My station caught fire during Friday dinner rush and I kept going

I was working sauté at this busy spot in Austin last month. A pan of clarified butter got too hot and flared up on the flat top. Instead of yelling for help or stopping service I just slid the pan into the sink and grabbed another one. Kept plating for the next 45 minutes before I even told the chef. He was pissed I didn't call him over but we only had one ticket late and nobody sent food back. Am I the only one who thinks sometimes you just handle it quiet instead of making a scene?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryanj603d ago

Man I feel you on this one. There's something about the dinner rush that kicks in and you just go on autopilot, handling problems as they come without making it a whole thing. Your chef being ticked makes sense from his side but honestly, keeping the line moving and the food going out hot is what matters most in that moment.

fiona3303d ago

Tbh that's funny because I used to be the opposite. I always thought you had to stop everything and fix a problem the second it came up, even if it meant slowing down the whole line. But after reading what @ryanj60 said about the dinner rush autopilot habit, I'm kind of rethinking that now. Honestly it makes sense that keeping the food moving is the bigger priority in that moment, and you can deal with the details when things calm down. Ngl that's a solid way to look at it.