- 1). Get an education. Although it is not a must to go to a school to learn how to cook and be a chef, it is requirement that may get your foot in the door when it comes to job hunting. Furthermore, if you want to be a chef and own your restaurant, you would need to couple the Culinary studies with Hotel & Restaurant Management courses. In school you will not only learn how to cook, everything you learned at home will be scrapped. In school you will learn the art of cooking, from cutting, slicing, to the actual cooking and designing the plate with food to appeal the palate.
- 2). Get loads of experience. Education is just the start. After you graduate, you will need to get experience. You can start by working as an apprentice in hotels or restaurants. You may be asked to clean up the mess or mop the floor in the kitchen, then you will slowly graduate to food preparation.
- 3). Be able to clean and prepare the food. You will be asked to cut or slice vegetables and meats, clean and peel boxes of potatoes and asparagus, doing this with precision like a well-oiled machine while standing for long hours.
- 4). Be able to prepare appetizers, soups, salads as well as desserts. This position is called the "garde manger." Once you pass this level, you may be moved up to the line where you will be cooking items.
- 5). Be able to cook. In some huge restaurants like those in big hotels, there are separate cooking divisions or responsibilities. The areas of assignments may be separated into grill cook, saute cook or baker, or areas may be divided into the type of food being cooked, such as meat cook, seafood cook and so on. Where and for how long you will stay on your responsibility depends on how well you perform your job.
- 6). Be able to work long hours. Being a chef is not a 9 to 5 job. Prepare for working 50 hours a week, including split shifts, weekends and holidays.
- 7). Be able to endure the grueling work. When you are a line cook, it is a grueling job. At times all you do is cook with hardly any time for breaks, especially when there are huge gatherings or the restaurant is packed with customers.
- 8). Be able to make it to a sous chef. A sous chef is a high rank, right next to the executive chef. Once you are promoted to a sous chef, you will be paid higher than the line cooks. You will also have the responsibility of ensuring that everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. A lot of responsibilities and long hours are part of a sous chef's day-to-day existence.
- 9). Become an executive chef. When you become an executive chef, you are the top chef. Not everyone who goes to school becomes an executive chef. You need talent and a little bit of luck to be a head chef. Therefore, a lot people who graduate from culinary academies also take hotel and restaurant management jobs in order to be the head chef of their own establishment. Most of the graduates just take the experience up to line cooks, learning the ropes and then opening their own restaurants and becoming the head chef.
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Open a restaurant. You would need money or investment capital to open a restaurant. You can borrow from the bank that provides SBA (Small Business Administration) loans, or you can borrow from your family and friends. You can also ask them to invest in your restaurant, then pay them as you make enough money. Write a business proposal that you will present to the lenders in order to successfully get approved for a loan. This proposal will include how much you would need to build or rent a place, renovate and purchase the appliances, tables, chairs, linens, cook wares, plates, cups, saucers, bowls and anything that you would need to run the restaurant. You should also factor in the budget plan the food supplies, utilities, and the staffing. Then show them how much money you envision earning. - 11
Register your business and get a license to run a restaurant. - 12
Find a venue. Location is one of the keys to ensure that you have a successful restaurant. Find a spot where there is a lot of foot traffic both on weekdays and weekends. If you are purchasing or leasing an already built restaurant, it may be more economical. But if you build from ground up, you would need to add to your budget the price of the lot and hiring an architect and contractors. - 13
Purchase the materials you need to run your restaurant. Buy appliances that are commercial grades so that they last longer. They may cost more, but they will pay off in the long run. Buy the place settings, tables, linens, chairs and anything you would need to serve food and ensure people are comfortable. - 14
Make a list of foods you will serve and put them on a nice menu. - 15
Stock up on food as you get closer to opening day. - 16
Get a liquor license. If you plan to serve alcoholic beverages, you should get a license to be able to do so. - 17
Pass inspections. This is not only for the building and electrical inspections, but the food and health inspections as well. In other words, you have to show that your place is clean and free from rodents and offensive odor. Your stored food and drinks should be maintained in the proper temperature. Your restrooms should have a sign or reminder to cooks and waiters to wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet. Be ready for regular visits from the health inspector. Their job is to ensure that the public's health is not compromised. The inspection certificate of passing must be posted in your office or anywhere in the restaurant that is visible for future inspections. - 18
Open your door to the public. Once you have done all the prep work and passed the inspections, got the necessary licenses, hired the staff and trained them, you are now ready for business. Ensure that you always give excellent quality of food, and introduce yourself to your customers when you get the chance.
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