Hey guys, I got a great offer to be a chef at a local establishment in my area. I will only be in charge of running the kitchen. I wanted to know if anyone has any advice before I fully commit to this.

Some background info: I’m in my 20’s and have been working in the industry for 7 years. I started as an “intern” at my relatives restaurant for two years during my summer breaks in high-school. I helped with breakfast lunch and catering for 2-400 guests. I put intern in quotes because I realized it was just free labor once I got older (not upset, I learned a lot). My first paid job was as a sous-chef with a guy who was a poissonnière. I was so out of my comfort zone it was insane, it was amazing, it was eye opening. I processed whole branzino, octopus, and salmon. I also learned a lot about mother sauces. After that I went back to be a manager at the family restaurant, then helped out on a food truck. The truck was one of the most positive work environments and I will be owning one in the future. Fast forward to my current job as a lead line cook at a spot that has benifits, consistent hours, and PTO. Also, my schedule allows me to go fly fishing in the morning and spend time with my family on Sundays. While all that is great it is clear that my time at this spot is coming to an end. The place has slowly become understaffed and it’s been putting a strain on everyone as well as affecting the guests experience (long ticket times and lacking prep for menu items). HR hires people that don’t stick around long so job retention has taken a nosedive. I enjoyed my time in the beginning because I was able to grow and weekly create specials that stayed on the menu. I also got to learn some basics about food cost and banquet service since the place does weddings too. - that’s it for the rant sorry!

Anyways, besides all the passion that people talk about, I want to learn more and see what I create as I grow. I know I can be successful where I go, I just want to know what I might be getting into before I dive headfirst into a new endeavor. I’ve never ran a bar kitchen before so I’d love to hear anyone’s experience!