[listen]
[read, with awareness]
It's no secret that restaurants have the potential to be some of the most toxic workplaces out there. Anyone who's done time in fine dining has their fair share of horror stories - from bounced paychecks and 90 hour work weeks to tyrannical bosses, sketchy coworkers, and many other tales that don't go over well in polite company - you name it, we've all probably seen it.
What qualifies as a toxic kitchen, though? After generating our own list, we polled Reddit and Facebook, and compiled some of the most frequently mentioned red flags into a handy guide that we can all use to identify a potentially toxic workplace before it's too late.
Part of creating a healthier kitchen culture is drawing the line between what is and what is not considered acceptable behavior. Before anyone gets their aprons in a bunch, I want to preface this list with this reminder: just because it's the way it has always been doesn't mean it's the way it always has to be. The hospitality world has needed an overhaul for decades - this is just the beginning of the discussion.
15 Ways to Identify a "Toxic Kitchen"
1) Lack of clearly defined values
I'm placing this one at the top, because when I transitioned into consulting, this became one of the most obvious indicators of a restaurant's success or failure. Why are they in business? What are their core values? How does their daily operation reflect that? Do they portray one image on social media, but offer a completely different experience in person? Are their menu item descriptions truthful (ie, actually organic, from a certain farm, grass-fed, etc)? Do they have integrity (do their words match their actions)? It's actually crazy how many people open restaurants without defining their WHY. If they can't articulate their mission, they will inevitably run into major problems.
2) The owners/managers are all in the same family (or a husband/wife team)
This might ruffle some feathers, and it's definitely not universal - but the fact is, the more family members are involved, the more likely the place is to be toxic. Businesses that are exclusively family-owned and operated have the potential to be very cult-like, pushing out any perspective that is not in complete agreement with their own, while denying any wrongdoings. When a husband/wife team are at the top or an extended family is forming the leadership team, it can be hard for employees to debate or challenge decisions. Imagine trying to take a complaint about your boss to his wife, the CEO. Also, in many cases, if you are not part of the family, opportunities for advancement are limited. If it's family owned but has at least one important management position filled by an "outsider," chances are the environment will be a little more pleasant.
3) Job titles are not clearly defined/pay scale is unstructured/raises are not discussed
In any professional kitchen, a degree of flexibility is needed - sh!t happens, and sometimes you need to jump on dish, snake a drain, or cover another position to make service actually happen. Once in a while is fine - but if you are continually being asked to absorb more and more responsibility (without an appropriate pay raise!), this is a major red flag. There are many owners who will take and take and take from their employees, without ever giving back - don't allow this behavior to continue. It is not okay. You deserve to be compensated for the work you are actually doing.
4) Schedules are not made in a timely manner/requests are not honored/no work-life balance
This is a classic sign of mismanagement (and a question you should ask on every interview!). This type of kitchen will demand that your entire life revolves around their needs - they will put the schedule for Monday out on Sunday night. If you like being called in on your day off, this might be the place for you. If you want a life outside of work, look elsewhere. Good leadership respects that their employees have lives outside of work and gives them adequate time to plan in advance. They prioritize setting aside time to actually write and publish staff schedules at least a week in advance, and they do their best to make reasonable accommodations for "out of work events" in their staff's personal lives.
5) Kitchen is not clean/organized
This one's a no-brainer for most of us veterans, but newcomers might overlook this one and give some places a pass when they definitely shouldn't. Are there boxes haphazardly thrown in the corner? Has the floor been swept/mopped recently? What does the dumpster/trash area look like? How organized is the walk-in? What do their mise stations look like? Are there sanitation buckets set up? Is everything labeled and dated properly? This might sound arbitrary to some, but it is a huge indicator of mindfulness and overall "give a fuck" levels in a kitchen.
