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| Joined: | Wed Mar 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Richmond, Canada |
| Posts: | 1209 |
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I spend about 17 hour work days in a 6 day work week sometimes 7 in a hot,stressful and fast-paced environment in the kitchen of a restaurant. Reservations for 120 each Friday night and another 150 each Saturday night.
If this is not enough, at the end of each of my work day - I am calculating labour costs,food costs and setting up for Sunday's Brunch and Dinner Menu.
On top of that another 45 minutes to an hour doing payroll. By time I'm finished is 4:30 AM. I walk 40 minutes to my home and I arrive at 5:15 AM.
At 6:15 AM each morning I call for a cab to get me to work and my day begins all over at 7 AM.
I had to sacrifice my social life meaning marriage is out of the question and I've never reported a sick day unless a family member has died. In 1996, there were two deaths in the family and I had not made a request for the time off.
I even work on my days off from 7 AM to 9 PM doing even inventory,talking to my food suppliers and make reports of equipment that needs to be repaired. This is all done before the following work week. Once that's done, I talk with the Chef Commis who is taking over from me to - help him with the dinner menu. By 5 PM I stay on to help expedite the food orders and get the food-runners ready as each meal is placed in the window.
I've Been doing this for 20 years and now that I'm 37 - I can't see myself slowing down anytime soon. I consider myself to be a cook and not a chef, because all the kitchen staff call me by first name.
I am the luckiest man in the world!
Simon
Last edited on Sat Mar 22nd, 2008 08:24 am by Simon_Leung