“Running or Operating a restaurant is a walk in the park: stress-free and anybody can do it!” – said no one. Ever! Many operators and managers quit because it’s too much to handle – or they simply get burned out.  It’s no wonder so many restaurants fail within the first year.  Running a successful restaurant requires more than rock-star cooking skills or impressive menu development abilities.  Operators need to also be good business managers in order to run a long-standing, successful profitable operation.

We are fortunate enough to be able to interact with foodservice operators regularly and feel honored to be considered a trusted partner as they share their successes as well as their concerns with us in very informal, yet insightful conversations.  Despite the challenges of the profession, Chefs, Owners and Restaurant Managers are still very passionate about what they do.

As much as they revel in sharing the rewards of their profession—they also open their kitchens and graciously share with us some of the issues that keep them up at night.

We discuss everything from the long and arduous hours spent at work, the impact of Employee Injuries i.e. Worker’s Comp claims to how they prepare their team to respond to emergency situations.

But there are other not so common worries currently weighing on operators. As one operator put it…“At times it feels like the restaurant is running me instead of the other way around.”

We are happy to share a week of “Kitchen Conversations” in hopes that we all can learn from each other’s experiences and just maybe, enjoy some much needed sleep.

Tomorrow’s Kitchen Conversation topic: Bad Weather.