4 answers
Kareem
Student
New Orleans, Louisiana
2
Questions
Asked
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What are the pros and cons of the restaurant business?
Want to know from those deeply involved in the business. #chef #restaurants #restaurant #owners
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4 answers
Emily Novak
Pastry Chef at Serpico
10
Answers
Updated
Emily’s Answer
It depends on what aspect of the business you are looking at..
Chef cons:
Long hours, physically demanding job (and even if it seems easy now, will it be easy when you at 30? 40?)
Times when you will working include nights, weekends, holidays - this makes it difficult to have a social life with people who are outside of the industry. If you have a significant other (or friends and family) that have traditional 9-5 jobs, your hours are usually during the time they have off. This can put a big strain on relationships and can also make it difficult to celebrate special occasions with family members, attend weddings, etc. Also, depending on the type of kitchen you work in, the tasks can become very repetitive and monotonous.
Owner: This is a whole other level of commitment. You are constantly the go-to person for any and all problems. If you can imagine the stress people associate with being a new mother (baby constantly crying, needing attention/feeding/changing/ etc) and the fact that you can't just take a break or walk away from it while it is "new", this can be a taxing job. Especially when you consider the pressure from being so financially connected with the business. Every problem becomes more personal and stressful because if the business fails, it has taken so much of your time and money. Of course, a business can level out and get established so you can have a day or two off.. but most restaurants (when they first open) don't make a profit for 6 months- 1 year (depending on how much the start up costs are and how long it takes to establish a client base), and for the first several months you will likely be there every day, and will be receiving calls and texts during times when you aren't there.
This takes a lot of work and love. BUT- if its something you enjoy doing, and you find the challenges exciting and engaging, it can also be incredibly rewarding.
Chef cons:
Long hours, physically demanding job (and even if it seems easy now, will it be easy when you at 30? 40?)
Times when you will working include nights, weekends, holidays - this makes it difficult to have a social life with people who are outside of the industry. If you have a significant other (or friends and family) that have traditional 9-5 jobs, your hours are usually during the time they have off. This can put a big strain on relationships and can also make it difficult to celebrate special occasions with family members, attend weddings, etc. Also, depending on the type of kitchen you work in, the tasks can become very repetitive and monotonous.
Owner: This is a whole other level of commitment. You are constantly the go-to person for any and all problems. If you can imagine the stress people associate with being a new mother (baby constantly crying, needing attention/feeding/changing/ etc) and the fact that you can't just take a break or walk away from it while it is "new", this can be a taxing job. Especially when you consider the pressure from being so financially connected with the business. Every problem becomes more personal and stressful because if the business fails, it has taken so much of your time and money. Of course, a business can level out and get established so you can have a day or two off.. but most restaurants (when they first open) don't make a profit for 6 months- 1 year (depending on how much the start up costs are and how long it takes to establish a client base), and for the first several months you will likely be there every day, and will be receiving calls and texts during times when you aren't there.
This takes a lot of work and love. BUT- if its something you enjoy doing, and you find the challenges exciting and engaging, it can also be incredibly rewarding.
Laura Rose Dailey
Farmer & Food Advocate
23
Answers
Haslet, Texas
Updated
Laura Rose’s Answer
it's really hard. it doesn't stop. vacations are pretty much nonexistent. EXTREMELY difficult to find good help.
not as many pros as cons... it's nice to build a base of loyal customers that like you as much as you like them. it's important to serve your community good food, and people appreciate it.
Christine D
Teller
5
Answers
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Updated
Christine’s Answer
Pros would certainly include having one of the most social and fun jobs out there. You get to move around all day, interact with all different people throughout your shift, usually have the best coworkers and lots of fun.
If you can set yourself up mentally to budget and save your money it can also be very rewarding financially!
There is tons of room for growth as well. For example I started as a hostess, moved onto server, from there bartender and also had some kitchen training and cooked on some shifts. I then moved onto a bar manager and continued to do that for 12 years!
There are some cons as well. It is a very physically demanding job. Over time your body will feel it!
It is very hard to maintain a weekend social life seeing those are usually the busiest nights where you will make the best money. Many places wont hire without weekend availability. The late nights and long shifts can really take a toll on your personal life.
Another con is that most places do not offer health insurance or if they do it is extremely expensive! Other important areas of life such as 401K and retirement plans are typically not offered as well so long term, unless you enter management those things need to be thought about as well.
If i could offer any advice it would be, enter with an open mind and look at where your skills can take you further in the industry.
If you can set yourself up mentally to budget and save your money it can also be very rewarding financially!
There is tons of room for growth as well. For example I started as a hostess, moved onto server, from there bartender and also had some kitchen training and cooked on some shifts. I then moved onto a bar manager and continued to do that for 12 years!
There are some cons as well. It is a very physically demanding job. Over time your body will feel it!
It is very hard to maintain a weekend social life seeing those are usually the busiest nights where you will make the best money. Many places wont hire without weekend availability. The late nights and long shifts can really take a toll on your personal life.
Another con is that most places do not offer health insurance or if they do it is extremely expensive! Other important areas of life such as 401K and retirement plans are typically not offered as well so long term, unless you enter management those things need to be thought about as well.
If i could offer any advice it would be, enter with an open mind and look at where your skills can take you further in the industry.
Troy Larson
Account Manager
3
Answers
Milton, Georgia
Updated
Troy’s Answer
It is hard work and there are a lot of aspects to it that are often not thought about, namely labor management and in-store and online technology.
There are a lot of technologies out there that can assist in these areas to allow you to focus on the food quality and service. If you enjoy serving people, cooking and business, go for it. Keep in mind, as with all things, do your research and learn as much as you can before committing. Also, find someone who is already in a position similar to what you are looking at to learn, and also to have them as a mentor to ask questions as you are going through the process. Be careful not to ask them everything, since learning by doing is more effective than having the answers given to you!
Research on this site: https://www.nrn.com/
There are a lot of technologies out there that can assist in these areas to allow you to focus on the food quality and service. If you enjoy serving people, cooking and business, go for it. Keep in mind, as with all things, do your research and learn as much as you can before committing. Also, find someone who is already in a position similar to what you are looking at to learn, and also to have them as a mentor to ask questions as you are going through the process. Be careful not to ask them everything, since learning by doing is more effective than having the answers given to you!
Troy recommends the following next steps: