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Ethan Munford

Sharolyn Richards

ENGL 1233

5/2/2024

Culinary Worker Shortages

In the culinary industry, there is a need for more culinary workers. Chefs and kitchen

staff are crucial for creating delicious meals, but many restaurants need help finding and

keeping them. This shortage is becoming more extensive as dining expectations rise and the

demand for quality food grows. It's causing problems like high turnover rates and challenges in

finding new talent. Understanding why this shortage is happening and how to fix it is crucial for

keeping culinary culture alive and thriving. There is a growing love for diverse cuisines, which

has led to a rise in food culture and an increasing demand for quality dining experiences. Now,

there is a high need for more individuals to join the culinary industry as chefs, but how do

restaurants combat the burdensome balance of keeping prices low for the consumer while

producing quality food and enticing quality chefs? Is the quality of the cuisine and reputation of

the restaurant enough to keep customers coming back?

New York has been suffering from the lack of labor, as seen in Jennifer Dillon's Food

Network Fallout. Jennifer explains, "There is a desperate shortage of line cooks and kitchen

staff in restaurants all over the world. In New York City, kitchens are running with as little as

50% of staff capacity, due to a lack of people, qualified (defined as certified or skilled) or not,

willing to work in restaurant kitchens, so chefs are forced to simplify their menus." (Dillon IV).

Restaurants are unable to keep their current menus because they need more staff to make those

meals efficiently while maintaining the quality of the food. With fewer employees, they can
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produce only so manyless menu items. Restaurants are experiencing a shortage of workers

because of low wages, limited benefits, and challenging working conditions, which have

prevented workers from entering or remaining in the field. The COVID pandemic highlighted

these issues when many workers were required to stay home, and many didn't return to their

former jobs.

Another issue is that current immigration policies have affected restaurants in several

ways. "In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in vocational training in the industry, and

a growth in recruitment of migrant workers on temporary skilled visas being employed as chefs,

cooks and restaurant/café managers, and on student visas being employed in lower-skilled jobs...

However, visa sponsorship rates have diminished in recent years in part due to policy

restrictions." (Wright) One of the most significant impacts is the availability of immigrant

workers, who play crucial roles in the restaurant industry, particularly in positions such as chefs,

cooks, dishwashers, and servers. Restricting immigration can limit the number of

available workers for restaurants, which can make it difficult to fill open positions. Many

immigrants have unique culinary skills and cultural knowledge that improve the variety of

restaurant menus and dining experiences. Limiting immigration may reduce the talent from

culinary backgrounds, leading to fewer food options for consumers.

Furthermore, working in the culinary field has built a reputation for being strict and

unforgiving. The pressure to meet customer demands quickly and maintain quality standards can

lead to burnout among employees. Restaurants usually have long work hours, which can

include late evenings, weekends, and holidays, making it difficult for those with families or

people who have responsibilities outside of their work. In their book, Marjaana Bäckström

interviewed restaurant staff, "One interviewed stated that working pace has increased and
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number of staff decreased compared to what it was in 1980s. Others interviewed shared the

experience that work has become more chaotic and burdening". (Marjaana 5). Because

restaurant workers have low wages, they are prone to try and find well-paying jobs

outside of the culinary industry.as In the culinary field, there aren't many ways to develop a

career and that makes employees feel stagnated.

In Jennifer Dillon's book, she explains the Food Network Fallout. The Food Network

Fallout refers to the impact that the Food Network, a popular television channel dedicated to

food and cooking, has had on the culinary industry. While the Food Network has played

an important role in popularizing food culture, showcasing culinary talent, and inspiring home

cooks, it has also been criticized for its influence on the industry. Jennifer says in her book, "I

propose that much of this labor shortage is due to what I call the Food Network Fallout: the

televising of kitchens, which are in no way representative of actual restaurant kitchens, has so

twisted the expectations of students graduating from both workforce development programs and

from full-time from culinary schools that they are unwilling to do the backbreaking labor of

kitchen restaurant work." (Dillon 2). This is a valid proposition, and I agree that students are

looking for what they presume culinary education to be. Because most of what people know

about the culinary field usually comes from movies or, in this case, Food Network, people have

started to believe that all restaurants are filled with fast-paced and demanding work, thus

making them reluctant to start a career in the culinary field. On the other hand, they might see

the staged TV show as authentic and might be less interested in kitchens that have to start the

food prep from scratch.

Some things that employers could do to attract certified or skilled employees, or possibly

talented individuals, is to offer competitive wages and benefits, such as healthcare coverage,
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paid time off, and opportunities for advancement, which can make careers in the culinary field

more attractive to job seekers and increase the number of workers in the field. If there were

more training and education programs to help individuals acquire the skills and knowledge

required to excel in the culinary field, it would encourage more people to work in

restaurants. This would also create opportunities for on-the-job training, apprenticeships, and

culinary education programs at schools or community colleges. Offering flexible schedules can

help attract and retain employees in the culinary industry. Providing flexible schedules, offering

paid time off, and accommodating employees' personal needs can contribute to a more

supportive work environment. If restaurants created environments that were supportive rather

than demanding, they would see an increase in workers. On the other hand, if workers'

wages are increased, restaurants could raise the prices of their food to keep up with the money

they pay their employees. If restaurant prices rise, consumers will want to eat out less to save

money, making restaurants earn less money and possibly forcing them to go out of business.

Suppose working hours are more flexible in restaurants. In that case, there might be times when

the restaurants are understaffed, putting more strain on the employees currently working and

possibly ruining the reputation of the restaurant in the quality or speed that the food was made is

not up to standard because of the understaffed restaurant.

In conclusion, the shortage of culinary workers in the industry poses significant

challenges for restaurants and the broader culinary community. As highlighted throughout this

essay, factors such as low wages, challenging working conditions, and immigration policies

have contributed to this pressing issue. However, by recognizing the importance of attracting

and retaining culinary talent, implementing competitive wages and benefits, and investing in

training and education programs, the industry can work towards sustainable solutions.
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Stakeholders in the culinary field must come together to address these challenges and support

the growth and vitality of the industry. By doing so, we can ensure that culinary culture

continues to thrive and that future generations of chefs and kitchen staff are inspired to pursue

careers in this dynamic and rewarding field.

"Restaurants, as a part of the cultural life of a city, offer sacred places where one can

enjoy dining and communication along with experiencing many other things. In addition to

responding to the impacts of globalization, restaurant businesses are also indicators of

tendencies, trends and shifts in cultural taste, social behaviors and habits of people."(Current

Trends) We need to hold on to those traditions and support the places we go to gather and enjoy

the community by supporting our culinary workers and restaurants.

Work Cited Page

Dillon, Jennifer M. Food Network Fallout. City University of New York, 2018,

https://doi.org/https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?

article=3637&context=gc_etds. (Dillon)

Marjaana, Bäckström. Reasons to Change Field of Work and Leave Restaurant

Industry. JyväSkylä: JAMK University of Applied Sciences, 2021,

https://doi.org/https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/502426/Opinn

%C3%A4ytety%C3%B6_B%C3%A4ckstr%C3%B6m_Marjaana_MFA9S1.pdf?

sequence=2. (Marjaana)

A Conceptual Assessment of Current Trends in the Restaurant Industry Accompanied with

Future Forecasts. Batman University, 2021,

https://doi.org/https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2086289. (Current

Trends)

Wright, Chris F. "Short-term Fix or Remedy for Market Failure? Immigration Policy As a

Distinct Source of Skills." Industrial Relations Journal, 2023,

https://doi.org/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/irj.12412. (Wright)