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Why does nobody talk about the burnout from working open kitchens?
I spent 2 years on the line at a place called The Rusty Spoon in Portland, and the whole "transparent cooking" thing is overrated. Customers staring at you while you struggle through a 300-cover Saturday night adds this weird pressure that nobody warns you about. I moved to a spot with a closed kitchen last month and my stress level dropped by half. Has anyone else made that switch and noticed the difference?
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the_miles8d ago
Transparent cooking" is just another example of how everything these days has to be an open stage for people to watch you fail.
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lucas1658d ago
That 300-cover Saturday night flashback just gave me chills. I did 18 months at a place in Austin called Suerte with an open kitchen and the anxiety never went away. The way customers would watch you plate a dish and then immediately judge it with their face before even tasting it. I moved to a kitchen with a wall between us and the dining room about six months ago and it feels like I can breathe again. The lack of that constant eye contact makes the whole shift flow way smoother, you know? Are you finding it easier to focus on the actual cooking now that nobody is watching your every move?
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