What would YOU do - Job in a kitchen??

TheCoilist

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so, I am moving north. Leaving a good job with pay that I may never make again. The reason for leaving is the wife transferred and we had a house already that we’re moving in to.

All that said, I’ve done TV/Film for over a decade as a profession. I won’t get that same opportunity in rural America. Lol And in my down time with the kids and such I had the chance to take up a new hobby and it’s a hobby I could probably get a job doing. At some point everyone thinks they want to open a restaurant and all that. Well, I really found passion and enjoyment in cooking. I was actually thinking of getting in a kitchen environment somewhere for work.

My question is, money or passion? Work for the money or work that might make you happy but far far less money??

Anyone work in a kitchen that can give some advice, thoughts, or input? My ultimate goal if I took a kitchen job is to learn the ropes because my ambition is to open a small restaurant or bakery with the wife and fam in the future.
 
Hey! Excellent and all the best on your new Life adventure! I'll tell you what I've noticed re cooking for a living...These guys with the Food Trucks or booths?

Man...they are seriously knocking down stacks of stinky cash!...I mean even the simple elephant ear kind of dealies? Like the Caramel corn cookers even...

Just show up, set up and get to Cooking your specialty of choice! No full menu Inventory!! ..just lines of people buying this Food Truck thing is something to witness and ponder........they are having Food Truck rallys around here even...you dont need a static restaurant brick and mortar... you just go set up where the action is! ...Telling you....One specific item, that is really great, Folks drop money for, easy to keep and cook without a lot of propane or something...just slamming ridiculous cash!


One guy was just selling highend icecream bars..had some sort of Liquid Nitrogen freezer thingy inside a gayly painted Panel truck, like the Fed Ex guys drive? ....like some sort of Modern Good Humor man?..the guy was flat killing $10 bills! Plus in the Summer Heat, he was chillin' and not cooking a dman thing!!

Even at my age, I will admit, I for a moment considered robbing the dude, just on the principal...like our Good Humor Man in Detroit had to deal with all the time!...:laughing: Talk about $10's flying freely for some frozen cow fat with sugar on a stick morsel...damndest thing!...

Even said to the Wife..."hold my beer, I'm about fitting to knock over this Icecream selling SOB for Old Tymes Sake!!"....Will say, theres big money in this fast food truck thingy...If you dont feel like cooking, like daily in a restaurant, you just drive the hell away!!:laughing::laughing:
 
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Good luck with your new venture.
I agree with Mud, we have several Taco trucks here and these guys rake it in.
I don't think they pay any taxes and might not be subject to all the crazy regulations of restaurants (not that you would cut corners).
This could be the most inexpensive way to get started in the food business, plus just imagine all the kids sports events and such:D
My son works in the restaurant business and I am always amazed at how many people eat out.
My daughter is working part time in a small restaurant this summer and knocking down $100 in tips most nights - but she busts it too:yes:
 
First let me say that happiness is more important than money, as long as you know you'll have enough income then do work you're happy with, remember, there are some millionaires out there who might be rich but are not truly happy.

Mud has some advice to really consider there !!!!!

Do the research to be sure, but food trucks seem like they might have a better chance of success than a regular restaurant, here is a quote from an article I found online doing a search for tips on opening a new restaurant:

"......one of the best pieces of advice for restaurant newbies is to understand what you’re getting yourself into – having a passion for cooking simply isn’t enough, you also need to know how to run the business side of things and how to do it properly …….65 percent of restaurants close in the first 18 months of business...…." (end of quote)

Do the research, think it all thru very carefully, and wishing you success !

:chef::cooking::chef2::eat3::eat2::eat::eat3::lol:
 
Happiness over money any day.......

iu
 
I am intrigued by this Food Truck dealie...I'm going to a Food Truck Rally next week to do some more in field research...Heres what I'm thinking, a guy shouldnt limit himself to just one specific item..decide how you load your truck and what you sell based upon the target demographics and weather!

Reasoning is: Who would buy a Hot Soft salty pretzel in this kind of heat? So you load your truck with cold drinks or icecream bars in the Summer, and sell Hot Chocolate and Coffee and hot soft pretzels in the Fall!

Definitely the VERY best gig with the lowest risk and barrier of entry is the guy selling bottles of water! Think about it! ZERO monetary risk and ALL upside profit!

