A Day in YOUR Life as a Second Cook
Every person that enters our restaurant should be greeted and feel like a guest! This is YOU on your first day of work and every work day after that. You walk in with a smile, say hello to passing guests and acknowledge your colleagues, perhaps with a smile, nod or salutation. You already have a feel for how your day is going to unfold based on the flow and noise level in the restaurant and you aren’t even in uniform yet! You make your way to the employee change room and transform into your sharp, sophisticated look with your professional uniform, punch in at the time clock and energetically join your teammates in the kitchen.
You may be preparing to join a shift or open the kitchen, either way preparing great dishes and assisting your teammates is paramount. Regardless of the time of day or length of shift, you are ready to meet every guest and colleague with exceptional service and care!
As the day begins, you check in with your supervisor to prioritize your duties for the day. The Restaurant Manager passes the reservation sheet for lunch and dinner which allows you to prepare for peak busy periods. Do we have a special course arranged for today? A group of 50 will be coming in for lunch! You efficiently plan your day and prep all ingredients for reservations and a la carte service. Organize the workstation first and this saves you from disarray…a prepped kitchen is an efficient one! Follow the prep list and tick it off as you complete each item. You will be constantly on the move for peeling, chopping, mixing, sautéing, and preparing sauces. Time is crucial to every aspect of your work. You are a great at multi-tasking! You may be chopping herbs, frying vegetables on your range, checking the oven temperature and assisting your team mates simultaneously. Also, you must maintain cleanliness and handle food properly according to food sanitation regulations. Inspect the food storage and ensure that each item is stored in the correct shelves with the earliest expiration date in front. Once the restaurant opens, orders keep pouring in. You focus on your orders and keep your workstation organized as this minimizes chances of miscommunication. You take the meat and fish out from the fridge and set them in food pans for seasoning or searing. Set the empty plates in the warmer for hot dishes and put some in the fridge for cold dishes. Orders pile up quickly so this job requires you to memorize a massive amount of information but, with your experience, you can handle this challenge without any problem. You need to stay focused and energized throughout the day. Even though you clean the station as you go, it gets messy when things get busy; so, you tidy up the station, counter and storage area at every opportunity. Your shift in the kitchen goes by in a flash. Your standards are high, and you take pride in your job and the quality and presentation of all food in the kitchen and the restaurant. You are a team player and always look for opportunities to assist your team mates.
By the time you leave, you are more than satisfied that your guests are all taken care of and having a great time in our restaurant.
Who you are and why is this important…
- Enthusiastic, Attentive and Approachable
- Ensuring our guests and team mates feel comfortable.
- Organized & Communicative
- Clear, concise communication between team members and guests alike creates a smooth operation.
- Effective Multi-Tasker
- Personal interactions, phones, emails and on-going projects are always in play.
- You follow company policies such as cooking food to Chef’s standards, operating equipment properly and any other requirements for the processes as outlined by your department leaders;
- Involvement in the food preparation and cooking on line to ensure proper presentation and speed of service standards;
- Conduct frequent inspections of all food storage areas in order to prevent food spoilage and maximize the food cost expenditures;
- Possess thorough knowledge of Sanitation and Food Safe procedures as established by the Health Board and hotel policies and procedures;
- Maintain a calm and welcoming demeanor while multitasking to handle team interactions at the same time as your daily tasks;
- Follow all company and brand standards;
- Minimum two years of culinary experience working in a high volume kitchen.
- Flexibility to work a variety of shifts.
- Ability to remain standing for the duration of an 8 hour shift.
- Effective multi-tasker with the ability to continuously reprioritize daily activities.
- The understanding that SERVICE is the key to any successful business.
- Red Seal is preferred however not required.
- Serving it Right (BC) or ProServe (AB) certification.
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