About This Career

Directs and may participate in the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods. May plan and price menu items, order supplies, and keep records and accounts.

This career is part of the Hospitality and Tourism cluster Restaurants and Food/Beverage Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Monitors sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
• Checks the quality of raw or cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
• Determines production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.
• Checks the quantity and quality of received products.
• Supervises or coordinates activities of cooks or workers engaged in food preparation.
• Determines how food should be presented and creates decorative food displays.
• Analyzes recipes to assign prices to menu items, based on food, labor, and overhead costs.
• Instructs cooks or other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, or presentation of food.
• Prepares and cooks foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.
• Recruits and hires staff, such as cooks and other kitchen workers.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Weekend work