It’s hard to work in a restaurant and not become a cynic. I mean, have you seen Kitchen Nightmares? Owners doing drugs on the premises; stealing their own stock from business partners and family members; taking tips from hardworking staff to stuff their own pockets; chefs having to pay suppliers themselves as accounts are closed; customers bringing their own bells for when they need the server’s attention; bailiffs appearing on the premises… The list goes on. I’m not saying every establishment is toxic. Just that you never know what’s happening behind the counter. However, there’s a perfect place to learn — a subreddit called r/KitchenConfidential. It has 378k members, constantly making honest and funny posts about the industry, and they paint quite the picture!

#1 Every Freakin Time! At My House Anyway

Image credits: El_Pichi808

#2 Promoted A Dishwasher To Prep Cook, She Worked Her Ass Off, Promoted Her To Line Cook, Continued To Crush It. Tomorrow I’m Giving Her, Her First Knife Of Her Own For Her Hard Work

Image credits: redleader5ive

As you can tell from the pictures, working in a restaurant can be really demanding. But nowadays, the whole industry is stressed. And it’s mostly due to the pandemic.

The National Restaurant Association said restaurant and food-service sales were $240 billion below its 2020 pre-covid forecasts. Over 110,000 eating and drinking establishments closed last year, either temporarily or for good. The association hopes 2021 will be a year of rebuilding, with trends like off-premise dining and delivery continuing to gain importance as consumer preferences shift.

The report, which surveyed 6,000 operators and 1,000 adults, said restaurant and food-service sales came in at $659 billion last year — that’s $240 billion lower than its pre-pandemic projections for the year of $899 billion in total sales.

#3 Yes Please

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#4 Lost My Job As A Receptionist Due To Covid And Got A Job As A Dishwasher To Make Ends Meet

Today, during rush hour, the chef guided me into making these because he was swamped. I know it’s not much, but I’m proud. I’ve discovered a passion. He’s helping me pick out a government culinary school.

Image credits: Phoenix_girl1911

#5 Felt This

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“If one looks at the industry in terms of actual sales volume level at the end of 2020, it was down at 2014 levels. In other words, the industry has been set back six years of sales growth,” Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association, said as the trade group released its annual analysis.

But there has been a silver lining. Riehle noted that the Covid crisis prompted operators to get creative with new forays into technology and delivery, and many are hoping the second half of 2021 will bring an opportunity for a rebound as consumers have missed dining out.

#6 Some Meals Are More Hateful Than Others

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#7 7 Months Ago I Quit My S**tty Fast Food Job To Wash Dishes In The Local Steakhouse. Today They Put Me On Salads. Dreams Do Come True

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#8 Ain’t It?

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#9 This Made It So Much Easier To Cook For This Customer

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“It’s important to think of 2021 as the year of transition,” he said. “Recovery for the industry will definitely take time.”

The group is projecting a bounce back in food and beverage sales in 2021 to $731.5 billion, still far below where things stood before Covid hit the industry.

#10 I Stole This Picture For Karma

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#11 Or They’re A Benedict Arnold

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#12 Karen Brings Her Own Bell For When She Needs Her Servers Attention

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#13 How Do You Really Feel?

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However, consumers continue to embrace takeout and delivery and the delta variant threatens to make dining in less of an option. So struggling establishments are transforming into pop-up restaurants.

They can take a variety of forms, from a ramen maker appearing for one night only at an established bar to a taco maker on a street corner. Cheaper to operate than regular restaurants because they have less overhead and staffing costs, pop-ups allow chefs and owners to keep working and making a living during the early part of the pandemic when dining rooms were closed and the economy was teetering — they’ve helped bring buzz to existing restaurants that host them. And some have even morphed into permanent new businesses.

#14 Shots Have Been Fired

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#15 Chef Cut Himself So Badly Yesterday He Had To Go To The Hospital And Take The Day Off. We Set Up His Station This Morning With His Safety In Mind

Image credits: MuscleMilkHotel

#16 My Dad Just Sent This To Me Asking “Is This True?”

