Dave Smith wrote:
>graham wrote:
>>Dave Smith wrote:
>
>>> Given that most restaurant staff make minimum wage or slightly more, how
>>> much am I expected to pay for their labour? I would be there no more
>>> than two hours. Minimum here is about $11 per hour. Let's be generous
>>> and give them a 50% raise, so that is $33.
>>>
>> I think that your ideas on the economics of high-end restaurants are
>> 'out to lunch." Do you honestly think that sous, commis and de parti
>> chefs get paid close to minimum wage when the boss depends on their
>> contributions to maintain the status of the place?
>
>Feel free to contribute some figures on kitchen staff wages. There may
>be some well paid top chefs out there, the sort who can over see a large
>venue and special events catering, but most of them don't make that
>much. I have family members in the business. One nephew is an executive
>chef. A niece is a well educated and very capable chef who has even done
>cooking shows on television. She is now working as a waitress because
>she makes so much more money serving than cooking. My son managed
>several restaurants. He maid more than the chefs and he wasn't making
>that much. A few years ago he left the restaurant job for a government
>law enforcement position and his starting wage was 50% more than he had
>been making to manage two restaurants. I sometimes wonder why someone
>would go to college to get the credentials to become a chef and then
>work for so little.
>
>The usual situation in a restaurant is to have one executive chef to run
>the place and then a bunch of cooks, each contributing a few steps in
>the preparation on the meal. Some are just chopping vegetables and
>stirring pots.

I have a neighbor across the road who commutes into NYC to work, he's
a cook at a fancy schmancy Manhattan restaurant. He spends 4 days
working 16 hr days, sleeping at a coworker's tiny apt then they both
commute back here for peace and quiet. Economically they both can
just make it working nearly 70 hour weeks. The food industry pays
very poorly. Not all chefs have a show on FoodTV, and most who do
aren't capable of working at a busy restaurant. TV chefs are
primarily show personalities, very few could actually earn a living
cooking. My neighbor tells me more than half the cooks at high end
eateries and big hotels are illegals with no education who can't speak
English, they think those low wages are wonderful. You don't need to
read and write to cook. My neighbor would love to work closer to home
but eateries in the boonies pay much less. I doubt either of them can
get hired for any job around here, they are loaded with tats
everywhere, have gross facial piercings, and dress strangely, they
look like a couple of gang bangers. When they first bought that house
one of my neighbors told me "SCAREY DUDES" moved in. Actually they
are very decent hard workers, they fit right in for NYC, there that
look is artsy fartsy, no one would pay them any notice, but not around
here.