Culinary anyone???

[Tom]

This thread's inspiration comes from Dusty's thread on consulting and working for someone. 

If you have worked and/or are working in the field.  Your history and if you're still doing that or are still involved in the industry.  Your professional experience.  I'll start.  Dishwasher, Busboy, Waiter, Bartender & Executive Chef.  The Executive Chef position was for my catering company doing catering with private aircraft, charter aircraft and airlines.  Food experience.  American Continental, "Cantonese" Hakkah Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Italian, Hawaiian and Local fusion.

[Turin]

23 years in the restaurant / bar business. Cook, Waiter, Bartender, Night club manager, General Manager. Waiting tables and tending bar are the positions to have. If you have the talent for it, and are in the right place, you can make a nice living.

[Lannis]

I've thought about it in the past, but I can't figure out how ANYONE makes a living trying to anticipate and predict the eating habits and desires of Americans.

I've seen restaurants that serve excellent food at a reasonable price fail for no apparent reason, and I've seen restaurants that serve crap seem to do well and soldier on year after year.

It's the ultimate in "subjective" tastes, unlike running just about any other business, and I'd be no good at all in managing such a thing.

I do know that my uncle Daniel Perez, who emigrated from Cuba to Washington DC in the late 1930s, made a very good living as a professional waiter.   He worked in the big hotels and restaurants in Washington in the 40's and 50's, and was recruited by the different restaurants as their big-spending customers requested him.   He and my aunt retired when they were 60 and bought a big beach house in Florida ... !

Lannis

[Tom]

IIRC you did post some that before. 

[sidecarnutz]

First "real" job at 16 was working in a Chinese Italian restaurant. (Chinese restaurant owned by a guy of Chinese decent married to a Italian lady) Worked my way to chef at 17. Stayed there until the day before I went to boot camp at 18. Still love cooking for friends and family! Still the best job I've ever had and even met my future wife there!

[bettythebear]

I had quite a few years in the business: first job ever was bussing/dishes, then spent about ten years as a baker, bar manager, fine dining waiter (white tux for a uniform), hotel room service. Some were better than other, but the fine dining job was the biggest checks for the least amount of effort.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

Burger flipper and pizza maker in and after college.

[Lannis]

IIRC you did post some that before.

Who, moi?   If I did, I can't find it.

And I'll have a bit of a wager on that with almost 23,000 posts, your good self MIGHT have posted something about rifle teams or improper terms for Japanese or something more than once.   Or twice.

Lannis (just noticed I'm wearing my Kealakehe Rifle Team, Kona, Hawaii T-shirt today, by the way .... !)

[charlie b]

Not me.  Was offered to manage a restaurant for a guy when I was retiring from the military.  We ate at his place often.  I pointed out the hours he put in (9am to 11pm seven days a week) and said I'd rather stay in the Army  :)

Daughter's high school friend has made a good career out of managing.  Started as a european trained chef (France and Italy) then went to managing.  He now works for a company that owns a bunch of high end places (like in Las Vegas) around the world.  His job is to start up the places.  He stays as long as he wants then moves to the next one.  Not rich but very comfortable.

[Tom]

Who, moi?   If I did, I can't find it.

And I'll have a bit of a wager on that with almost 23,000 posts, your good self MIGHT have posted something about rifle teams or improper terms for Japanese or something more than once.   Or twice.

Lannis (just noticed I'm wearing my Kealakehe Rifle Team, Kona, Hawaii T-shirt today, by the way .... !)

   You're taking it wrong.  I remember the post confirming the fact that as a fine dining waiter, you can make a good living and that's why I remember it well. 

Made a decent waiting tables in the main dining room of a resort hotel out here.

[tc]

Well, here is a topic I can sink my teeth into.
I have a bit over 51 years working in restaurants and in the commercial food industry.
Started in '65 in a large supper club near where I grew up.
Bused tables, parked cars during large parties, waited tables, washed a few dishes and picked up some kitchen knowledge.
German and Swiss chefs (they were mean!), had our own bakery on the second floor. Still cooked the meat over charcoal then, had a huge grill in the main dining room.
Was running a kitchen in a restaurant in downtown Milwaukee by '71.
Gradually went to smaller cafe type places working as a managing Chef. More control over the menu and staff that way.
I was worn out by the hours and lifestyle by my early 40's so went back to school (my third try) and finished my food science training.
I am trained in food microbiology, QA/QC, sensory analysis and some analytical chemistry. I am also what we call a Certified Research Chef, just means I have Culinary and science training. You get that through the Research Chefs  Association.
Went to work in R&D for Birdseye while still in school. Was there for eight years then got recruited by Tyson to manage one of their R&D centers in Texas. I did not work with chicken! Tyson is actually very diversified,huge in beef and pork as well as chicken, pizza toppings, and soups and sauces which is my specialty. I design and manufacture soups and sauces for large restaurant chains. My smallest batch is 5000 pounds!
Left there two years ago (I hated working corporate but needed to make enough to retire!).
Was off for six months then got an offer to consult for a former competitor. Not bad, extra money, no real boss and working with mostly the same customers I have worked with for years.
Still doing that part time till my wife is done with the school year, then moving back to the land of snow and ice (my wife's idea!)
That reminds me, I need to sell some bikes! Jeez, I hate doing that.
Well, hope I didn't bore you, this is the most I have told people about myself in years.

[Lannis]

Well, hope I didn't bore you, this is the most I have told people about myself in years.

Not boring me, I think that the details of almost anyone's work and career is a fascinating subject.   The high level goals are the same, but the details are so different from anything I did; I always like to learn from people who BTDT.

When I retired, I RETIRED, mon .... if my old business had been booming I might have made myself available, but it wasn't, I didn't, and I'm happy!

Have any of the guys in that business watched the British comedy series "Chef" with Lenny Henry?    One of my favorites ....

Lannis