: oadge
#26 Worst Spill I’ve Had To Date
Image credits: dacksonjouglas
#27 Day 1 Of Our New Dishie, Bless His Innocent Soul
Image credits: FlipperN37
Originally created nearly a decade and a half ago, the ‘Kitchen Confidential’ community has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. It has grown to become a second home to a whopping 839k internet users from all around the world. These members are both people who have worked in the food service industry—from cooks and service staff to managers and business owners—as well as those who are merely curious about the daily challenges these workers face.
Have you ever worked at a restaurant, hotel, cafe, or anywhere else in the hospitality industry? What were some of the biggest pros and cons of the job? What were the managers and owners like? Let us know in the comments.
#28 Love The Honesty
Image credits: RockLobster218
#29 When I Was A Baker, Someone Left A Loaf Of Bread In The Oven, Which They Also Left On Overnight
Image credits: _notthatotherguy_
#30 Was Talking To Some Chef Friends About My Fat Cat And Showed Them This Picture. They Thought It Was A Half Hotel Pan…it’s A Full Hotel Pan. My Cat Fills A Full 6inch Hotel Pan
Image credits: ChefLibby
#31 Love Cooking, Hate People
Image credits: stonedtrashbag
#32 Made A Guy A Burger. He Wanted A Picture Of Me And My Ukulele. But He Also Wanted The Burger In The Photo. This Is My Job
Image credits: Heavy_breasts
#33 Soup Du Jour! (Dishie Refuses To Change The Water And Just Says He’s Been Washing Dishes For 40 Years)
Image credits: burnedflag
#34 Heard We Were Posting Live Fire Grills, Here’s My Battle Station
Image credits: Few-Treat4618
#35 Co-Worker Boiling Water In Deep Fryer
Image credits: nocomputerss
#36 Manager States That Dull Knives Are Safer Than Sharp Knives
Image credits: History_Boiii
#37 Ok Reddit, I Want To Know, Who Was That Client And What Their Nickname?
Image credits: Muhdaphuka222
#38 How Do You Stab Your Tickets?
Image credits: luciansreign
#39 If You're Having A Bad Morning. I Just Spilled 4l Of Extra Reduced Down Lobster Stock We Badly Needed. And It Was The First Thing I Touched. It'll Be Alright Folks!
Image credits: Guyzor-94
#40 Every Workplace Needs To Hear This Sound Advice
Image credits: xoxoBug
#41 Chef Is Trying To Convince Me This Is Medium Rare
Image credits: Cute_Tradition_7074
#42 Finally Got One!
Image credits: man15210
#43 Fire Inspector Accidentally Set Off My Ansul System
Image credits: BadFishCM
#44 Chef Forgot To Order Flour. I’m The Baker
Image credits: ImTheBigBear
#45 I Need To Use Up 36 Gallons Of Skim Milk Due To An Ordering Error. Any Ideas How To Use It Up?
Image credits: dkote3
#46 Rip
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#47 Meatball Braise…
Image credits: fatsmilyporkchop
#48 Found Some Treasure In The Deep Fryer
Image credits: Oh_no_its_darv
#49 Is The Man I’m Dating Lying About Being A Chef?
Image credits: XxLoxBagelxX
#50 We Convinced A Intern That If You Stand On A Wet Towel, You Won’t Cry From Unions
Image credits: _GrapefruitPassion_
