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[King Mystery]

I'm not entirely sure, but I think there's a shortage of cooks?

Spoiler

Sautee me with kale and onions if old.

HOW A DIRE COOK SHORTAGE IS WRECKING AMERICAN RESTAURANTS

For the past year, I've been traveling around the country eating and talking, and in every city I've been to, the chefs gripe about the same thing: It is impossible to find cooks anymore. You see it everywhere. Almost every local paper has a story that kicks off with a lede featuring a chef begging anyone who can hold a pan and pick a paring knife out of a lineup to come work for him or her.

...

Meanwhile, the once steady influx of immigrant labor (especially from Mexico) shrank considerably. According to the Pew Research Center, since 2009, more Mexican immigrants have actually gone back to Mexico than migrated here, thanks to a strong Mexican economy and tightening immigration restrictions stateside. And that's certainly not going to get any better with our current president-elect. With that pipeline disrupted, kitchens are forced to hire more young, middle-class, culinary school graduate Americans carrying, on average, around $30,000 in school debt.

And yes, more of those people are coming out of culinary school, but that doesn't mean they're easy to get. Just as many Generation X-ers went to law school with no real plan to practice law, culinary school grads are no longer locked into a restaurant kitchen role. Corporate gigs at tech companies, airlines, upscale nursing homes and grocery markets, the Food Network, hotel and casino groups, and catering can all tempt them away with better hours, better treatment, and better money. Even the National Restaurant Association's 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast ominously states that the ”labor pool is getting shallower" and ”recruitment and retention of employees will re-emerge as a top challenge."

Off The Menu: Nationwide shortage of line cooks

A quiet crisis is unfolding in the restaurant industry. Operators coast-to-coast are complaining of a growing shortage of line cooks, the workhorses of restaurant kitchens.

Typically a first or second rung on a culinary career ladder, line cooks work under the direction of a chef, doing general food "prep" and staffing a workstation in a kitchen's production line.

The shortage first made itself felt last year in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, but it's now a problem locally, with many area restaurants claiming they have trouble filling line cook jobs and even more difficulty keeping good people in them.

02/2017: The Mystery of the Disappearing Cooks
01/2017: Who's Cooking Dinner?
12/2016: Turns Out the Cook Shortage Is Not Unique to SF, and More A.M. Intel
12/2016: Cooking was never a good job. That's why we have a kitchen labor shortage.
07/2016: The Great Cooks Shortage
05/2016: Maine chef shortage leaves restaurateurs scrambling
05/2016: Help Wanted: Restaurants face line cook shortage
01/2016: How a chef shortage could change your dining experience
10/2015: Crisis in the kitchen: Restaurant cooks wanted
10/2015: Not Enough Cooks in the Restaurant Kitchen


edit: BONUS: Chef Shortage Looms in Australia Thanks to Work Visa Crackdown

The anti-globalization virus is threatening to infect Australia's restaurants. A nationalist ”jobs for Australians first" push by politicians could be bad news for the nation's food lovers, given more work visas are granted to cooks and chefs than any other profession.

The government's planned crackdown on visas, known as 457s, reflects the fallout from Donald Trump's U.S. election win and the Brexit vote, as Australian lawmakers scramble to neutralize populist rallying points. Two problems: the food industry is blossoming in an Australia increasingly enamored by culinary delights; while restaurants are also a major selling point for tourism, a pillar of the country's post-mining economy.

”I really don't think they've really thought this one through," said Andrew Hughes, a lecturer at the College of Business and Economics at Australian National University. ”They're trying to resolve a political problem in response to Trump and populism without considering the economic consequences. The flow-on effects will be huge: outside staff shortages, increased wages and higher restaurant bills, it will diminish the multinational culinary experience Australia offers and its appeal abroad."

 

[Maxey]

I might've read the thread title in a different way at first.

 

[zeemumu]

Too Little Cooks, Too Little Cooks

 

[Flo_Evans]

It's a shitty job for low pay. Chefs are often ego tripping assholes that treat line cooks like shit.

Wonder why no one wants to do it.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Misread that title.

