# Tips on turning around a production kitchen.



## russtopher (Jul 10, 2014)

Hey CT!

I have been working in a production kitchen for a major grocer for a few months now doing a bit of production and customer service-esque jobs. There is about to be an opening for an assistant manager for our department and I am in a good position to take it if I want it. I enjoy the job for the most part but the head of the dept doesn't come from a kitchen or restaurant background and in my time here I can't help but notice a lot of things that are done wrong. I'm not exactly sure if it is a lack of experience on the leadership side of things or incapable employees but I've noticed more of it falls on the former. I have managed a high volume restaurant and a mom and pop deli in the past as well as plenty of kitchen work. I want to take the position and help make some positive changes and get the kitchen to run much more smoothly and efficiently but I'm hesitant because I see a lack of care or simply 'give a shit' coming from leadership which obviously trickles down into the employees. Does anyone have tips on remedying situations like this? I don't want to become the manager that is a hardass all the time because I expect a certain level of work from people because there is already enough toxic relationships between employees and management as it is and my relationship with my coworkers right now is very positive. I know there is only so much advice I can expect seeing as a lot of this is situation-dependent but I am always baffled going into work when I see so much disorganization and lack of communication. I'm in my late 20's and don't want to get sucked into something that may not be worth it. But I would definitely enjoy the pay raise and having more responsibility. Any advice?

Thanks!


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## sgmchef (Sep 30, 2006)

I think it would be worth it, if it is in your best interest. Pay raise, resume material and anything else you consider a plus.

You know the negatives.

During the interview, make note of goals and expectations, that is your ammunition for making the changes.

Changes are easier to implement if you explain how or why it would help your boss. Not why it would help you, the operation or the other employees. Had a few bosses quickly dismiss changes I wanted to make until I returned and "framed the idea" as to why it would make them look good. Then it was "OK, let's try that". Sad but true...

"Hey boss, it was your idea" is another viable technique. Great things can happen if you don't care so much about taking credit and you just want to optimize the operation for everyones benefit. Your bosses boss will actually know that your boss hasn't had a good idea in years. Positive changes will get attention and they will notice.

You asked for advice, but you didn't say good advice! LOL

Love my sister she says "Take my advice, I'm not using it"

Anyway, good luck russtopher!


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

I like sgmchef's advice. Giving and getting credit is always a big issue for many people. And the interview is a great time to float some ideas. But only enough to complete the interview and test the waters. See what the response is to which ever idea you throw out. In any event, don't give up all your ammunition. 
As for the lack of caring, etc. you can always rely on state regulations and ServSafe to provide some guidance with out you looking like the bad guy. They won't help with poor cooking or bad techniques but cleanliness and food safety can go a long way toward creating and maintaining a professional atmosphere. See what "official" standards the grocer follows and make sure you know what the process for implementing and upholding those standards is.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Can you give some examples of the types of foods you make and what you think is going/doing wrong? Are you talking about things like prepared salads, pasta salad, grab and go sandwiches, etc?


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## jimyra (Jun 23, 2015)

How much supervision experience do you have? If it is a major chain they have procedures and policies that many times cannot be changed at a local location. What is a "bit of production and customer service-esque jobs.", do you make sandwiches and slice meat in the deli? Load chickens into the roaster? Most important what traits make you a better supervisor than the department manager?


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## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I agree with smgchef, it would be worth it for you to apply for the job and in the interview definitely have some ideas to bring forward as to how you would handle the day to day operation of the kitchen should you be given the job. 
As for the interpersonal relationships it's hard to change that but with alot of work it is possible and worth the effort for everyone involved. 
Good luck and let us know what happens!


