Chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving supervisors oversee the
daily food service operation of a restaurant or other food service
establishment. Chefs and head cooks are usually responsible for
directing cooks in the kitchen, dealing with food-related concerns, and
providing leadership. They are also the most skilled cooks in the kitchen
and use their creativity and knowledge of food to develop and prepare
recipes.
Work hours in restaurants may include early mornings, late evenings,
holidays, and weekends. Schedules for those working in offices, factories
and school cafeterias may be more regular. In fine-dining restaurants, work
schedules tend to be longer because of the time required to prepare
ingredients in advance. Many executive chefs regularly work 12-hour days
because they oversee the delivery of foodstuffs early in the day, plan the
menu, and prepare those menu items that require the most skill. Depending
upon the days of operation, some chefs or other supervisors may take less
busy days off to offset the longer hours on other days.
Employment of chefs, head cooks, and food preparation and serving
supervisors is expected to increase by 6 percent over the 2008-18 decade,
which is more slowly than the average for all occupations. Growth will be
generated by increases in population, a growing variety of dining venues,
and continued demand for convenience. As more people opt for the time-saving
ease of letting others do the cooking, the need for workers to oversee food
preparation and serving will increase.
