Excel spreadsheets will be the bane of my existence for the rest of my professional life.
Here's the story: A week ago saturday the head chef pulls me aside after work and tells me that he and the sous chef are both leaving after christmas. The resulting vaccum in the management puts me in a key position. Another chef, who's been there for 3 years has jumped at the head chef position and I think he'll get it, not because he's qualified, but because there is no one else. (He's one of those who has some good ideas, but is awful at carrying them out. As far as execution, (during prep/sevice etc) he is by far the least reliable, the most messy and disorganized.) I'm in the position of being the sous chef, a very big step for me, but only if I can make this work. My job will be to rein in the aformentioned new head, and make sure he only uses workable ideas and keep the team in line. This is all a do-able prospect, except for the small detail that we have almost no staff, we need to hire in 3 or 4 new section chefs, and cannot do so until the new year, as christmas is a very busy time, and there is no time to give people trial shifts, and even if there were it would be impossible to do so without stepping on the leaving head's toes, and his support is required. I'm going home to Californina over christmas and coming back on the 1st. We re-open on the 5th, giving us 4 days to get ready. Talk about a challenge!
Now, we've put a menu together and today I have the fun task of figuring out the rough cost per portion. Endless spreadsheets, invoices, craziness.
I think I can make this happen, but it's terrifying and daunting. It will require some 6 day weeks and loads of 14 hour days, espeially in the first 6 months, but it means the rest of my career is on the fast track, sous chef at a major, respected London restaurant! I know how to cook, but I'm about to get a crash course in what it takes to be a head chef. Which can be so much less glamorous than just the cooking. It's about being an ace cook and a clipboard jockey and a manager all at once. It's a lot to take on. I hope I'm ready.
Here's the story: A week ago saturday the head chef pulls me aside after work and tells me that he and the sous chef are both leaving after christmas. The resulting vaccum in the management puts me in a key position. Another chef, who's been there for 3 years has jumped at the head chef position and I think he'll get it, not because he's qualified, but because there is no one else. (He's one of those who has some good ideas, but is awful at carrying them out. As far as execution, (during prep/sevice etc) he is by far the least reliable, the most messy and disorganized.) I'm in the position of being the sous chef, a very big step for me, but only if I can make this work. My job will be to rein in the aformentioned new head, and make sure he only uses workable ideas and keep the team in line. This is all a do-able prospect, except for the small detail that we have almost no staff, we need to hire in 3 or 4 new section chefs, and cannot do so until the new year, as christmas is a very busy time, and there is no time to give people trial shifts, and even if there were it would be impossible to do so without stepping on the leaving head's toes, and his support is required. I'm going home to Californina over christmas and coming back on the 1st. We re-open on the 5th, giving us 4 days to get ready. Talk about a challenge!
Now, we've put a menu together and today I have the fun task of figuring out the rough cost per portion. Endless spreadsheets, invoices, craziness.
I think I can make this happen, but it's terrifying and daunting. It will require some 6 day weeks and loads of 14 hour days, espeially in the first 6 months, but it means the rest of my career is on the fast track, sous chef at a major, respected London restaurant! I know how to cook, but I'm about to get a crash course in what it takes to be a head chef. Which can be so much less glamorous than just the cooking. It's about being an ace cook and a clipboard jockey and a manager all at once. It's a lot to take on. I hope I'm ready.
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Happy New Year to you and yours. 2010...wow, I am beyond excited. I've been working on a few ideas for self-employment (centered around wine) and the lady is taking some adult ed classes to start a new career. There's also a move (Austin) and a wedding planned.
This is our year. This is our decade.
Cheers.