He goes to Sams Club with His Minivan and CC in the morning, buys a chair and an umbrella, a few big coolers, several bags of ice, and a pallet of bottled water...Then he goes and sets up at an event...Selling just bottles of water for a buck per, Straight cash money...

Then, after the event, he takes the chair and umbrella and coolers and any unopened and unsold inventory back to Sams Club and returns it all for a full refund!! CaChing!:laughing: Rinse and repeat!

OK, so it aint a bakery or cooking, but WTH...I'm saying in and out with a pocket full of bills for No risk and No upfront money? Yeah...buy a $2.50 Sams Club Hotdog on the way out for the hell of it! :laughing:
 
The best thing about working restaurants is the people you meet.
The worst thing about working restaurants is the people you meet.
 
Are you moving to Stanwood or from Stanwood? I see that as your location in your profile. You are right around the corner from me. Restaurant hours are miserable. A bakery might be better. Plus, I really like donuts!
 
I am going to Agree with Mud 100%
Specialize and keep the menu small and manageable.

In 2008 I bought a pizza restaurant and left the Computer Industry for what I hoped for good. Like you I just wanted to something different.
I left a VERY good paying job for the unknown.

Well 2 months after starting my new venture the Recession Started.. I hung on for 5 years and eventually had to close my doors and I lost pretty much everything. I then Got back into the Computer business (programmer) and after many years of paying off bills and most of all the Government Taxes.. I am back on my feet

That being said the Recession aside one of the biggest struggles was government regulations, payroll, employee taxes, Overhead of the Brick and Mortar and the list goes on.

If (when) I take another go at the Restaurant business I would go with Mud's approach.. Keep it simple, specialize on very few items, keep the Overhead low and predictable.. Keep the initial costs Low and once again "predictable".. If one item doesn't work for you.. switch items.. become a lean mean fighting machine and learn to adapt to your surroundings.

I would love to try a Sandwich shop next..

Good Luck in your endeavors.. problems aside I had a blast doing it.

I am intrigued by this Food Truck dealie...I'm going to a Food Truck Rally next week to do some more in field research...Heres what I'm thinking, a guy shouldnt limit himself to just one specific item..decide how you load your truck and what you sell based upon the target demographics and weather!

Reasoning is: Who would buy a Hot Soft salty pretzel in this kind of heat? So you load your truck with cold drinks or icecream bars in the Summer, and sell Hot Chocolate and Coffee and hot soft pretzels in the Fall!

Definitely the VERY best gig with the lowest risk and barrier of entry is the guy selling bottles of water! Think about it! ZERO monetary risk and ALL upside profit!

He goes to Sams Club with His Minivan and CC in the morning, buys a chair and an umbrella, a few big coolers, several bags of ice, and a pallet of bottled water...Then he goes and sets up at an event...Selling just bottles of water for a buck per, Straight cash money...

Then, after the event, he takes the chair and umbrella and coolers and any unopened and unsold inventory back to Sams Club and returns it all for a full refund!! CaChing!:laughing: Rinse and repeat!

OK, so it aint a bakery or cooking, but WTH...I'm saying in and out with a pocket full of bills for No risk and No upfront money? Yeah...buy a $2.50 Sams Club Hotdog on the way out for the hell of it! :laughing:
 
Funny how everyone mentions food truck, i was going to mention that...
That will work if you are in a buys enough city or find out where the factories are and offer GOOD food for a reasonable cost, 5 or 6 dollar burritos or torta/sandwhich type menu, plus a buck a can for drinks. If you can do QUALITY food people will line up.
Some of my favorite restaurants down here are very simple places with plastic tables and plastic chairs on the sidewalk, quality food for a good price and they sell beer, i will drive 25 minutes to get to them.
 
Doing what you love is never like actual work. I did Silversmithing for over thirty years. It started as a self taught hobby that led to a full time occupation when I found myself out of work. I always enjoyed doing it which is more than I can say about some of the other jobs that I have had in the past.
 
I am intrigued by this Food Truck dealie...I'm going to a Food Truck Rally next week to do some more in field research...Heres what I'm thinking, a guy shouldnt limit himself to just one specific item..decide how you load your truck and what you sell based upon the target demographics and weather!

Reasoning is: Who would buy a Hot Soft salty pretzel in this kind of heat? So you load your truck with cold drinks or icecream bars in the Summer, and sell Hot Chocolate and Coffee and hot soft pretzels in the Fall!

