Saturday, October 25, 2008

Compromise

Do great chefs/restaurateurs Compromise?

3 comments:

calcon said...

Wow, creepy. I have been facing this issue for the past two weeks. Do you compromise, if so to what extent and cost? For me the issue crosses into my personal life with regard to finances and employability. I feel that my new employer is running the restaurant as cheaply as possible (wages and equipment) and like a sports bar in an area that is not receptive to that. After being asked to create a drink menu and getting most of it ready to go, nothing was ordered and a menu was bastardized from the sister restaurant with heavy hitters like appletini, bols melon and Malibu based drinks. So now I am faced with being associated with these drinks or moving on. So I am at the point of keeping some integrity or moving on, unfortunately the mortgage company doesn’t take my integrity as payment, I know it is wrong and my morale and loyalty has and will continue to be compromised the longer I continue to work there. My opinion is that the compromise has to be weighed with relation to the following. Will it affect us financially? If so will it be short term but be a positive asset in the long term? (food quality/staff/sustainability/etc) Can this affect the reputation of me/restaurant? Will I regret the compromise and have my own morale suffer? That is what I factor in to decisions where a compromise is being push by outside forces. That is all I could remember, hope it isn't too long.

calcon said...

...but ideally, never!

Anonymous said...

Chef Yoder-
Your food is art on a plate: magical, inspired and pure. I ate at Thomas Keller's restaurants, and I must say I liked the meal at the Red Hen much better. Thank you! Please, never compromise.