I interviewed my boss, James "Mitch" Mitchell, the executive chef of our emerging restaurant group. He has been in this position for four years with an additional thirty years experience owning and operating restaurants. Today, he over sees food operations for our restaurants. Our group is the Midtown Oyster cafe LLC, named after the Midtown Oyster Bar, the first restaurant started by two partners 4 years ago. Since then, they have purchased and opened 3 more restaurants, an inn, and a mill. They are now finishing the building of their fifth restaurant and it is set to open this spring with yours truly as the chef.
I like to think that I didn't choose my career my career chose me. About twelve years ago I was desperate for a job and I took a position as a dishwasher at a Hilton hotel. As it turned out, I took to kitchen work like a fish to water. I enjoyed everything about it: the controlled chaos of a busy dinner rush, the creative expression of food, and the cleanliness and order of a (good) restaurant and I couldn't get enough. I read and watched everything I could …show more content…
In that sense, you need business sense and soft skills just as much as knowledge about food. Mitch completed a culinary degree at the Culinary Institute of America and then went on to do accounting and management certificate programs at Brown University. He also told me that it's all about whom you work for. He said he "has gone to great lengths to work with the best. Even if it's just for a day you can learn so much by seeking out and observing the best."
The highlight of the interview for me was talking about future trends. Mitch sees labor as a big challenge in the future. He said he sees the pool of talented cooks shrinking and rising wages a huge challenge, especially for independent operators.
In conclusion, I have committed to this career. I have great technical experience and I am at CCRI to gain a business
I like to think that I didn't choose my career my career chose me. About twelve years ago I was desperate for a job and I took a position as a dishwasher at a Hilton hotel. As it turned out, I took to kitchen work like a fish to water. I enjoyed everything about it: the controlled chaos of a busy dinner rush, the creative expression of food, and the cleanliness and order of a (good) restaurant and I couldn't get enough. I read and watched everything I could …show more content…
In that sense, you need business sense and soft skills just as much as knowledge about food. Mitch completed a culinary degree at the Culinary Institute of America and then went on to do accounting and management certificate programs at Brown University. He also told me that it's all about whom you work for. He said he "has gone to great lengths to work with the best. Even if it's just for a day you can learn so much by seeking out and observing the best."
The highlight of the interview for me was talking about future trends. Mitch sees labor as a big challenge in the future. He said he sees the pool of talented cooks shrinking and rising wages a huge challenge, especially for independent operators.
In conclusion, I have committed to this career. I have great technical experience and I am at CCRI to gain a business