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## russtopher (Jul 10, 2014)

Thanks for the replies, everybody! I had a chat with my manager today and he said I'm in a good position at the moment for the job, but was honest with me that it wasn't a done deal yet. If someone with more experience with the company or position were to come along and apply then I obviously wouldn't be a first choice anymore. I appreciated the honesty but it really only reinforced my motivation to prove that I would be a good fit. Now to reply to everyone!



sgmchef said:


> I think it would be worth it, if it is in your best interest. Pay raise, resume material and anything else you consider a plus.
> 
> You know the negatives.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the well wishes and I appreciate your input. I think framing things that feed my managers ego, per se, would go a long way. I don't think he is completely full of himself by any means but he does like feeling in control (as he should) and is much more likely to follow through with things that he thinks of himself or makes him look better. At this point and with how little of a time I've been with the company, I'm not looking to come off like a know-it-all by any means. The more I get to know him on a personal level the more I see he is trying to deal with on a day-to-day basis which makes it easier for little things to fall between the cracks. I think my fresh eyes and past experience make certain things stick out more than others but he is definitely trying and actively trying to make positive changes. He's learning as he goes as well and I look forward (if I am given the opportunity) to learning and figuring things out as well. I'm sure I will run into my fair share of problems and make my own mistakes along the way but that's part of the fun, haha! Thanks again, I will keep you updated.



chefwriter said:


> I like sgmchef's advice. Giving and getting credit is always a big issue for many people. And the interview is a great time to float some ideas. But only enough to complete the interview and test the waters. See what the response is to which ever idea you throw out. In any event, don't give up all your ammunition.
> As for the lack of caring, etc. you can always rely on state regulations and ServSafe to provide some guidance with out you looking like the bad guy. They won't help with poor cooking or bad techniques but cleanliness and food safety can go a long way toward creating and maintaining a professional atmosphere. See what "official" standards the grocer follows and make sure you know what the process for implementing and upholding those standards is.


In the chat I had with my manager earlier today he mentioned how is is trying to make sure food safety a much bigger priority. I think cleanliness gets lost in translation a lot but I think it goes hand in hand. I'd definitely like to show everyone how working clean is not only much safer but also helps you stay focused on your tasks at hand and in the end make things run much easier for not only you but your coworkers. Nobody likes walking into a mess or cleaning up after others. Working clean helps you respect the product and the work you are doing as well. Thanks for the advice.



someday said:


> Can you give some examples of the types of foods you make and what you think is going/doing wrong? Are you talking about things like prepared salads, pasta salad, grab and go sandwiches, etc?


There is a large array of items as it is a pretty large department. We make all of the things you mentioned as well as various dishes for customers to eat off of a 'buffet style' bar so food is going in and out pretty frequently. I just see a lot of disorganization and lack of communication between the production side of things and getting it out on the floor. A lot of the prep is just 'figure out what we need' instead of being able to come in and have a coherent prep list that the managers know is supposed to be getting made. Not many checks and balances to see if yes employee a did come in and make x, y and z today. It's more of a "why are we out of x? oh employee a came in and made l,m and z. Why didn't someone say we were out of z yesterday when we will need it for tomorrow and placed orders last night?"kind of thing. That may be a complicated sentence and scenario but the gist of it is there doesn't seem to be a lot of order to what we are making. I hope that made some sense. People can be held more accountable if there is a list of obvious and realistic expectations.



jimyra said:


> How much supervision experience do you have? If it is a major chain they have procedures and policies that many times cannot be changed at a local location. What is a "bit of production and customer service-esque jobs.", do you make sandwiches and slice meat in the deli? Load chickens into the roaster? Most important what traits make you a better supervisor than the department manager?


I have about 5 years management experience in a high volume restaurant as well as a small local deli. So I have dealt with lots of employees and customers with other managers and supervisors in place to make sure things are getting done correctly as well as being the sole manager for a handful of employees. Kitchen experience is around 10 years of various stations in multiple restaurants. Right now I do a bit of prep some days and other days I do the things you mentioned as well as a few other responsibilities. As far as the latter part of your reply, I don't necessarily feel I would be a 'better' supervisor than the current head, I just think there are changes that can be made that would take away some of the stress and confusion that seems to go on in the back. After talking with the department manager it seems like he is trying to fix too much without putting the proper amount of work and training into individual things. A lot of what I see could be fixed by communicating what exactly an employee is expected to do during a shift and holding them to that expectation. It's easy to coast through shifts because there isn't much supervision which ends up putting more work on the employees that work hard and creates a sense of resentment that others are getting away not pulling their weight. One of my strengths has always been creating an atmosphere that promotes people pulling their weight by holding them accountable for their work. I try and be personable with my coworkers and help them out whenever I see they need some help but if I am working with someone I know has a history of either being lazy or has a tendency to get sidetracked I go over a 'gameplan' before and during a shift and communicate what I will be doing and basically have them 'make a plan' of what they should be doing. Something like "Okay, I'll probably shut down this station around 8 and I'll take care of the trash and squeegee tonight. We need some of x prepped so I'll knock that out but I think we need y as well." I've noticed just having that little chat and them taking ownership of their responsibilities themselves makes it more of a priority. Unfortunately this little exchange only works for our little area for that shift and some people are pretty set in their ways and have no reason to change because why should they kinda thing. Sorry if I rambled too much!



