20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually arrive an hour or two before service to inspect supplies, check equipment, and review the day’s production schedule. That’s when you train staff, assign stations, and confirm menu items and portioning for lunch or dinner.
During service you oversee daily food preparation, check quality of cooked food, coordinate plating and timely food service, handle customer food feedback, and record production data into systems like Microsoft Excel or ChefTec.
You’ll often use ChefTec (Culinary Software Services) or CostGuard to build recipes, set portion costs, and assign prices based on food, labor, and overhead. Many kitchens export those numbers into Microsoft Excel for reports.
For nutrition labeling some kitchens use Nutritionist Pro (Axxya Systems). Payroll or scheduling ties to ADP eTIME; front-of-house updates may appear on Facebook for specials.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025, about 200,040 people work as chefs. The median pay is $62,470 per year, the lowest tenth earn about $37,900, and the top tenth earn around $98,560.
Pay depends on venue (hotel, restaurant, catering), city, and responsibilities like budgeting and managing large staff. BLS is the source for these national numbers.
You can start as a line cook and learn on the job while working toward chef duties. Many chefs rise by mastering daily food preparation, sanitation, and culinary finishing techniques under a head chef.
Formal culinary school helps with menu planning, cost analysis, and food safety certificates, but employers also value proven skills in managing staff, ordering supplies, and meeting production schedules.
A chef (head chef or executive chef) plans menus, sets prices, handles budgets, negotiates with suppliers, and makes final quality checks. They decide production schedules and staff requirements.
A sous chef is usually the second-in-command, supervising daily food preparation and sanitation when the chef isn’t present. A kitchen manager may focus more on ordering, inventory, and recording operational data in systems like CookenPro or Excel.
Yes, AI can speed tasks like generating menu ideas or estimating ingredient lists, but you must verify outputs against real costs and food-safety rules. Always cross-check AI recipe proportions and allergen info with your own tests and Nutritionist Pro if you use nutrition software.
Never rely solely on AI for pricing, scheduling, or sanitation plans. Use CostGuard or ChefTec numbers, taste tests, and staff feedback before changing a dish or menu price.
The clearest, non-negotiable skill is consistent quality control: checking raw and cooked food, plating, and finish techniques so every guest receives the same product. That skill affects customer service, waste, and costs directly.
This ties to managing staff, training, inspecting work areas, and using systems like Excel or ChefTec to record production data and reduce errors.