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What's it like being a cook in the restaurant industry?

Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:01 am
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:01 am
I'm not talking about head chef, just a regular cook in the back. I'm just asking about in general whether small mom and pop, chain, or fine dining places. Is that something a man in his 40s could do or would he just be working around a bunch of college kids? I've thought about dropping windshields as a side job and doing that as my side, seems it would be fun.
Posted by Jim Rockford
Member since May 2011
98048 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:03 am to
Become a shake machine repairman. You'll have more work thsn you can handle.
Posted by okietiger
Chelsea F.C. Fan
Member since Oct 2005
40959 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:04 am to
Have to find a really remote area. I mean very remote. Campers work great. Some idiots dye their product blue. Don’t smoke while cooking.

Edit: Misread, oops
This post was edited on 11/8/20 at 8:06 am
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:05 am to
quote:

Edit: Misread oops


Yeah, I was really confused
Posted by BuddyRoeaux
Northshore
Member since Jun 2019
2691 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:10 am to
Line cooks always have the best weed...
Posted by Finchboyz
Choclate city
Member since May 2018
514 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:17 am to
You’ll definitely work around a lot of people who do drugs, not sure about the “college kids” part.
Posted by bigberg2000
houston, from chalmette
Member since Sep 2005
69994 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:18 am to
I worked in restaurants and unless it was a super laid back place I wouldn’t do it as a side job. It really depends on the shift. You might get stuck closing which could be a minute.
Posted by nes2010
Member since Jun 2014
6741 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:22 am to


Are you familiar with the batwing?
Posted by Y.A. Tittle
Member since Sep 2003
101156 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:23 am to
quote:

seems it would be fun


It is for a while. Working a kitchen line at a bustling restaurant is actually a great rush. The job turns into drudgery pretty quickly, though, in having to set it up and break it all down, day after day after day.

In your 40s, I suppose you could do it for a while. Seems like it would be rather tough break into at that point with zero background. I think you would tire of it rather quickly, though.

I still often long to go work a shift or two.
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:29 am to
quote:

It is for a while. Working a kitchen line at a bustling restaurant is actually a great rush. The job turns into drudgery pretty quickly, though, in having to set it up and break it all down, day after day after day.

In your 40s, I suppose you could do it for a while. Seems like it would be rather tough break into at that point with zero background. I think you would tire of it rather quickly, though.

I still often long to go work a shift or two.


I'm pretty active and may not seem like it but doing windshields all day can even be pretty rough. Granted I get a chance to sit down while driving to and from jobs so it isn't necessarily standing up solid for 8-10 hours. I'm fairly immature for my age so I feel I may can do ok with college age kids. I've always just been curious about it, seems fun watching them yell and holler in the back, singing, and joking around.
Posted by ticklechain
Ponchatoula
Member since Mar 2018
416 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:33 am to
cooked professionally for a littl more than twenty years. Just got out a few years ago. Im just about 50. Ive worked in all sorts of places, but fine dining was my niche. Its a young mans game, and most of the people you will work with are young.(18-30) That said I can work circles around them. Long hours and the pay sucks unless your willing to dedicate 80 hours a week to it. I wanted out for a long time and was offered one a few years back, took it and didnt look back. Miss it occasionally, but its fleeting
Posted by Philzilla2k
Member since Oct 2017
11048 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:35 am to
You could start as a dishwasher maybe, but you are not walking on the line of any restaurant with no experience. And cooking at home is in no way related to cooking to order.
Posted by LSUtoBOOT
Member since Aug 2012
12331 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:41 am to
Worked as a line cook, expeditor, prep cook, etc at several restaurants in the 1980’s. I still tell people today that I never worked harder for less money, but if you’re young and single, it can be a lot of fun. It’s also where I learned how to cook almost everything.
Posted by lepdagod
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2015
3338 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:41 am to
I mean its a weird choice for a side hustle... why not try Uber or Lyft???....
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:41 am to
quote:

cooked professionally for a littl more than twenty years. Just got out a few years ago. Im just about 50. Ive worked in all sorts of places, but fine dining was my niche


I don’t know why but I’ve always found that fascinating. Especially cooks in fine dining industry. One of the fireman I work with cooked fine dining before getting online and I enjoy hearing his stories. I would just want to do it 2-3 days a week
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:43 am to
quote:

You could start as a dishwasher maybe, but you are not walking on the line of any restaurant with no experience. And cooking at home is in no way related to cooking to order.


I can do that, washing dishes wouldn’t bother me and moving up to cook at some point
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:43 am to
quote:

why not try Uber or Lyft???.


I have gotten to the point in life I hate driving
Posted by windshieldman
Member since Nov 2012
12818 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:45 am to
quote:

but if you’re young and single, it can be a lot of fun.


Well I’m older and married
Posted by 03GeeTee
Oklahomastan
Member since Oct 2010
3371 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:48 am to
I did it for a few years when I was in high school/ college. It can be hard work at times but I did like most of the people I worked with. Being in the kitchen, you have a bit more leeway to goof off since you aren’t interacting with customers. Everyone is going to be a lot younger/ more immature than you and do drugs. The only people who I ever saw come through the kitchen that were older than 30 were lifelong frickups that were one step away from being homeless. They usually didn’t last long before they quit showing up.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20361 posts
Posted on 11/8/20 at 8:49 am to
You know the hours are 4- midnight right? Then you do go get drunk and high til 4 am, sleep in until 2, rinse and repeat. Seriously. It’s a terrible lifestyle for a huge portion.

As a line cook you are only actually cooking if you work a dinner shift from like 5:30-9:30 for the most part. The rest is prep for the shift and then a couple hours of cleaning and break down at the end of every night.
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