When to set a bar for a career title? Career Advice

[o'rly]

I am asking for advice on when to set a bar for a job and when enough is enough.  First off I do not believe in titles in the kitchen.  I scrub, do pots and pans, sweep, mop, put deliveries away, sign checks, do the schedule, enforce operating procedures, educate cooks, manage the kitchen, and there is nothing I do not do, even for front of the house operations.  I write menus, I design beautiful plates, I do food cost to the T. I open & close. I am a chef de cuisine?

 

I am not the chef/owner of the establishment, nor do I receive any accommodation to any representation of the work I do, but writing menus and giving my ideas for someone else to be using and taking credit for all while prepping all the fine touches and going over every station meticulously to be of great standards is driving me insane, almost literally.

 

I am asking for any advice on a career move with or without this situation.  I want to save money and build my own empire, and am writing my ideal business model, but I am just not there yet.  May I ask for advice on a salary of what to expect if you were to put out fine dining 12 course menus, catering and a volume restaurant of $4,000,0000/annually?  I am currently $20,000 below the average in my general area for my position and we are now one of the best restaurants in the city. How do I even ask for an amount that large to bring me up to par with my colleagues in a similar standard of living?

 

I am thinking about stepping down into just a bread/pastry and small prep position in the same restaurant for the same pay to conserve my own ideas and inspirations for my future endeavors of opening my own restaurant and not give anymore menus to this chef that cannot come up with something other than hotel banquet food. My hours would be 55-65 hours a week compared to 100-120 a week now. I am not sure if there would be resentment in the ranks (high and low).

 

I have a year left in the city I am in and then I MAY be moving on with my wife's career. Looking for advice in the mean time from professionals that may have been in a similar situation.  Thank you

 

 

 

 

[gfweb]

I'm not in The Business, but I am in business and have been in a version of your position myself.

 

A title wouldn't cost them anything and would travel well when you leave in a year.  It might even pay back the salary you are missing now on your next job.

 

Asking for a raise never hurts but you have to be ready to either accept "no" happily or leave. Thus its best to have your next job lined-up before asking for the raise.

[JeanneCake]

I also think you need to include what you've brought to the table (literally).  Were they one of the best restaurants when you started?  But they are now.  What were the annual sales before you arrived and what are they now?  How much of that is a result of your efforts in creating new menus, etc.   You have to be able to tell them you were responsible for bringing in that additional revenue, or for the cost savings that is helping their bottom line.  If you can quantify that to the bean counters, they will either agree and give you some $ or they will not agree and you have to decide do you stay or do you go.

 

Get the title at least, because it will travel well, as gfweb says.

[o'rly]

Thanks for both of your replies.  It helps to have insight when dealing with the stress of making a decision like this from other professionals. I went head on to the boss, sat down and brought my hours down to 60-70 and have a pay grade increase coming soon.  I have a system in place for the rest of the crew including the owner and their exact responsibilities so it's more manageable across the board.  I'm still looking at moving but have an idea in the back of my head as to what I am going to be doing if that does not happen.  Anyways, thanks ya'll.