Never say never, right? Well, I hope I never own my own restaurant. But if I did, there are certainly a few things I would and wouldn’t do based on my experiences at Restaurant X.

1. I wouldn’t yell at people. I believe people should be treated with respect. Yes, everyone makes mistakes or forgets things or does a bad job. But that doesn’t mean they deserve a verbal ass-kicking in front of the entire staff.
2. I would hire a professional cleaning service. Every Friday the entire staff comes in early to do a thorough cleaning. It would be so simple for a trained, professional crew to come in once or twice a week. A big expense? Yes, perhaps. But I’m hiring my staff to prepare beautiful food, not scrub crud from underneath the counters.
3. I would divide the work week into shifts. Working 15 hours a day, five days a week is enough to make anyone crazy. People need to have a life, so I would divide the week into shifts. More and more French restaurants are switching to the three days on, three days off schedule. People work 15 hours a day, but they only do it for three days and get the next three off.
4. I would purchase an electronic ordering system. Since we are a traditional French kitchen, we stick to traditional methods. This means writing down orders, calling them out, and everyone must remember in his or her head what’s coming. Only the executive chefs have a written record. An electronic ordering system would help each station see what’s next. This would prevent confusion and many mistakes. “I thought you said three caviars. I only made two.”
   
5. I would treat my staff to croissants every week. As a reward for Friday cleaning, we get croissants, pastries and juice. But it’s the responsibility of the people on staff to purchase it – not the restaurant. That means each week, two staff members spend about 30 – 40 Euros each. Although it may not seem like a lot, people here don’t get paid well.
   
6. I would pay my people well. A starting salary at this three star Parisian restaurant is around 11,000 Euros – that’s about $14,500 a year. I made more money than that in my first job and that was 13 years ago! How can someone survive in Paris on a salary like that? The people who prepare the food are the bread and butter of the restaurant. They deserve to be paid what they’re worth.
   
7. I would motivate people. Those who come to work here just out of school need to be encouraged and motivated. How else can you really expect someone to perform at his or her best?
   
8. I wouldn’t make people work when they are sick. There’s no way anyone can get healthy by working when their sick. Plus, I’d have enough respect for my clients not to serve them food that could potentially make them sick.
   
9. I wouldn’t overbook my space or book all the reservations at the same time. A kitchen seems to work best when the restaurant is at capacity and reservations are well spaced. When all the orders come in at the same time, it takes much longer to get them out the door. And since the staff is pressed for time, quality is not high on the priority list. I also wouldn’t take reservations after 10:00 PM. My staff has a life and deserves to get home at a decent hour.
   
10. I would provide uniforms – and clean them – for the staff. Having everyone dressed in the same uniform gives the air of professionalism to a kitchen. When I work, everyone is dressed in their old chef’s jackets and pants that make it look like a random collection of cooks. We work as a team, so we should dress like a team. And I’d even pick up the tab for cleaning! My staff has more important things to do in their spare time than laundry.
    
11. I would emphasize quality over speed. On so many occasions, we have to sacrifice quality for speed. If a client has to wait two minutes more for their meal so that someone can take their time preparing it right, then I think it should be done.
    
12. I would buy equipment that works and enough of it. Each day I lose valuable time hunting down the right equipment or dealing with things that don’t work. It’s frustrating and prevents me from getting things done on time.
    
13. I would buy enough supplies. Sometimes we go for days without paper towels or plastic wrap. We’re only allowed one sponge a week. If your sponge gets overly disgusting and dirty, you can’t have a new one. Seriously.
    
14. I would put love in the food. I want my clients to eat food that is prepared by people who love their job. Food simply tastes better when people are happy and motivated.
    
15. I would tell people when they’re doing a good job. Never once have I been told that I’m doing a good job. Of course I know when I’m doing a bad job because I get yelled at. The other day I received the first compliment on my work – after nine weeks of blood, sweat and tears. One of the executive chefs asked me to stay. I was very flattered, but I need a week off. He also asked me to talk to the school because they want more interns (translation: slave labor). He said they didn’t want ordinary people though – they wanted someone exactly like me.

Yes, I understand the restaurant where I work is a business, and there are some expenses that are just too much. If I owned a restaurant, I guess it wouldn’t be all about me. It would be about the food, the clients, and my staff. It would be about creating an experience for the customer and creating a work environment people loved. But hey, like I said, I’ll never own a restaurant. But if I did…..

2 Comments  Leave a Comment