6) No longevity in current staff
Is the current staff filled with new hires? Are they always posting job ads online? There is a reason why people have not stayed in these kitchens. Don't be afraid to talk to the current staff - FOH included! Ask the interviewer about employee retention - what problems have they faced in the past, and how have they worked towards solving it? Listen to their answers, too - if the blame is all external (cooks just aren't what they used to be/it's so hard to find good staff/etc), that's a huge red flag. On the other hand, if there's a degree of self-responsibility/admission of the part they played in the high turnover, that's an incredibly positive sign!
If you struggle with employee retention, perhaps it's time for some self-reflection: would YOU work for you? What are you doing to push people away? What could you change to make your kitchen/restaurant a little more enticing to employees? Do you respect your staff? Do you show gratitude and make it a point to recognize them when they do things well, or do you only focus on what they do wrong? Have you taken a communication or management class? Take responsibility for what's not working.
7) Low pay, high prestige
We all know the type - the Michelin starred/James Beard winning/Zagat rated/highly decorated restaurant that has 20 unpaid stagiares and 20 full-time employees making minimum wage (or worse, salary/shift pay!). These kitchens leverage their prestige and reputation as a way to underpay (or outright NOT pay) their employees - it's the "work here for exposure" mentality. These kitchens do not value their employees - they are run by people who step on the backs of others to reach the top. You will never matter in these kitchens. You are just a warm body to pick herbs or measure ingredients.
8) Flashy image/Lifestyle chasers
We've all seen this cliche: the owner that rolls up in a Ferrari, talking about their vacation house, while interviewing you for a $9/hr prep cook position. RUN, don't walk, away from these types. There is nothing wrong with indulging in a little luxury when you've reached a level of financial abundance in your life, but these types often get there by mercilessly exploiting their underpaid staff. They are in it for the image - and being heavily image-focused is a high indicator for narcissism, which is one of the most toxic traits of all. This type of owner/manager will never see you as a person - only a number, a cog in their money machine. This is often the owner who shows up with an entourage right before closing, demanding a tasting menu - showing a complete disrespect for their staff's time.
9) Feedback is not encouraged (or even actively discouraged)
Great companies regularly ask their employees for feedback -- and act on it to make the company better. Look for how feedback is discussed in reviews and ask about it in your interviews. What are some examples of things the company has changed based on feedback? What do you think would happen if you e-mailed the owner with a suggestion? Watching how interviewers respond to these questions in the first few seconds will give you the answer you need. If they struggle to reply, beware.
10) Micromanagement
Is the chef/owner/manager always hovering over the staff and criticizing what they do, while making no attempt to correct or re-train them? This is a HUGE RED FLAG. Micromanagement stems entirely from insecurity - the micromanager does not trust their staff to properly execute their jobs, so they harp on them every step of the way to make sure "things get done correctly." Micromanagement creates an incredibly hostile work environment and a culture of fear around making a mistake - in this environment, nothing is ever good enough, dishonesty is encouraged because of an overall lack of trust, and mistakes are more likely because staff does not feel comfortable enough to actually admit that they're struggling. Micromanagement is a terrible strategy. It never works. A confident manager, on the other hand, trusts their staff - because they have taken the time to properly train them, and they have cultivated a respectful environment where staff feels comfortable enough to come to them with questions if they run into any issues.
11) Staff that's consistently intoxicated
Is the kitchen/FOH obviously drunk or high? What's the culture like when it comes to drugs and alcohol? Is it tolerated, or even encouraged? If the employees can't get through a shift without a substance, that's not a good sign (often, it means they're on the verge of burnout - which happens when we are overworked). You become a mixture of the 5 people you spend the most time with - choose your coworkers wisely.
12) Raging tempers/out of control anger/verbal abuse
Everyone loses their cool once in a while when the pressure is high, but if the staff is being verbally berated on a regular basis for the smallest things, it's not a good sign. Losing your cool to anger is a huge sign of immaturity - it's incredibly disrespectful. A good leader admits when they were out of line, and apologizes to the people that were on the receiving end of their wrath. From a business perspective, employees do not feel safe around angry management - this often causes resentment in employees, and resentment is what triggers things like employee theft, calling out with no notice, and a host of other common issues. The level of respect you give is the level of respect you get back. Drill sergeant chefs are no longer in fashion.