Definitely the VERY best gig with the lowest risk and barrier of entry is the guy selling bottles of water! Think about it! ZERO monetary risk and ALL upside profit!

He goes to Sams Club with His Minivan and CC in the morning, buys a chair and an umbrella, a few big coolers, several bags of ice, and a pallet of bottled water...Then he goes and sets up at an event...Selling just bottles of water for a buck per, Straight cash money...

Then, after the event, he takes the chair and umbrella and coolers and any unopened and unsold inventory back to Sams Club and returns it all for a full refund!! CaChing!:laughing: Rinse and repeat!

OK, so it aint a bakery or cooking, but WTH...I'm saying in and out with a pocket full of bills for No risk and No upfront money? Yeah...buy a $2.50 Sams Club Hotdog on the way out for the hell of it! :laughing:

Funny you mention that about the water Mud. A year or so ago I was stuck in wall to wall traffic in downtown Cinci in one of the rougher sections but high traffic area of town. There was a guy sitting on a corner in front of Walgreens with a cooler full of water bottles on ice selling them to gridlocked traffic for a buck a piece. People were grabbing them up like he was giving away diamond rings. At $4 a case, $20 profit per case and a short walk across the parking lot when he runs out, which would of been about every 10 minutes the way he was going through them. That guy probably made more money selling water that day then the average crackhead would selling street pharmaceuticals in a month.
 
Years ago, my dad was still working as a meat cutter and he liked fixing small engines on the side (lawn mowers, chain saws, weed wackers, etc.). He was always complaining about working for someone else and how hard it was as a meat cutter. I told him to quit his job and we would open a small engine repair shop. I would run the business side of it and he could fix the engines. He said "no way!! I like fixing stuff and you're trying to suck all the fun out of it by making it my job."

I guess what he he liked most about fixing engines was that he could do it when he liked, how he liked, and since he never charged much he never got any complaints. Turning it into a job would mean he HAD to do it and have it when the customer wanted it.

My advise to you is the same.....Do what you have to do for a living and do what you love as a hobby.
 
A retail brick and mortar-restaurant or whatever- is a ball and chain like no other. At least the food truck would give some flexibility as for as work hours. But don't think you won't have to deal with the bureaucrats, the food truck industry is becoming heavily regulated. As soon as they see a new way that people are making a few buck, here they come with the permit requirements, inspections etc.
 
Hey! Excellent and all the best on your new Life adventure! I'll tell you what I've noticed re cooking for a living...These guys with the Food Trucks or booths?

Man...they are seriously knocking down stacks of stinky cash!...I mean even the simple elephant ear kind of dealies? Like the Caramel corn cookers even...

Just show up, set up and get to Cooking your specialty of choice! No full menu Inventory!! ..just lines of people buying this Food Truck thing is something to witness and ponder........they are having Food Truck rallys around here even...you dont need a static restaurant brick and mortar... you just go set up where the action is! ...Telling you....One specific item, that is really great, Folks drop money for, easy to keep and cook without a lot of propane or something...just slamming ridiculous cash!


One guy was just selling highend icecream bars..had some sort of Liquid Nitrogen freezer thingy inside a gayly painted Panel truck, like the Fed Ex guys drive? ....like some sort of Modern Good Humor man?..the guy was flat killing $10 bills! Plus in the Summer Heat, he was chillin' and not cooking a dman thing!!

Even at my age, I will admit, I for a moment considered robbing the dude, just on the principal...like our Good Humor Man in Detroit had to deal with all the time!...:laughing: Talk about $10's flying freely for some frozen cow fat with sugar on a stick morsel...damndest thing!...

Even said to the Wife..."hold my beer, I'm about fitting to knock over this Icecream selling SOB for Old Tymes Sake!!"....Will say, theres big money in this fast food truck thingy...If you dont feel like cooking, like daily in a restaurant, you just drive the hell away!!:laughing::laughing:

Same thing here in CT. If you're going to go the food services route, i'd probably go food truck too. Minimal overhead, portable and trendy. I used to love cooking and wanted to open a restaurant back in college. I worked and ran enough kitchens to know it sucks....and a lot of people who work in restaurants are not reliable. (high turnover, many times due to drug/alcohol problems) Then there's the social justice warriors demanding $15/hr minimum wage. If you need employees, that's something to consider. High labor costs will kill your profit margins.
 
I am intrigued by this Food Truck dealie...

