One thing I have always said to young people who ask me about getting into the Industry is that you can always find work. I have made some decent money at times and during some of the harder times I've had I have still been able to get some kind of cooking job and "bring home some bacon". Some of those jobs have not been pretty but I have managed to raise a family and live a comfortable life (home,car,play some golf). I currently make 40k a year have 4 weeks off/yr. and work a 4 day week...semi-retirement for a Chef. It is very hard at times for a restaurant to make money and afford to pay top dollars but those are not the culprits who make my blood boil. It is the high-end restaurants's and hotels where the Chefs pull a good wage and do not compensate the staff who work hard making that Chef look good. During my apprenticeship many students would take jobs in high end places for low wages so they could have it on their resume. These places turn those cooks over constintly. Never paying decent wages. I have spent some years on the floor as well as in the kitchen and know the frustration of cooks making lower wages seeing Servers make at times some very good money. But this is a tough topic as well. I have many friends who have paid for their educations while serving. They could not do this paying full taxes on this money but how come I have to pay taxes on every dollar I make in the Kitchen?
