All restaurant-goers have heard horror stories about what really goes on in the kitchen, but restaurant workers know the truth: kitchen folks have a tough job and are some of the hardest workers you’ll meet. It is their dedication that makes your food so awesome every time you go out to eat! Here are a few fun facts about kitchen life and what really goes down behind those swinging doors.
Cleanliness: Despite what some paranoid diners may think, kitchens are actually the section of the restaurant most dedicated to maintaining a sanitary workspace. If there is something wrong with food, it always comes back on the kitchen; it means remaking a dish at best, and losing your job at worst, so employees aren’t messing around. They are always concerned with avoiding cross-contamination for people with food allergies and other threats to cleanliness, and tend to get annoyed when other members of the staff try to eat their dinner or put on makeup in the kitchen. Most cooks also have their SafeServ certification, which means they have taken a mini-course and passed a test on food safety.
Attitude: Yes, being a line cook or chef is a high pressure job, and of course there are those out there who don’t handle the pressure well and are prone to angry outbursts. And yes, it’s a little more acceptable to drop the F-bomb in the kitchen than in the front of the house, because only other employees are around to hear you. But the truth is most kitchen workers are there by choice. They love their jobs, have worked out a good rhythm on the line, and are good at keeping their frustration to a minimum. If you hear yelling coming from a busy kitchen, they might just be communicating and calling out orders to each other over the noise of the restaurant!
Education and Experience: There are some who think that any Joe off the street can walk into a restaurant and get a job on the line, or work a couple shifts in the dish room and then start cooking. Most full-service restaurants look for someone who has some experience working in the restaurant industry at the very least, and often someone who has been to culinary school or worked with a similar type of cuisine to that of the restaurant where they are applying.
Aggressive Music: This one isn’t quite a myth--it’s true! Kitchen workers often listen to loud rap or metal while they are working, but it isn’t because they’re uncontrollably angry. You can hear it over the noises of the kitchen, it gets you into a good rhythm, and it keeps you from getting frustrated!
So keep all this in mind the next time you go out to eat. A crazy, loud kitchen environment doesn’t necessarily mean they are sacrificing cleanliness or screaming at each other. Happy dining!