 

[Joyful]

probably cause its hard work and doesnt pay well

 

[Haly]

Huh, I'm surprised this is true even in food meccas like NYC and LA. I figured the profuseness of restaurants trying to chase after that millenial foodie market meant supply was outstripping demand.

 

[norm9]

That's an unfortunate side effect of Mexicans being frightened of coming over. And you have student chefs going to these cooking schools all thinking they're Michelin level too good to work in greasy spoons.

 

[joe2187]

probably cause its hard work and doesnt pay well

Hit the nail on the head.

High stress, labor intensive job for barely over minimum wage. It's every kids dream job.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

Are humans the only animals that prepare their food in such an elaborate way before eating?

 

[Squalor]

Misread that title.

There is a shortage of cocks in Japan.

 

[Poor GRIMES]

That's an unfortunate side effect of Mexicans being frightened of coming over. And you have student chefs going to these cooking schools all thinking they're Michelin level too good to work in greasy spoons.

For the amount of money it costs to go to culinary school, you wouldn't want to work there either

 

[joe2187]

Huh, I'm surprised this is true even in food meccas like NYC and LA. I figured the profuseness of restaurants trying to chase after that millenial foodie market meant supply was outstripping demand.

Not to be mean, but those millenials who call themselves "foodies" cant really cut it in a line cook position. Theyre the ones with the egos that think theyre too good to cut their own prep or peel potatoes.

 

[capitalCORN]

Yeah, the only reason I'm in it is because it's a passion. I can understand younger millennials being difficult, especially dealing in a highly structured kitchen where the executive chef probably has more experience than they're old. Cooking was traditionally a second chance profession, in terms of 'wayward' people who want to find their feet. It's basically a bad grind if you're not into in 100%.

 

[siddx]

Same issue was/is happening in the small Podunk town I visit in the summer. Not enough cooks to fill all the restaurant positions. But also not enough mechanics, plumbers, landscapers, carpenters, retail workers, and wait staff.
The company we hired to fix up our basement mentioned they had been severely understaffed for three years now and had had zero luck finding people despite paying well.

 

[Izuna]

I have to say, I read this title wrong

 

[norm9]

For the amount of money it costs to go to culinary school, you wouldn't want to work there either

The smart thing would be to just start working in kitchens doing the shit work and move up. These tv cooking shows, food trucks, and hipster restaurants are fooling people thinking anyone can be Chef Ramsey.

Those schools are a definite rip off.

 

[Haly]

Not to be mean, but those millenials who call themselves "foodies" cant really cut it in a line cook position. Theyre the ones with the egos that think theyre too good to cut their own prep or peel potatoes.

No no I'm talking about the market demand, I understand these are not the kinds of people willing to toil as a line cook.

 

[Makonero]

probably cause its hard work and doesnt pay well

yep, and bosses are a nightmare

one of my exes worked in a place that was run by a narcisscistic moron but felt she couldn't leave because she needed the experience to be a chef

 

[Fragamemnon]

It's not so much a shortage as it is a structural issue where the wage is inelastic as long as the price of the meal doesn't increase. So you have people paying less than what the wages "should" be from purely a labor demand point.

If we weren't at full employment this would be a lot less of an issue.

The company we hired to fix up our basement mentioned they had been severely understaffed for three years now and had had zero luck finding people despite paying well.

I spoke with a lot of small biz owners when I was fixing my house up a bit before selling it this year. I heard this a lot, but what I also heard was that finding reliable people who also had the skills was really challenging. The substance abuse problems were real.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

probably cause its hard work and doesnt pay well

And you get treated like shit besides.

Hassell is a great example. A graduate of the International Culinary Center (formerly the French Culinary Institute) in NYC, he moved down to New Orleans with his now-wife and got a job as a line cook at John Besh and Alon Shaya’s well-respected and popular Italian restaurant, Domenica. Within less than a year, he’d been promoted twice, from line cook to head of production, to sous chef, both of which he modestly attributes less to being a great cook, and more to, well, showing up. “I think I was okay,” he says, “but I was dependable, came to work on time, and didn’t skip out on shifts. And in this industry, just doing your job consistently actually makes you stand out.”

