5 Myths of the Foodservice Industry
Are you struggling to find new staff to work at your venue? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many restaurant and café managers across the country have been battling staff shortages across a busy summer period. This is due in big part to the impact of the coronavirus on migrant workers, but there’s hope that more home-grown talent will step up and join the industry.
Trying to convince friends to get on board can be tough though, what with the lingering effects of COVID-19 still impacting much of the workplace, and less security than some other professions. What won’t help with your proposal are some of the problems that were present prior to the pandemic like wage theft and staff mental health. These are all valid negatives for anyone choosing a career in foodservice. However, there are a few myths surrounding the industry that people need to be aware of before turning down the career path.
1) It is a dead-end job.
People outside the hospo bubble will try to tell you that there’s no career path in foodservice outside of owning your own business. This is simply not the case. Sure, the ultimate goal for many chefs, floor staff and managers is to open their own place. But there’s a variety of other directions that you can take with your skills.
Chefs can move into professions like food styling or consultancy, while if you’re a gun bartender who knows his liquor, a role in sales could be for you!
2) You’re either back of house, or front of house, not both.
Many people in foodservice have always had aspirations to be an incredible chef, a wizard on the bar or an artist on the coffee machine specifically. While others are a little more indecisive.
Thankfully for these people it’s not impossible to switch between both, and gives great perspective as to how the business operates as a whole. The benefit of being an all-rounder is that you know precisely what everyone’s role is and the challenges they might face. A lot of cafes and diners allow servers to dabble both in the prep and service side of things.
3) “The customer is always right.”
This is one of the oldest sayings in foodservice, so maybe it’s a little outdated. And although customer satisfaction should be a top priority, this statement still misses the mark a fraction.
Hospitality professionals, and especially servers, are sometimes faced with delicate situations involving a customer complaint. There are some great ways to deal with this but agreeing with someone who is clearly wrong will create nothing but more confusion.
4) The workforce is being replaced by robots and QR codes.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, it’s fair to say almost all industries leaned into the tech side of their business. For foodservice, the introduction of QR codes on tables and intricate booking systems has allowed for businesses to remain operational with a level of confidence knowing all are safe. Now that it has been integrated into service, it’s likely to remain and even develop further.
However, a huge reason why consumers choose to dine is due to the experience. Venues have evolved tremendously over the past decade, to where we now have some unique and immersive experiences. Server interaction will always be a big part of this.
5) “I’m worried that I’m going to eat all of the food and put-on weight!”
As one of the many perks of the job, this should be the least of your concerns! Free food is a great incentive for workers in foodservice, and something you should take full advantage of. But if you’re concerned about being unable to refuse all of the beautiful food that you’re surrounded by, don’t be. In most cases the novelty wears off quickly.
Plus, you’re in for a grilling from the head chef if you’re caught picking at chips!
We hope that this can clear the air on some of foodservice’s notable myths. But have we missed anything? If so, be sure to let us know about it on the Riviana Foodservice Facebook page!