Planting the Roots of Culture in a Ragged Industry

by Allen Plemmons

Opinions expressed in this articles do not necessarily represent the point of view of Best Served. In furtherance of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing varied thinking throughout the industry.

The year was 2017, I was working on my eighth double in a row. Halfway through the lunch rush, the head chef gets a call from the grill cook. He was running a 103-degree temp, drench in cold sweats, and was on the way to a hospital. Chef Jerry starts tearing the grill cook from limb to limb over the phone screaming at him that if he doesn't come in tonight, he won’t have a job anymore. Chef Jerry gets off the phone and informed all the cooks that we will be running a man short tonight. At the same time, he decides to leave after lunch to golf and take the night off.

This type of situation sums up what the typical culture is like in kitchens and in restaurants in general, until recently. When Covid-19 started I was promoted to the head chef position in March of 2020. This was the perfect to prove that I can be successful and still take care of my employees. The owners of this brand-new establishment were on board with the new direction. We hired our staff and been paying everyone well above livable wages, included health insurance, paid time off, maternity leave, and other benefits. We promote positive mental health and have systems implemented to help our employees with their own mental health. Four-day work week, the ability to be heard, to be creative, and truly be a part of a team. During the pandemic we have a 2% turnover, turned profits in 7 months of opening and most importantly, our staff is happy and healthy.

Now is the time for restaurants to recreate themselves. Covid has forced us to change so much as an industry. There are new rules and responsibilities. The time of 20-hour days, being treated as a pawn are behind. This is the only way this industry will survive I believe. The old brigade is broken and fumbling to pick up the pieces. More and more chefs are taking up arms in changing the culture, to be a more stable workplace. It’s not an easy battle, habits are hard to break, but it is possible. We are the proof. For the sake of trying something new, we as culinarians need to realize we are part of the problem. It's time to change our behavior and in turn make the industry better, more welcoming for the younger generation. If we don't, this industry will die with us.

Allen Plemmons is an entrepreneur, chef, advocate for reducing food waste, and leader by example with changing the industry stereotypes. He grew up in rural Missouri, grew up in kitchens and fell in love immediately. He went through all the old school kitchens and promised himself that when the time came, he would be one of the people to push for change in the industry. Allen worked as a personal chef before Covid and took a head chef job after all his events were cancelled for 2020. Everything happens for a reason, so he decided to make the best of it.