What to Learn From Life in the Kitchen 

Restaurant work is education. It has the potential to teach numerous life lessons and improve the way you interact with others, all while in the service of others. Not everyone has been fortunate enough to feel the hum of a busy kitchen, but there’s a lot to takeaway. 

The Education of Restaurant Work 

Here are the top six things restaurant workers understand intuitively – just from being in the field.

1. Every person you meet matters. Wait staff must treat king or beggar with the same deference when they dine with them. Learning that every person is valuable and of equal worth can transform how you think about life and how you treat people. 
2. Magic happens before the doors open and after they close. What customers see is a beautiful plate of food. They don’t know all the ins and outs of what makes that beautiful food happen or what leads to the inviting atmosphere. Restaurant work offers insight into how much effort goes into crafting a unique and fulfilling experience.
3. Professionalism can transform a tense situation. From the way you speak to what you wear, restaurant employees understand that how you present yourself matters. From taming a frustrating customer to adding to the ambiance, the way you navigate yourself in a restaurant is a lesson in how to navigate the world.
4. Multi-tasking is how to survive. In a restaurant, everyone is helping everyone. You’re no longer capable of doing one task at a time. Add to that the fact that your own job likely involves its own balancing act. Whether you’re a server taking care of multiple guest needs at once or a chef balancing the demands of a few different dishes at a time, restaurant work isn’t known for singular tasks. Servers and kitchen staff alike know that in the restaurant industry, multitasking is crucial to success. Fortunately, multitasking is a highly transferable skill for other careers as well as within your personal life.
5. There are no mistakes. Bob Ross’s insight that mistakes are only happy accidents is an organic takeaway in restaurants. A forgotten drink or unfired appetizer can seem like a catastrophe, but it’s actually an opportunity to find another way to improve on service or boost an experience. More than anything, restaurant work has the potential to teach you how to recover from a mistake, assuage the concerns of those affected by it, and move on with a strategy in mind to avoid making the same mistake in the future.
6. Tools are an asset. From non-slip treads and stain-proof aprons to the sharpest blades and strongest cutting boards, what you use can make or break the experience of the job. To do any job right, you need to invest in the right tools.

Look Your Best in the Messiest Situations

Regardless of your position, it’s essential to maintain a professional appearance so guests know instantly that they’re speaking with a representative of the restaurant. Restaurant owners who invest in quality apparel offer better customer experience and create a safer environment. If you’re a restaurant industry professional, showcase these life lessons in style with quality chef wear and front of house gear from Fiumara. Shop our online store for all your culinary apparel needs.