<snipped>

I can stop you right there. You aren't cut-out for this, now follow me....

You find a primo location, you show-up before daybreak, prep everything for the days business, 10 minutes before you open, you hear the roar of the crowd just outside the trucks still closed counter window.

You open, and see a sea of customers clutching their cash....from Gladys the church pianist, to little Billy the booger-eater. They all rush the window as you open....

Every 3rd sale or so, someone drops some change.....you hear it, and go on point like a Doberman at Southerbys.....

Down go the window flaps, you grab your detector, and jump out the back door in search of the coin you just know bounced off into the grass.

Nope....not for you Mud.....
 
Let me start by stating that you don't open a food service business, you marry it. Restaurants, catering companies and food trucks require a LOT of time, effort and money to become successful. The better you do the more you have to put back to keep it going. I managed a very busy restaurant for 33 years and have come to the conclusion that it becomes a cancer that will rob you of any quality time that you used to spend with your spouse and children. My advice is to keep it small, keep it CLEAN, sell filling portions of a limited menu, and work on building a repeat customer base. It takes 200 people spending 10 dollars every week for a year to GROSS $100,000.00. Once the bills are paid the hourly wage seems less attractive. I hope you put some thought into your decision and that you talk to a few owners in your area before making a commitment.
 
I have thought about a food truck type deal for a retirement part time job.
Not a daily gig but weekends at different festivals, maybe some biker events. Years ago I had a chance to buy a Rube Goldberg 6 tub ice cream machine fired buy a hit and miss motor. Dude claimed to make money, I seen it in operation several times and it always drew a crowd. I've always had an idea of making homemade ice-cream and working my way south for the winter. Something small and simple that could be pulled behind a small motor home or converted van. I have been to a few biker rallies, most of the food trucks are open past midnight and open around 10 or 11. The ones that open at 5am with coffee and biscuits and gravy always have a line. Biscuits and gravy and homemade ice cream in one spot, good coffee and hot chocolate if it's not an ice cream day. I think it could be done with a 5x10 trailer and a couple of patio umbrellas. Nothing cooked during the heat of the day, I have it all planned out, the only problem is when I mention it to my wife, she gives me the same look she does when I say "here hold my beer".
 
Mud's idea on food trucks

Hey! Excellent and all the best on your new Life adventure! I'll tell you what I've noticed re cooking for a living...These guys with the Food Trucks or booths?

Man...they are seriously knocking down stacks of stinky cash!...I mean even the simple elephant ear kind of dealies? Like the Caramel corn cookers even...

Just show up, set up and get to Cooking your specialty of choice! No full menu Inventory!! ..just lines of people buying this Food Truck thing is something to witness and ponder........they are having Food Truck rallys around here even...you dont need a static restaurant brick and mortar... you just go set up where the action is! ...Telling you....One specific item, that is really great, Folks drop money for, easy to keep and cook without a lot of propane or something...just slamming ridiculous cash!


One guy was just selling highend icecream bars..had some sort of Liquid Nitrogen freezer thingy inside a gayly painted Panel truck, like the Fed Ex guys drive? ....like some sort of Modern Good Humor man?..the guy was flat killing $10 bills! Plus in the Summer Heat, he was chillin' and not cooking a dman thing!!

Even at my age, I will admit, I for a moment considered robbing the dude, just on the principal...like our Good Humor Man in Detroit had to deal with all the time!...:laughing: Talk about $10's flying freely for some frozen cow fat with sugar on a stick morsel...damndest thing!...

Even said to the Wife..."hold my beer, I'm about fitting to knock over this Icecream selling SOB for Old Tymes Sake!!"....Will say, theres big money in this fast food truck thingy...If you dont feel like cooking, like daily in a restaurant, you just drive the hell away!!:laughing::laughing:

I think MUD is on to a good idea there , low overhead , can run by your self or with little help , free to run it when you want. Lots of cities around here are setting up events like food trucks in the park days , then there are all the special events around holidays and celebrations. Lots of information on the internet on how to set up and run one . Keep it simple and cheep to run great way to get started , should be easy to sell the truck or trailer if it is not for you. Don't know if you have a Costco in your area but in their food court they have sold a large hot dog and soda for $1.50 for over 20 years . You could probably sell a regular size hot dog , can of soda and small bag of chips for $2.00-$2.50 at a nice profit. Definatly worth doing some research on to see if it might be for you.
 
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