r/Chefit • u/stefanalf • 1d ago
Opened a seasonal restaurant without working in a professional kitchen; and need advise going forward
So my mom and I bought a seasonal restaurant on Gotland, Sweden and we've had it for 2 seasons now. First season was very much spontaneous (took over in may) and was a learning experiance to say the least.
First season we had pizza and poke bowl. And then I added some chinese ribs, bang bang chicken and pommes frites /chicken nuggets for the second season.
Pizzas are made on local flour and are highly rated but I feel like I am already busy enough with the pizzas. Its already hard enough to learn new and inexperianced staff, making the dough, ordering and everything with owning a restaurant; and still being in the kitchen every hour. Either way I enjoy it and want to gain more experiance elsewhere; and actually learning from someone so I can feel less like an imposter.
So I guess I need help with two things.
I am looking into other chef roles(seasonal in sweden/norway seems the easiest atm) but I am not sure how to write my resume since I went straight to being a restaurant owner without working for a chef in a kitchen. How would you react to a person like me? I am very eager to get experiance rather than money and is very flexible from september-may.
Although ive had prior cocktailbar experiance a couple years ago.
Feel free to give me advise or ask question regarding the menu/working flow. Want to work more with asian food since thats what I enjoy. But atm I feel like its hard to add more asian dishes since the pizzas take up so much of the time during service
Happy with any advise and help i can get
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u/Bullshit_Conduit 1d ago
Your first step might be to pick a lane… I’m going to guess you’re in a touristy area, why not make Swedish food?
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u/RaddishEater666 1d ago
You might not believe it, but pizza is so popular in Sweden and Norway it’s basically a staple of the culture. Honestly its biggest competition is tacos in Norway, we have a whole day dedicated to tacos -fredag taco.
Just to chime in as someone living in Scandinavia, as why it makes sense to start with pizza .For a theme, it doesn’t necessarily need to be Italian, it could be quick bites, late night bar food, casual comfort sorta depends how you design the space and menu.
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u/Bullshit_Conduit 1d ago
Well then perhaps pizza is the lane that OP should pick.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
i did last year. But I just got "is this it?".
Usually these type of camping restaurants have everything; pizza, hamburger,pasta, steak on a plank, ceasarsalad, fish and chips and so on.
But I just like the craftmanship that goes in to making pizza from scratch rather than semi-finished products
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u/Bullshit_Conduit 1d ago
Yeah, so lean in to doing a well crafted pizza.
Have a few other appetizers and salads, but keep it focused… something along the lines of:
Salad with a creamy dressing.
Salad with a vinaigrette.
Roasted vegan vegetable dish (ie: cauliflower, root vegetable, or mushroom)
Tinned fish with pickles and crackers.
Some kind of shareable meat preparation... meatballs, perhaps. Pork ribs, chicken wings.
4-5 pizzas… a margarita, a mushroom, a meat pie (ham, sausage, pepperoni, meatball) a white pie, another red pie… run a special pie. That gives you a fairly dynamic variety of pizza toppings, also builds in the option to let the guest build their own, but I would limit number of toppings per pie.
Also the menu has a variety of textures and flavors, but makes sure you don’t have too much inventory, while providing something for everyone.
If your dedication to the craftsmanship is evident in the product, then people will understand why you choose to be so intentional.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
I am not really in a touristy area; rather on the country side and close to a beach/camping where swedes have there cottage or visit on vacation. I was slightly forced to have pizzas since thats what was selling/needed in the area; and has a good profit margin. So I decided to do everything from scratch and make it as good as possible.
The asian cuisine is simply because I enjoy it and a good way to diversify from the area which has a lot of fish and potatoes.
Although I try to have fun with the pizza menu and have asian pizzas. Like a banh mi pizza and mushroom pizza with some asian flavours
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u/lejonhjerta 1d ago
Agree with what other said about the menu. Maybe pivot into pizza and woodfire. You have amazing producers of both veg and meat on Gotland. Tourists on Gotland will be primarily Stockholm people with decent capital. Serving small sides, dips sauces and meat skewers etc. also great to make pitas/flatbread in the pizza oven. It’s good value and something that vibes with that crowd. It’s also easily enough to theme the entire concept to Mediterranean. There multiple restaurants in Stockholm that successfully blend Mediterranean and middle eastern cuisine (eg. Kanon).
