Restaurant Chefs

A chef, in essence, is a craftsman, an artisan, and a leader. Roughly 100,000 chefs and head cooks work in an industry with approximately 1 million food service establishments in the United States. A restaurant chef is generally the head cook who plans menus and prepares meals. While cooking is the core competency of a chef, the required skills and knowledge for the position range widely. Chefs and head cooks acquire their knowledge and skills through a combination of work experience, on-the-job training, apprenticeship, and formal culinary schooling. All chefs are cooks, but not every cook is a chef, which implies a greater depth of experience, business knowledge, and authority. Chefs also work in an environment quite different from other professions, with a host of ...