Despite the promotions, Hassell decided to leave the industry altogether this past year and go back to school for mechanical engineering, citing the limitations of making cooking a lifelong career and actually paying your bills. “I love cooking and loved the pace of working in kitchens, but it just didn’t make financial sense in the long run.” He cited Domenica’s policy that cooks could only get a one dollar an hour raise per year. “If you’re coming out of culinary school with thousands of dollars in debt, moving from $13 an hour to $14 isn’t going to help pay that off,” he says. “It’s just not possible. You have to just decide that you love it so much that none of that matters. Or change the nature of the job so people can love what they do and afford to stay in it.”

It just seems insane that there hasn't been a massive cultural shift in dining out when the margins suck, the pay sucks, the work environment sucks, and the expectations of the customers re: price & service haven't changed.

 

[Korigama]

Too Little Cooks, Too Little Cooks

Was hoping that this would be the first post.

 

[iPaul93]

It's a shitty job for low pay. Chefs are often ego tripping assholes that treat line cooks like shit.

Wonder why no one wants to do it.

So much this.Just thinking about it makes me depressed.

 

[capitalCORN]

yep, and bosses are a nightmare

one of my exes worked in a place that was run by a narcisscistic moron but felt she couldn't leave because she needed the experience to be a chef

I've only had one toxic kitchen. As someone who's done mostly fine dining, I think the more their reputation precedes it, the more of a 'tight ship' they operate.

 

[Syriel]

probably cause its hard work and doesnt pay well

Huh, I'm surprised this is true even in food meccas like NYC and LA. I figured the profuseness of restaurants trying to chase after that millenial foodie market meant supply was outstripping demand.

This is why some restaurants in SF and NYC have been trying out the whole "all in/no tip" thing.

Hard to keep cooks when the wait staff can clear six figures.

Cooks = base pay plus benefits.
Wait staff = everything the cooks get, plus tips.

Always thought it was a weird perversion in the industry when the people who serve you your food are paid much more than the people who actually make your food.

 

[Goro Majima]

Yeah if you go to culinary school, why would you put up with like $14 per hour and work a shitty job where you're treated poorly?

The flip side is that I bet a lot of these cook jobs available want several years of experience - which is a hard get no matter the industry. It's also a defined skill that carries a lot of risk for the restaurant to hire a bad cook.

I remember working at Applebee's and one cook got so deep in the weeds that he thought it was a good idea to start microwaving steaks. He was let go but it's just an illustration that the position requires a specific skill set of making smart choices, knowing when to ask for help from a manager, and being able to work efficiently and competently under a shitload of pressure - all for mediocre pay!

 

[sphagnum]

Corporate gigs at tech companies, airlines, upscale nursing homes and grocery markets, the Food Network, hotel and casino groups, and catering can all tempt them away with better hours, better treatment, and better money.

Am I supposed to feel sorry for these begging chefs? Pay them better.

 

[Makonero]

I've only had one toxic kitchen. As someone who's done mostly fine dining, I think the more their reputation precedes it, the more of a 'tight ship' they operate.

Yeah, this was just a "family" restaurant, nothing fancy. Easier for a control freak to dominate in a space like that.

 

[poppedcollar69]

It just seems insane that there hasn't been a massive cultural shift in dining out when the margins suck, the pay sucks, the work environment sucks, and the expectations of the customers re: price & service haven't changed.

Yeah, seems pretty bizarre

 

[capitalCORN]

Yeah if you go to culinary school, why would you put up with like $14 per hour and work a shitty job where you're treated poorly?

The flip side is that I bet a lot of these cook jobs available want several years of experience - which is a hard get no matter the industry. It's also a defined skill that carries a lot of risk for the restaurant to hire a bad cook.

I remember working at Applebee's and one cook got so deep in the weeds that he thought it was a good idea to start microwaving steaks. He was let go but it's just an illustration that the position requires a specific skill set of making smart choices, knowing when to ask for help from a manager, and being able to work efficiently and competently under a shitload of pressure - all for mediocre pay!

Culinary school tends to be peripheral in my experience. Basically finding yourself as a kitchen helper is a much more productive approach.

