What Paying Sous Chefs $67,000 Will Mean: Guest MINDSETTER™ Garofalo

What Paying Sous Chefs $67,000 Will Mean: Guest MINDSETTER™ Garofalo

I thought long and hard about whether to post this or not. It may come across as self-pity or woe is me - but those who know me and know other dedicated food service workers will understand this is part rally cry, part dose of reality, part pep talk, part venting and all of it truthful. 

If you are wondering why independent restaurant owners and other food service establishments and their chefs are nervous right now and apprehensive and unsure what the next few months to a year will be like - let me give you a peek behind the kitchen office doors at your favorite cozy neighborhood restaurant - after 16 months already of complete upheaval 

Dishwashers making $18/hr - that's $720/week - awesome! They work hard and deserve every penny - man that's a tough job -  first time new sous chefs were making that working 60 hours, so we'll be bumping them up to $1300/week - $67,000 - again totally worth every cent - the unsung hero of the kitchen that acts as the glue that holds it all together cooks and servers making $23/$30/hour - also cool - I dare you to work a shift on the line or in a section - machines - these people are absolute beastly machines that manage literally thousands of little tasks every shift to make your experience enjoyable.

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Chefs will be raised to $84,000/year - finally getting paid for all the hours of hard work lifting and sweating and for the sore knees and achy back and the love put into every dish -  I support every bit of it, except.....

Soon (a few months from now) to be overheard outside your favorite neighborhood cozy community supporting local restaurant "I loved going to that place - it was so cozy and the server knew exactly how I liked my martini and the chef would cook me that dish that used to be on the menu. It was such a great place. I wonder why they closed?" 

"Well we hadn't been there in a while" 

"I know but it got so expensive"

"I heard an Olive Garden Mini Pop Up was going in there soon"  

P.S. From wholesale, I just paid $2.88/# for fresh chicken thighs - a year ago they were $.89/#.

So, I swear to God the first time I hear anyone complain about how much a meal costs or wonder aloud why that place closed I will be forced to skewer you with a spit, stick an apple in your mouth and roast you over an open fire. 

To all my fellow service workers - I am thinking about every single one of you. You are professionals and we all know we have always deserved more for the work we do. The long hard hours, nights, weekends, holidays etc.

I don't know where we will all be a year from now - some of us will survive and some of us won't. I just want you all to know right now - as a chef, owner and former chef, sous chef, expediter, line cook, salad b-tch, plate/nacho dude and crew team member I wish you all well and success. May we all support each other and still be comrades 12 months from now.

First round after shift is on me

Mark Garofalo is the Owner and Chef at Fire Works Catering in Providence