Flipping Burgers, Waiting Tables, and Cooking in a Professional Kitchen

It’s easy to criticize what you have never done.

The has been a lot of discussion and uninformed criticism about why restaurant workers aren't returning to their old jobs.

I started in restaurants back in 1976, and I'll be sixty-four this month and finally retired in June 2024. I’ve done stints in fast food (as a teenager), bakeries, commissaries, delis, high-end supermarkets, fine dining, corporate dining, and finishing my career at a private school.

These are my observations

It has become glaringly obvious, that restaurant workers, laid off due to Covid aren’t coming back. Why? Workers were jumping ship because the industry that they love is severely flawed. Why? Low wages, lack of benefits, demanding work, difficult customers, no work-life balance, and in some instances, shoddy treatment by their employers. They have moved on to better-paying gigs with benefits and for the first time for many, work-life balance.

Then there is always the question; “Why did you stay as long as you did before the pandemic”?? A vast majority of these workers will tell you they have put up everything because they LOVED it.

However, the pandemic changed everything, these loyal employees found they were expendable. They also discovered they could go work at a supermarket for $15 or an Amazon warehouse making $20 an hour to start, both with health insurance.

What would you do?

Instead of addressing the problem, or as a good friend pointed out McDonald's pays employees in Denmark, ($22 hr.). Typically, the first thing I hear some Americans say is: “The cost of a burger will skyrocket” and then the predictable, “If you don’t like it here, move to Denmark, you Socialist”!! I’ve also seen on social media; that some folks think that experienced restaurant workers can just flick a switch and “Go find a better job”.

Typical, shortsighted, and ignorant.

The Big Mac currently costs around $4.87 in Denmark, cheaper than the average $5.66 cost in U.S. McDonald's.

Speaking for myself, I was dug in, this is what I chose, and have done for 40 years. Frankly, at this point, I wasn’t starting a new career, just because some people thought I should. Truth be told, I am also one of the millions who had been laid off, waiting to go back to the job I loved.

Just a little information about the restaurant business

The average pay for wait-staff making $30.00 or more in tips is $2.13 an hour, the average pay for a line-cook $13.03, and the average pay for a Chef, $15.12 an hour. Remember this is the average, some pay more, and some pay way less.

Just an FYI, this is what is expected for restaurant Chefs: As a guide, the standard chef position demands 50 to 70 hours a week (or more), including nights, weekends, and holidays. For a chef job in a restaurant, expect to work 7 days a week for 12 to 14 hours each shift, and that's the industry standard.

Am I saying workers should be paid $22 an hour? No, I am merely saying the industry must do better to retain its workforce, by offering benefits, some work-life balance, and decent pay.

Frankly, the industry will continue to struggle if it doesn't change and for those that criticize, I dare you to go work in a busy restaurant, (fast food or otherwise) and just go "flip some burgers." Yep, it’s so easy. I really would love to see; for those smug folks who think the job is unskilled, step up and try it for a shift or two. I would delight in seeing the panic with that deer in the headlights look when the lunch rush starts. Then maybe, they will understand and be more appreciative when saying someone is unskilled.

Honestly, who do you think is cooking your food in a restaurant, (fast food or otherwise)? They ALL can’t be pimply-faced teenagers just entering the workforce and from experience, they aren’t.

FYI” Did I flip burgers? Hell, yes and I’m proud of it. Years ago, I was a station cook at an exceptionally large corporation, and once a week we had burger day. In 2 1/2 hours, I prepped, cooked, and served to order an average of 240 burgers. In those 2 1/2 years, I worked that station, I never had one come back.

Now say I'm unskilled, go ahead.