 

[Haly]

Are restaurants just unsustainable in the long term? Like, if lower tier restaurant jobs pay more and scale better, then that means dining will become more expensive, which will lead to less people going out to eat, which means less restaurants, and those that exist will only cater to the wealthy.

How do other countries with positive culinary cultures like France and Japan handle this?

 

[StopMakingSense]

Huh, I'm surprised this is true even in food meccas like NYC and LA. I figured the profuseness of restaurants trying to chase after that millenial foodie market meant supply was outstripping demand.

There is a high demand for the food. This creates a high demand for the labor, but the labor supply is too low.

 

[smurfx]

i don't really see a problem with this. it's good that people have enough options out there that they don't have to grab any shitty cook job to make ends meet. if they want to survive then they better start paying better and treating their employees better.

 

[Haly]

There is a high demand for the food. This creates a high demand for the labor, but the labor supply is too low.

But restaurants fail all the time, don't they, I understand it's very difficult to establish yourself in these spaces.

 

[Cidd]

It's a very shitty job for shitty pay with shitty people.

I was a cook for 5 years never taking a kitchen job ever again.

 

[arigato]

That's an unfortunate side effect of Mexicans being frightened of coming over. And you have student chefs going to these cooking schools all thinking they're Michelin level too good to work in greasy spoons.

Seems as if more and more Mexicans are starting to see abundance in their own country leading to them staying there.

 

[capitalCORN]

Are restaurants just unsustainable in the long term? Like, if lower tier restaurant jobs pay more and scale better, then that means food will become more expensive, which will lead to less people going out to eat, which means less restaurants, and those that exist will only cater to the wealthy.

How do other countries with positive culinary cultures like France and Japan handle this?

In my local proximity, the dining industry isn't that much different than the club industry. Sure you have your institutions, but there's a short shelf-life for the du-jour spots.

 

[Wag]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhAqvIW9O6o

 

[iavi]

California's losing kitchen staff to weed trimming. No joke

20+ an hour to trim some stem vs 17 (being generous) to sweat away in a kitchen, most of them passionless

 

[SilentRacoon]

Well when the profession is a grindhouse where you are expected to work like a machine and nail down every little detail to perfection, to remain pristine through the duration of your shift, and having to deal more often than not with complete ego-driven superiors who will treat you worse than a sack of potatoes, it comes as no surprise no one is willing to work on such miserable envirenment.

I worked three and a half years in a Japanese cuisine in an hotel, while I think the experience made a better person out of me, I wouldn't invite anyone to work in the industry at all.

 

[I H8 Memes]

Labor pool is getting shallower.

 

[Clefargle]

I'm looking for a job like this in holland right now

 

[Dusk Golem]

Too Little Cooks, Too Little Cooks

Too ManyLittle Cooks

 

[Gallbaro]

Time for the Fed to cause a recession. How dare the lower class start getting a reasonable life.

 

[peteykirch]

When I was in HS, I was strongly considering going into the Culinary Arts, but I knew that it would be extremely long days, not very great pay until I would either be at the head of a kitchen, or have my own restaurant or deli or other some sort of food related venture.

 

[Aaron]

It's a shitty job for low pay. Chefs are often ego tripping assholes that treat line cooks like shit.

Wonder why no one wants to do it.

Too true. My brother works as a line chef and worked for some true assholes while getting paid less than I do for doing practically nothing. He'd like to open his own little place, but that's really tough too.

 

[Fragamemnon]

Time for the Fed to cause a recession. How dare the lower class start getting a reasonable life.

the imaginary inflation monster must be beaten down at all costs.

 

[kirblar]

This is why some restaurants in SF and NYC have been trying out the whole "all in/no tip" thing.

Hard to keep cooks when the wait staff can clear six figures.

Cooks = base pay plus benefits.
Wait staff = everything the cooks get, plus tips.

Always thought it was a weird perversion in the industry when the people who serve you your food are paid much more than the people who actually make your food.

Yup. Tipping completely messes up the restaurant economy by giving the best returns to the people with the easiest job.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Would it be more lucrative to take off and start a food truck?

 

[Silkworm]

But we got robots to fill in right? ;-)

They're coming for yer jerbs: Miso Robotics releases burger flipping robot