04/14/2021
Basic Food Prep
The kitchen staff arrives early to organize the kitchen and do food prep to streamline cooking and meal presentation, including washing, peeling, and cutting fruits and vegetables; mixing ingredients for dishes; and cutting and seasoning meats.
Meal Presentation
The kitchen staff organizes customers’ plates before the waitstaff—or sometimes even the kitchen staff—bring the final product to the customer. They have a working knowledge of the day’s meals and menus and understand what each dish calls for before delivery.
Stock Kitchen and Storeroom
The kitchen staff works with management and head cooks to receive, stack, and properly store food in kitchens, cold storage, and storerooms. They transfer food and supplies to the kitchen as needed.
Cleaning Duties
The kitchen staff is responsible for ensuring all areas of the kitchen, food prep, and food storage areas are clean and properly sanitized. This includes washing dishes and cooking equipment, cleaning floors, sanitizing countertops and cutting boards, and maintaining all areas to health code standards.
Kitchen Setup and Breakdown
If they are the first to arrive, the kitchen staff turns on the lights and grills, starts kitchen prep work, and prepares the kitchen and customer areas for service. When they’re the last to leave, the kitchen staff puts food and dishes away, cleans and mops the floors, and turns off all ovens, stoves, and other cooking equipment.