Your own business: A glorious hell of your own making

Posted by Karen Bruner Upright on June 19, 1997 at 19:48:19:

In Reply to: My own Business? posted by Big AL on June 05, 1997 at 03:00:00:

I don't think you will make a good profit at a food service business unless you have active, commercial experience. School can only teach you so much. When you're out in the workforce, the ratio of cooks to customers is reduced significantly, and the real work, the real sweat and grind begins. I recommend a year's service at a hotel or club with an intelligent, well-trained chef. The sheer volume and variety of foods you will prepare there will get you ready for your own place. You'll learn how to plan, how to improvise, and if you're lucky, some of the administrative end as well.

Just remember that once you are self-employed, you have no one left to learn from. I'm not sorry I have my own place, but I still take every opportunity I can to work with other chefs in the area, and to listen to my staff and watch them work, so that I still have the opportunity to learn.

Karen

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