So you want to be a chef?

There you are watching all the latest episodes of "Iron Chef", reading Gourmet Magazine and your family went bonkers over your last Thanksgiving dinner and now you are telling yourself; heck, I can be a chef, I know how to cook, it is cool to be a chef nowadays and I'll make a hundred grand a year, is that so? Let's us present to you a good dose of reality with a couple of dashes of real facts.
Here's a couple of sobering statistics for you in case you are considering investing in a culinary education:

45-50% of students enrolled in a culinary program will drop out before graduation.
65% of students earning a culinary degree will not join the industry due to financial hardships.
Less than 20% of students graduated from a culinary program will get to see a Sous Chef position.
A small handful of graduates will make it to Executive chef and beyond.
Contrary to what most culinary institutions will tell you, you will start at the bottom coming right out of school, even with a four year degree.
The average pay by the hour for a kitchen worker (non management) ranges from $8 to $12 per hour. (consider that in todays economy)
You will have to work long hours
You will be required to work all weekends
You will be required to work on most holidays
You will work when your friends and family parties
Cleaning is part of your job.
Unless you work for a reputable corporation chances are that you won't get any benefits.

Culinary education is now a big business in America, and like any other business these institutions need students in order to survive and stay profitable. Culinary schools will promise you anything to get you a seat in their classroom, so be aware!
Our best advice for you is to start working in the restaurant industry before you enroll in any of these programs, get a job and get a feel for what it is, then decide if it is worthy of your sacrifice.
And here's another statistic for you:
"Celebrity Chefs" makeup for less than 1% percent of the overall amount of professional chefs in America. And no, we are not pessimistic but we think everybody deserves a little dose of reality before they invest their time and their money.

Coming to Vegas? Think Again!

So you've heard Vegas now is a culinary mecca, probably you heard that all the big name chefs are opening restaurants on the strip, sounds great right? sounds fun! and heck wouldn't hurt to add on your resume that you worked with Thomas Keller, right? well..... I would say don't! while Vegas glamor has always succeeded in attracting tourism and dollars it is certainly not reflecting on wages and work conditions for culinary professionals. Hundreds and hundreds of culinary professionals are flocking to Vegas seeking new opportunities and a better pay scale only to find out that it is simply not there, pushing them to sacrifice their trade for other jobs such as serving tables, bartending and even parking cars. We ask ourselves why? when we have restaurants such as Tao breaking records in earnings, when Mario Batali just opened his third restaurant, when Lettuce entertain you restaurants are simply making a killing. Here's some facts you should know:

Average wage for a line cook: $10-$12 dollars an hr (culinary school graduate)
Average wage for a hostess: $15 dollars plus tips

Many "celebrity chefs" restaurants expect you to work on prep "off the clock" for an whooping average of 20-30 hours per week.
And if you don't play by their rules, you'll be gone!
Restaurants such as Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill will ask job prospects to work on the busier nights (without pay) 8 hours, never to be called again.

Worst offenders?
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
Thomas Keller Restaurants
Michael Mina's Restaurants
Mario Batali's Restaurants
Charlie Trotter
Charlie Palmer
MGM Mirage Resorts
Mandalay Bay
Wolfgang Puck Restaurants
Emeril Lagasse 's Restaurants
Lettuce entertain you Restaurants
Paris Hotel & Casino

Reality is that in Vegas the sweatshop mentality reigns inside the kitchens, Chefs are not welcomed here, but low skilled workers are. Servers will drive their BMW's while sous chefs come riding their bicycles to work.

Thinking about Vegas? Think again.

A warning from the "Big Easy"

As we all know New Orleans is undergoing a rebuild and revive process, the news are encouraging conventions are back and so are the tourists, but how about workers? well, it seems that culinary workers are not eager to take a jump into the Bayou just yet. So what is the strategy to attract new workers? not a good one...
Some restaurants in New Orleans are posting job offers in different markets through "Craigslists" offering "management" positions such as Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, and Executive Chef, well reality is they are not. This is a classic case of "bait and switch" where they get resumes from people eager to take the plunge, they go thru a phone interview and are told that they are front runners for the aforementioned position, as excitement builds up a couple of phone calls will follow, telling you that the position is not available yet but you are welcome to move in right away and start as a line cook for $12 dollars an hour, and then what? It is evident that New Orleans is clearly struggling to attract cooks but this is not the right way to attract new work force. Buyers Beware!

Welcome to The Kitchen Advocate!

This Blog has been created to expose the restaurant industry and the continuous practices that affects culinary professionals impairing them to fully develop and strive withing their chosen field.
It is time we start exposing the offenders, the abusers, and the people that crippled our opportunities as Chefs. While the media outlets love to over glamorized our industry in television shows, books and magazines they seldom do the job of helping us expose the reality of this industry. An industry plagued by low wages, low recognition, abuse, discrimination, and politics.
You can also help us expose the offenders by writing us at: kitchenadvocate@mail.com

Thank you!

The Kitchen Advocate