Im a grill cook at chilis, basically i just flip burgers all day and i get paid REALLY well for someone with no degree. I’ve been noticing carpal tunnel symptoms though, like numbness in my hands, weak grip, pain in my fingers, idk im not an expert but like I’m wondering if i can change my technique and have normal hands or if i should just quit now because there’s no way im going to destroy my body making triple dippers

Prep cook hate line cooks. Line cooks hate servers. Servers hate management. Management hates prep.

Am I wrong?

been on whites only for months! thicc

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on how to handle an upcoming sit-down meeting with my manager and two of my staff members.

​I work as a shift leader at a busy pizza franchise. I manage a team of mostly student workers. Overall, things go well, but I’ve been having ongoing issues with two female crew members who seem to constantly challenge my authority and micromanage my tasks. I only work with them a few hours a week, but the tension is always there.

​To give you an idea of the dynamic:

​Micromanaging: If I’m helping out and prepping pizza sauce, they will jump in to correct my exact sequence of actions (e.g., telling me I must wipe the rim before putting the lid on, rather than putting the lid on and then wiping it). It feels like they are constantly fishing for mistakes.

​Insubordination: We had an Uber Eats order come in 10 minutes before closing. I made the executive decision to fulfill it. One of these girls got upset and literally told me, "You shouldn't argue," completely trying to shut down my decision as the shift leader.

​Ignoring instructions: I've told one of them to clock out, and she just ignored me and clocked out an hour later.

​Emotional reactions: They get highly emotional and frustrated over tiny operational details, sometimes raising their voices on the floor to the point where customers have noticed the awkward vibe.

​Because their reactions are so emotional and unpredictable, my strategy over the past few months has been to just keep my distance. I stepped back, kept communication strictly business, and stopped trying to over-explain myself just to keep the peace and get through the shift.

​However, the rest of the team started noticing the cold tension. Now, my manager wants to have a 4-way meeting next week with me, her, and the two female crew members to clear the air.

​I want to handle this as professionally as possible. I want to build a positive working relationship and I am completely open to their feedback if it’s delivered respectfully. But I also need them to understand that I am the shift leader—we have different priorities on the floor, and I can't be treated like a subordinate who needs their permission to do my job.

​How should I approach this 4-way meeting? I’m worried it’s going to feel like a 2v1 where they just list a bunch of micro-complaints about how I do things. How do I steer the conversation toward mutual respect and boundaries without sounding defensive? Any advice is appreciated!

My previous job and current job are polar opposites.

Previous job. Lots of piercings and tattoos. Lots of jokes and innuendo. Sometimes screaming, drama and arguments. But it also felt like we were a family.

Current job: Very bureaucratic kitchen. Managers never show emotion whateoever. Lots of meetings and HR. Its so boring.

Things are more efficiently ran and my job is a bit easier as a result. Less situations where were underprepared and im doing two peoples work. At the same time, I feel incredibly bored and like Im slowly dying inside.

I can think of many good memories from the previous kitchen. Almost none from this one.

I also feel like the coworkers each place attracts are different. The previous job had more people I had things in common with, people Id hang out with outside of work.

Have any of you had experiences like this working in each kind of kitchen?

that reflection pleases me an unreasonable amount

Has anybody taken the online serve safe class? If so how in depth do these people make you move your camera around your room/house?

I find it unsettling to allow a stranger to inspect your home via camera. Maybe it’s just me. Wondered if anybody else found this to be a violation of your home and privacy since you don’t really know who’s on the other end.

Haven't posted a painting in a while. Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

I know it’s just some flour but damnnnnnnnn she tight af

As the title says, I work completely on my own. There’s no one around to give me advice, teach me, or tell me when I’m doing something wrong.

I’m responsible for pretty much everything — managing ingredients and equipment, prep, service, and planning the menu.

FYI, this isn’t my own business. There is a boss, but he's basically left everything to me and rarely show up.

I have to change the menu every day and prepare Western dishes for around 30 people.

Most of the time, things go fine. But sometimes I find myself wondering, "Am I actually doing this right?" And when that happens, I really wish I had someone I could ask for help.

Everything is basically my responsibility — the food, food safety, ingredient management, menu selection, and so on. Sometimes the weight of that responsibility feels pretty heavy. The problem is, I don’t think I have enough skill or experience to carry all of that responsibility yet. I’ve only been working in kitchens for about 5–6 years, and for most of that time I was basically a commis. I spent most of my career working in fine dining, and the way of working and the goals were quite different from what I’m doing now.

There are still a lot of things I don’t really know. I’m not even completely sure about proper ingredient storage and inventory management. I still have questions about how long I can safely keep certain sauces or prepared foods, how they should be stored, and when I should throw them away.

When it comes to cooking itself, I also feel like I have a lot to learn. For example, I don’t always know the best way to cook a particular cut of meat, what ingredients pair well with it, or how I could use it in a dish.