13) Poor leadership
This is a big one - most restaurants are run by people who have absolutely zero management training whatsoever. Our industry is infamous for promoting people without training them - expecting everyone to just "figure it out". No other industry does this! Imagine an orderly getting promoted to surgeon because the head doctor quit with no notice. Would anyone be ok with that? NO! Yet, restaurants do this all the time. The waiter gets promoted to manager, without ever being trained on how to effectively communicate with staff, resolve disputes, or balance the books. The line cook gets promoted to sous chef without learning how to assess/maintain par, properly do inventory, cost a recipe, or manage a team.
At its core, the restaurant industry often does not value higher education - it prefers to learn "on the job" and "work your way up" - getting their degrees from The School of Hard Knocks instead of an established institution. (Don't believe me? Google "Do I need culinary school to be a chef" to see hundreds of forum threads trashing people who choose to pursue the route of higher education - there is a huge, ridiculous divide in the industry). Because of the bias against formal education, personal/professional development & training classes are often scoffed at by "real" cooks (🙄). There is a lot of ego in kitchens, and this often translates to people who insist that they know what they're doing (even when they don't) - instead of people who are comfortable asking for help when it's needed.
14) An overall feeling of heaviness/low energy in the air, low morale
This one is a bit out there, but it's actually super important. Culturally, we have been trained to ignore our "gut feelings" - modern society likes to equate them to "woowoo nonsense." This is absurd, because feelings are simply naturally occurring physical sensations. During your interview, try to take a moment to yourself - close your eyes and tune into the physical sensations you feel. We instinctively know how to recognize negativity/toxicity, but we often suppress this out of fear - if we don't acknowledge it, it doesn't exist. Do the employees seem happy? Do they smile regularly, or do they look perpetually panicked/stressed out? Take a moment and really observe the place for what it is - notice the communication between staff, body language, facial expressions, the way people move, etc. Try to be realistic and avoid projecting what you want it to be onto the place. This can be hard, especially when we need cash or have been unemployed for a while - desperation can make red flags look like a field of roses. How do you feel after spending time there? Do you feel drained and pessimistic, or do you feel inspired and energized? Pay attention to your inner guidance.
15) No positive reinforcement
If you never hear anyone saying "good job!" or "that looks great, man" or "nice sear!" - it's not a good sign. This type of kitchen will quickly trigger resentment and bitterness - nothing will ever be good enough. Ask yourself - do you want to work in this type of environment?
(For a deep dive into why the "perfectionist mindset" sucks, read this article!)
How to avoid toxic kitchens:
Talk to current & former staff - especially women & POC, as they most frequently end up as the targets of bullying/abuse. Search the company/restaurant on linkedin, and message former staff - ask for their honest experience working there.
Check with the local labor board for any wage theft violations or class action claims.
Check with the health department for any sanitation or safety violations.
Do a deep google search of the restaurant/company, the owner, the head chef, and their industry reputation.
Read the negative yelp/google reviews - for extra insight, bring up specifics in your interview and ask how they have dealt with negative feedback in the past.
Check their reviews on Glassdoor - have any previous employees shared their experience?
Do not accept positions that pay below industry standard. This lowers the bar for everyone else.
Do not reward bad behavior. Learn to set and ENFORCE boundaries - if they are crossed, be willing to leave.
Find your why: why do you want to work for the specific place? What will you gain? What are you willing to sacrifice, and what are you not willing to tolerate?
If your paycheck bounces, leave.
Our intention with this article is to begin to hold the restaurant industry accountable. We have collectively allowed this bad behavior to go unchecked for decades - it's time to fix the things that have long been broken.
What did we miss? What would you add to this list, and why? Come join the discussion in our private Facebook group.
[consider]
Putting an end to gossip and backbiting
If you realized that you're running a potentially toxic kitchen and want to make a change, we offer personal leadership coaching and workplace consulting/restructuring - contact us for more info at consciouschefs@gmail.com
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