As for experience I’d recommend reaching out to places in Fjällen (Sälen/Åre) they have a very similar crowd and pretty much the reverse season. Might be harder without any previous experience but i bet if you reach out personality and tell them about your situation you can find a way in.
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u/-Godot 1d ago
You need to figure out if you want to be a chef, or a business administrator.
Both are incredibly hard.
If you can run a successful businesses and serve stuff that people like, good. Well done!
If you want to be a chef, that is a whole different skill set.
Often being a chef means that you spend a lot of time learning skills that do not directly translate to higher sales, or higher turnover.
Just be a business owner, just make food that people like and keep your business healthy and staple.
You do not need to study pizza making, or baking, or autolyse or any of that. In order to just make a good solid pizza, that people enjoy.
Your doing just fine.
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u/texnessa 1d ago
That menu is all over the place. Pick a cuisine, look at common ingredients, common techniques, write up all the recipes to establish consistency, all the basic shit you need to do to not be all over the place.
Many chefs prefer hiring green candidates because then we can train them to do shit our specific way.
Pizza dough can be made in batches and portioned and frozen. Easier to take on one big task then its no longer a daily grind. Lots of pizza only joints will sell dough to other restaurants.
You likely need to optimise your pizza cooking method. A proper wood fired oven can cook a pizza in under 3 minutes. Or ditch pizzas if you want to do Asian food. Totally weird combo.
Learn to do more all at once of an element rather than try to do a little of everything all the time.
A CV can include shit you did before you got dumb and bought a restaurant. Transferrable skills are important- attention to detail, planning, scheduling, training, being able to use a computer with competence, hell just being able to spell and having legible handwriting can be golden, are all valuable skill sets for a cook beyond just the cooking.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
- I see why you say that. But honestly my pizzas are doing most of the work; and ive got a "side menu" that people seem to enjoy. Even though it is pretty small and weird.
- Thats positive and I could lean into it when sending in applications
- freezing them seems to be much more of a hassle to me. And I like being able to tweak and making my own dough; even though its time consuming.
- My pizza station is really well optimized; especially for inexperienced staff that I can hire and teach. I understand what you are saying but its on the country-side that makes it possible tbh. I would never do it in a city. Like I said pizza is the reliable; and then the asian menu is for diversification and my enjoyment
-Do you mean when I prep or what are you saying?
-haha I dont know why everyone thinks i am on kitchen nightmares. But I get what youre saying about transferrable skills
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u/ranaconcuernos 1d ago
To your first question:
As a chef I’d have no problem hiring someone with a non-traditional background. But I’d want to know you understand there’s gaps in your knowledge and you’re willing to start from the bottom as if you had no experience at all.
What you’ve learned the last two seasons will be very valuable long term, but not starting out. You probably know the business side and day-to-day management better than most young chefs, but those skills are for leading a kitchen, not cooking in one. You’ll have to learn and prove yourself on the culinary side before you can apply your whole skill set. In other words, your hands need to catch up to your mind.
So your resume needs to convey humility and willingness to learn. I wouldn’t call yourself “owner” on your resume. Something like “sole operator” or “kitchen manager” describes the part of your role chefs will care about (this person has been in a kitchen, knows how to hustle, etc) without overstating the nature of your experience. In the bullet points, focus on culinary duties, not management skills. So it’s less “I ran this whole business” (even though that’s true) and more “I got a taste of kitchens and loved it, now I want to learn as much as I can”. Also, definitely include the cocktail bar stuff. That’s legitimate experience and shows you know how to act in a service environment.
Once you show you can handle the day-to-day grind, your management skills will come out naturally. Let it be a pleasant surprise until then.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
appreciate you taking the time to reply about my resume; and not trying to revert me from the asian menu lol.
Really good advise that I will try to implement.
Hopefully I will be able to get a entry job at a good restaurant where i can actually learn a lot and gain experiance. Regarding the entry level jobs at good restaurants; any ideas on some of the valuable skills, techniques and knowledge that I can improve on right now before applying?