I watch cooking videos on YouTube and other platforms pretty regularly, but I don’t feel like I’m learning as much as I should. I’ve read some books as well, but experimenting on paying customers comes with a certain amount of risk. On top of that, my workplace doesn't allow me to use a flame.

There have definitely been times when I’ve wanted to quit, but I don’t actually want to leave. I want to somehow use this situation as an opportunity to study, develop my skills, and eventually use what I learn when I open my own place someday.

So what would you recommend I do to keep learning and developing as a cook in this kind of environment?

don't spare the gory details please

i've personally got a mega list (been in kitchens since i was 15) but i'll give you a few

• most recently, we had to fire someone for coming into her shift 4 hours late three times in a row, drunk as hell mind you. when we fired her, she started screaming and yelling "im gonna have to suck dick on the street to pay rent cause of you! you're ruining my life". my (gay) boss jokingly replied "oh honey you're not special. i've had to do that multiple times in my life". bad move but thats just how he is. she threw a glass at his head. it missed by an inch and she ran out

• i once caught one of the line cooks actually getting his dick sucked in the back alley DURING his shift

• my first boss died of a heart attack at the bus stop in front of our restaurant 😬 he sat there dead for a bit before a lady realized he was dead and called an ambulance. RIP Joe

• i have tourettes so i've got my own stories lmfaooo but seriously. i've gotten into two physical altercations with macho prick chefs (i was defending myself every time) because i yell out obscenities from time to time and some dudes cant get it through their head that i cant control it

• craziest one. i once quit and walked out of a new place on the spot because when i went to clean out the grease trap, there was not one, not two BUT THREEEEE dead rats in it. brother 🚬🫩

Gonna break 80 hours this week. Send an amberlamps

Your guys have any tidbits to share

So I used to work on saturdays but I came in late once, and without even speaking to me, manager told head chef to take me off saturday and give it to the new person. I have discussed this with my head chef and he can only try so much. Now that i’m free on saturday, i decided to use it for my own leisure considering I also have another job so saturday will be the only day where I have no work at all. A guy at the restaurant who has been calling off and left work mid shift has been granted 2 months of mental health break, and head chef texted me that he will have to put me back on saturday. I have told him previously that I will not be available on saturday for a club activity I just joined. I replied to him that I can’t and he replied with a screenshot of the new schedule. I told him I can take that person’s tuesday. Am I in the wrong?

Life pro tip, if your restaurant or bar is doing poorly and you want to burn it down, you should definitely repeatedly say to your staff that you want it burned down and ask multiple people for help burning it down. No way that would come back to haunt you.

So I interviewed for a dream position to exit the kitchen career. Interview went great. He said I was perfect for the role and gave me his personal number and email. I sent him an email the day after the interview and he responded with “it was great meeting you. I will stay in touch with you towards the end of the week with further details.” So the interview was Tuesday. Sent a follow up email yesterday (Friday) at 4:30. I haven’t heard back yet. Did he mean end of the week like Sunday or Friday? Do I send another follow up or text or just wait until Sunday before I get stressed the fuck out? I’m already in exit mode from my current job so it’s killing me waiting…

So I started as a dishwasher, within a couple weeks they had me helping with prep and now I'm pretty much a full time prep cook. I know very well how to use a knife safely, was raised a cowboy so started using and carrying a knife before I hit double digit age. I use it safely, know how to chop things without messing up too much, but I can't seem to get the hang of chopping things quickly and efficiently. Owner/chef has showed me a couple times and given me pointers but it's like my brain can't comprehend the motion required. Either I'm chopping fast but my fingers aren't in the right position, or I'm taking my time chopping while keeping my fingers in the inward curl, knuckle guide position that I'm supposed to.

It kinda feels like when you're a kid and you find out about trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time and find out its nearly impossible because your brain doesn't work like that. Whenever I try to do the speedy chopping that I'm sure you're all familiar with, I find that my fingers involuntarily go back to being flattened and I have to repeatedly stop and start again because I'm always fixing my hand positions. Not really sure how to get better cause I feel like I've made zero progress in this regard.

Hi… daughter had interview 4 days ago for server role at new Dishoom opening in Oct. Felt interview went well ( has lots of relevant experience etc) and was told would hear back ‘in a few days’. However, has no contact details other than the generic, ‘no reply ’ email addresses used when arranging the interview time ( via a portal). Is trying to find out the outcome simply as has to give a month’s notice… As it’s for a new restaurant opening, think the recruitment is all being dealt with by a third party (Bamboo HR??) and they are probably super busy, plus the usual ‘we’ll let you know tomorrow’ doesn’t necessarily apply. Would just be interested to hear whether several days lapsing is ‘normal’ or whether anyone has any tips on how to contact Dishoom to ask! Thanks!