leeniek said:


> I agree with smgchef, it would be worth it for you to apply for the job and in the interview definitely have some ideas to bring forward as to how you would handle the day to day operation of the kitchen should you be given the job.
> As for the interpersonal relationships it's hard to change that but with alot of work it is possible and worth the effort for everyone involved.
> Good luck and let us know what happens!


Over the next week or two I'm making notes of things I see and how I think we could tweak them or what an ideal situation would look like. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for the luck!


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Sounds your your basic, run of the mill sh*t show. 

Your perception is that there is no organization (prep lists, ordering, etc) because the current managers don't care? Or the current managers are just overstretched and can't give the attention that these tasks deserve?

Your approach sounds good. The best thing that an assistant manager (or sous chef) can do is to take ownership of a lot of the nitty gritty, daily grind kind of details to free up the chef/manager to work on the bigger picture type stuff. I would emphasize in future interviews your ability to take things off of the managers plate and re-organize the prep lists and ordering so the kitchen runs smoothly--your idea of taking notes and writing down ideas is a good one. 

There are lots of ways to approach prep and making prep lists. Is each cook responsible for his/her own section or set of tasks everyday, or is it just a free for all, anyone grabs what is next with no communication (like, have you ever had 2 people at the same time working on the same thing?)...I've utilized white boards before to good effect. Write every cook's name on the whiteboard (all that are working that day) and then assign them tasks on the board. This way everyone sees what needs to be done and who is doing it. You can also divvy up work so that each day the same people are responsible for the same stuff. Like, Becky always makes the grab and go salads (and the dressings, and slices onions/tomatoes for it, candies nuts, etc) and all things associated with the salads. I'm sure you know most of this, just food for thought. 

Do you expect resistance to trying to organize the kitchen? Are the other cooks just as frustrated as you? Are they ready for someone to take charge and figure it out?


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## Flatheadfoodie (Jan 18, 2018)

russtopher said:


> Hey CT!
> 
> I have been working in a production kitchen for a major grocer for a few months now doing a bit of production and customer service-esque jobs. There is about to be an opening for an assistant manager for our department and I am in a good position to take it if I want it. I enjoy the job for the most part but the head of the dept doesn't come from a kitchen or restaurant background and in my time here I can't help but notice a lot of things that are done wrong. I'm not exactly sure if it is a lack of experience on the leadership side of things or incapable employees but I've noticed more of it falls on the former. I have managed a high volume restaurant and a mom and pop deli in the past as well as plenty of kitchen work. I want to take the position and help make some positive changes and get the kitchen to run much more smoothly and efficiently but I'm hesitant because I see a lack of care or simply 'give a shit' coming from leadership which obviously trickles down into the employees. Does anyone have tips on remedying situations like this? I don't want to become the manager that is a hardass all the time because I expect a certain level of work from people because there is already enough toxic relationships between employees and management as it is and my relationship with my coworkers right now is very positive. I know there is only so much advice I can expect seeing as a lot of this is situation-dependent but I am always baffled going into work when I see so much disorganization and lack of communication. I'm in my late 20's and don't want to get sucked into something that may not be worth it. But I would definitely enjoy the pay raise and having more responsibility. Any advice?
> 
> Thanks!


I've had good results from low hanging fruit with employees. Special ideas especially, if you can afford it bring em in early to have complete responsibility of a special. They will surprise every time... for better or worse it's just one night of service.


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