Kitchen work can be busy, stressful, dirty, greasy, annoying, exhausting, etc. For this reason, I think there's a mutual respect among all of those who work or have worked in a kitchen. Fast food or steakhouse, Burker King or Benihana, most of the same practices are used, as are the trials and tribulations faced by those who work there. If you've never worked in a restaurant, this should open your eyes a bit; if you have, I hope this resonates with you.
1. Music makes everything better.
I've worked in kitchens with music and kitchens without music, and let me tell you, it makes a world of difference. Morale is so much higher when music is playing, even if it is pop hits radio and you hear the same 10 songs all day long. It gives employees something to sing and dance to, which is huge for blowing off steam or simply passing the time. Even at the restaurant where we couldn't play music, every now and then I was allowed to turn some on while I closed, and it made the end of some long nights exponentially better.
2. Discounted food saves money.
At most (if not all) restaurants there's a policy for getting either free or largely discounted food while you're on the job, and sometimes even when you're not. While it can be monotonous eating the same type of food nearly every day, getting at least one free or cheap meal each time you work keeps money in your pocket. It may not seem like much on an individual scale, but taking advantage of food discounts saves.
3. Others' holidays are typically our busiest days.
One thing that can come to be frustrating about working in a kitchen (or just the foodservice industry in general) is the semiannual reminder that the holidays all of your non-food service working friends are looking forward to celebrating will be some of your most stressful days at work. Not all, but many restaurant employees get to enjoy the big ones like Christmas and perhaps Thanksgiving, but other holidays like Easter, the 4th of July, etc. are when you're likely to be at your busiest. Depending on what type of restaurant you work in, you may also see a big rush during big game nights or other big events that you'd like to be out enjoying rather than being on the clock—that's just the nature of the industry.
4. Control what you can control.
Kitchen work can get quite chaotic, especially during some of the aforementioned holidays. Though it may seem simple, one thing important to remember as a cook is that you can only control what you can control. You may have 15 tickets lined up and a dining room full of hungry customers, but there's no point in freaking out—you aren't expected to suddenly become some kitchen bound superhero; don't try to do too much. Front of house staff along with customers are (typically) quite understanding, and as long as their food is done right and you're doing your best, how upset can they really be? Control what you can control and it will all work itself out— a lesson which can be translated to innumerable facets of life.
5. Don't take life too seriously.
It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all and forget that at the end of the day, you're just making food. None of these people are going to starve, the servers aren't going to hurt you, and you're still going to get paid. Don't get me a wrong job in food service (or any industry for that matter) isn't to be taken lightly, but it also isn't necessarily the most important job, either. When the going gets tough, sometimes it's refreshing to remind yourself— it's just making food.
6. You have to have thick skin.
Imagine it's 9:15 PM in the middle of July, you've been working since 10 AM, you've had your head down on the line for the past three and a half hours, and all you want in the world is to close up, take a shower, and finally get to hang out with some friends, read a book, or just breathe. But no— 15, almost 20 minutes after close, that ticket machine rings one last time. You're frustrated, exhausted, & annoyed, and so is everyone else in the kitchen. Servers are mad that their food takes 3 minutes longer because you have everything almost put away. Are you going to complain and whine about it? No, you're going to put your head down and get it done because A) it's how you have to operate to survive in the kitchen and B) you'll get to leave sooner. Times can get stressful in the kitchen; there's no denying that. That doesn't mean it's the end of the world when something goes wrong, or something doesn't work in your favor. Working in the kitchen will teach you to have thick skin, which is something that can be applied to all facets of life.
7. Busy is fast.
Michele Ursino on Flickr
While it is certainly nice to have some downtime here and there, it's amazing how much faster time goes by when you're busy & not checking the clock every 10 minutes. For example, the restaurant in which I currently work sees a very busy summer and a very slow winter. In July I would work from 10 to 9:30, whereas in November I would work from 10:30-6:30, and it was the shorter days in November that seemed twice as long. Standing around doing nothing can be nice for a change after a rush or busy weekend, but it's really those busy stretches that make the day go by.
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