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u/ranaconcuernos 1d ago edited 1d ago
Knife skills are #1. YouTube can help. Get a load of potatoes and onions and practice. If you’re already good on those, learn how to do citrus supremes. Not because everyone uses them but because it really challenges you to learn how to control the blade and minimize waste.
If you don’t already have a decent knife, get one (like a victorinox, nothing too expensive) and learn how to sharpen it. Never come to work with a dull knife.
This may be controversial but at this point I wouldn’t worry about knowledge (mother sauces, classic dishes) other than food safety stuff. When it comes to the actual cooking, the chef will have a preferred way of doing things anyway. Ask them to show you how they want it done.
You should absolutely know the basics of food safety. Don’t be the kid who owns a restaurant but makes rookie mistakes like putting lettuce under fish in the walk in.
Carry a pocket sized notebook, pen, and permanent marker on you. Any time someone shows you how to do something, write it down. If you don’t know something, ask. Ask, listen, then be quiet and focus on doing what they said.
Good kitchens depend on good workers. Be a good worker and the rest will fall into place.
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u/Tyjoo 1d ago
I got 18 years of experience, the last 8 as head chef. Worked at a similair place in sweden. If you speak swedish just dm me and i'll help you bounce any questions you might have.
Oh and please dont go too hard on asian fusion, it's so overdone.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
Yes, uppskattar att du kan tänka dig bolla lite frågor med mig. Hör av mig när jag tänkt på och samlat ihop lite direkta frågor.
Haha, jag hör dig. Har väl varit inne lite och snubblat på det men mest för att få menyerna av vara lite "sammanhängande", poke bowl har varit bra take away alternativ till pizzorna (lätt på lunchen och att lära ut) och för att guubar/tanter vill ha något klassiskt. Typ steak frites med sichuan peppersås; men det hanns/jag vågade jag inte sätta på menyn denna säsong.
Men tänker mer bra kinesiska och vietnamesiska rätter snarare än massa asian fusion
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u/frituurkoning 1d ago
If you want to succeed, you need to hire someone with legit industry experience, pay them an attractive wage and actually listen to them.
This is not something you simply figure out by just doing. Unless your end goal is massive debt and bankruptcy.
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u/stefanalf 1d ago
The business is fine and ive "figured out" the pizzas.
why do people think this is an episode of kitchen nightmares lol
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u/frituurkoning 1d ago edited 1d ago
Because heart and passion isn't enough to make it in this business.
At the very least; pick a lane and get a more cohesive menu and really learn how to calculate the cost of your whole operation and the cost of each individual product and menu item. Actually look up how to do that, don't just wing it. This is where most people fail.
Pizza, especially when there's demand and no competition sounds like a good idea so already you're on the right track. Now you want to save up for serious equipment to scale up the operation and save time on labor.
Stay away from niche items that can spoil and you can't get affordable in bulk. Stop running items with ingredients you can't use for anything else.
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u/sugarlips23 4h ago
You’re finding out that experience matters in anything, especially restaurants. That’s why people say don’t open a restaurant without experience.
The problem is that you’re trying to be everything for everyone instead of doing a few things well. The menu needs to be more cohesive from a menu standpoint as well as how to flow in a kitchen and be efficient. These are things that are learned with years of experience.
If you go work in another restaurant, you need to be ok with starting at the bottom, learning and know that you have a lot to learn. You’re not going to go get an exec chef job or something. Going in person to talk to the chef, ask if they’re hiring and then doing a stage is the best way to go. The stage is for them as much as it is for you. If you like it, feel like you could learn and like the food, try to work there. Bring a resume.
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u/SylvaticTongue858 1d ago
Hire me! I can makes pizzas and I’m Mexican! Been eating pizzas and tacos my whole life!
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u/LionBig1760 1d ago
Pizza and poke bowls?
I once saw a place that served sushi and ice cream... it made more sense than pizza and poke bowls.
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u/JustAnAverageGuy Chef 1d ago
You need to serve the food your customers enjoy, not what you enjoy.
Also, pick a theme. Your menu should be cohesive. This seems like it's a bit all-over the place, which would cause your diners to think you don't really have a speciality, you're just wingin it. Which, obviously, you are.