This picture really hit home with me.

I cook over 1k plates a week for people to enjoy dinner with their families and friends. And this is how i usually eat dinner. Like this or hunched over a garbage can. So if you have a chef in your life keep this picture in mind and maybe cook them a meal, sit down with them and have a nice dinner. Something like this may seem small to others but it means a lot to people like us.

Image credits: geeetaylor

#17 New Kid Said He Wanted Some More Hours, Told Him To Go Clean The Grill. I Did Not Expect This When I Walked Back Over There…. Kids Gonna Get Some More Hours

Image credits: Shaggy2ropes

The flexibility of the take-out and delivery options helped Alex Thaboua meet those challenges. Thaboua is co-owner of Electric Burrito, which began as a pop-up at Mister Paradise bar in New York in 2020. A permanent location opened in May and is focused on take-out and delivery, so even if there is another lockdown, the restaurant will be able to operate, he said.

#18 Everyone Pitched In To Buy A Nice Knife For Him. He Always Gives It His All And Is The Sweetest Person!

Image credits: MrBuhgles

#19 Anthony Bourdain Stopped By My Mom’s Kitchen While Filming When I Was A Kid. She Mentioned That We Tried To Go To His Book Signing The Night Before But Couldn’t. So He Grabbed An Envelope Out Of The Trash And Signed It For Me

Image credits: MisforMayonnaise

#20 Preach!

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#21 Does It Need A Title?

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“This flexibility was something we found very important during our pop-up stages, when the world was getting locked down and heavy restrictions were being placed on businesses,” he told Associated Press. “We’ve designed our operations in a way that we can continue to operate with a lean team, with every safety precaution taken, to be able to serve guests in both a to-go and delivery capacity.”

It’s places like this that help keep your mood positive.

#22 All Restaurants Should Do This, Almost Makes Me Want To Ask For An Application. 8 Upvotes And I’ll Buy Boh A Drink

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#23 Always Remember Where You Came From. 9 Years Ago On My First Day In The Kitchen As A Dishwasher vs. Where I Am Today. Never Underestimate Yourself

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#24 Watching My Online Graduation During Prep, Hopefully They Read My Name Before Service Starts

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#25 Restaurant Food Is Low Risk For Transmitting Covid-19

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#26 Can I Do My Prep In The Walk-N?

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#27 Do You Guys Have Banned Music?

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#28 Covid Crying

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#29 Sodium Chloride

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#30 I Mean He Ain’t Wrong

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#31 Truth

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#32 Thank You For Your Service

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#33 I Love Seeing Signs Of Restaurants Not Opening Because They Won’t Pay

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#34 Sorry Chef

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#35 Good Luck To All Of Our Kitchen Comrades Who Have To Work Tonight/Tomorrow Night In The USA

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#36 I Love Our Customers

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#37 Wonderful Weather We’re Having Huh?

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#38 Happy Birthday!!!!

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#39 Am I Wrong Tho?

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#40 I Mean

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#41 Friend Sent Me This, Thought Of You Boys. Wash Ya Damn Hands And Stay Safe Out There

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#42 Better Than A High School Reunion

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#43 Triggered

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#44 My Mouth Dropped When I Read This. Every Resturant Should Do This. [veggie Galaxy In Boston]

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#45 Every Damn Time…

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#46 Currently Work In It, Worked As A Line Cook For Years. This Similarity Occured To Me The Other Day

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#47 Well It’s Official, We Cut Ourselves On The Same Day So Now We’re Married By Kitchen Law

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#48 Closed At 10, And Then This Happens

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#49 What’s Your State Or Regional Garbage Food That’s Great? Here’s Mine

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#50 Polishing Myself With A Towel When I Get Out And Rolling Myself Up In My Bed

Image credits: PoPJaY

Source: boredpanda.com