selfish question: how do I make lots of money and gain power in the world?

If you want to make a billion dollars in the restaurant business, start with two billion.

In your post, I don't see any mention of passion or love of food and cooking. I gather that culinary arts are not your primary muse. It appears that money and prestige are more your siren song.

I would think you might investigate training and learning more about public relations as a primary career slant; which you could then use to further your advancement in the culinary world.

 

My suggestion: Pray a lot to hit the LOTTERY

 

1) There is no or very little money in the restaurant business.

True, you can live quite well if you have a successfull restaurant, but you don't earn much. True, you can sell a successfull restaurant for lots of bucks, but think of that money as back-pay from all of those years of working like a dog wth no pay.

2) The people who earn the most are people who work with other people
Think about it, this includes doctors, lawyers, real estate, and especially sales people. Yes money makes the world go round, but if there were no people, the money would just sit there. If you want to earn good money get a job that interacts with lots of people.

3) Can't help you much with women, you're on your own there.

 

Not to burst your bubble. but Wolfgang Puck was put into business and guided by his Ex Genius wife and her family and connections , Barbara Lazzeroff. One of the best open space Int. Deco s around.

 

Business, BIG business, is completely different ball game. Research Wolfie, research T. Keller, for McD's don't research under McD's, but look for Kroc, reserch will tell you everything that happened., but not what is to come.

After researching you will find that:

1) Chance favours the prepared mind
2) You need unlimited access to credit to grow mega-big
3) Connections are more important than cooking


Me? Just humble cook, been cooking for around 25 years, and now have my own artisan chocolate/pastry shop

 

How do you make money and power in this industry?

You bust your ***. Plain and simple. And yes, the money, women, prestige and paparazzi are all cute perks for a select few that work hard enough and make the right moves, but they don't come until you've put in your blood, sweat and tears on the line for a decade or so, pulling fifty-sixty hour weeks and forgetting what a Saturday off feels like.

I forget who, but someone on here recently referred to our trade as (forgive me if I misquote) "thankless toil", and they hit the nail on the head. If you can love and embrace this industry for (and in spite) of all of that, than you're on the right track.

With all due respect, it sounds like you're in this for all of the wrong reasons.

And no, America is not ready for communism.

 

You've been watching way too much Food Network, dude. For every celebrity chef, there are literally thousands of people grinding on the line for peanuts, or owner/chefs losing their life savings on restaurants. Being passionate or dedicated or talented is no guarantee you will be rich or famous in this business. There are so many variables which are out of your control that affect business; weather, perishable inventory, culinary trends, unreliable employees, food costs, and on and on and on....you can do everything right and still not get rich. There are culinary schools everywhere loaded to the gills with people suffering from delusions of grandeur, and more restaurants in most towns than the economy can support right now.

Those few who have achieved what you're talking about - the Ramsays and Bourdains of the world - did so only after busting surviving hellish decades of 80-hour weeks and having started at the bottom, washing dishes as teenagers. Even then, there was a good deal of luck involved in them getting the opportunities they did.

 

Why not save time and go into banking instead, if it all goes tits up the goverment will give you more money to start again; it's all win, win, win!

 

everything you have been told here is spot on! except maybe the person who mentioned 56 hour week--pretty short, at what you are looking at is an 80 hour week.

With all that music and stuff, sounds like you need a club that is involved with a performing arts group??

Not sure why you are even looking at food service with all that going on??? and EPA and DEC too??

And unless you are hotter than Bourdain or Michael Symon, you ain't got a chance with the ladies till you have the word on the street about your food. And a television presence. What do you other ladies here think??

Dream on, Lottery was you best idea,
Nan

 

I agree with shipscook.. everything you have been told here is right on including the working hours and the ladies.

If you are going to succeed in this business you have to be willing to do any job at all in the kitchen and not think any task beneath you. I have seen cooks who will not set foot in the dishpit, or lift a finger to help put orders away and that is not the way to get ahead. If you do anything and everything and are willing to learn and are not full of yourself, then anything is possible.

As for being rich and famous... we all dream of it, but only a select few will achieve it.

 

but, define rich and famous?? Just got my '92 Jeep running again, my rent and other bills are paid ahead, eating wild salmon and can afford some good wines, and here in Southeast Alaska I am famous for islands around??
And pretty **** happy---will even be happy to get back to the long hours here soon. Having a crew of happy smiling, satisfied people after a meal is priceless?

Cheers,
Nan

 

I think what you just described sums up my feeling of wealth. Add to that a wonderful family and good friends as well as just being happy.

 

be a movie star in a oscar winning role in a movie about cooks.


seriously, anymore you have food bloggers getting fame on FN. Have ya seen the commercials for that geek?. Youtube is a great vehicle and a webpage is a good start for reaching people while being someone that can't tolerate people and their foibles. Martha Stewart is a stone cold b!th from what i have heard and yet through magazine articles to her own show she is able to be popular and insulated at the same time.
looking into an acting agency might do some good for you.

 

If I kew the answer to that, I wouldn't be sitting up at 2 in the morning reading these posts! (hee, hee).