Ómós Digest #38: The dream has forgotten the employee.
The bottom line is restaurants need to become a great place to work.
Amid my investigations into diverse and often profound gastronomical subjects in the last few months, I have stumbled across an alarming number of articles surrounding toxic restaurant culture. I profess that these articles have proven to challenge me, questioning everything I know about leadership. The industry’s deep-rooted tolerance of erratic leadership styles for the sake of creative expression has been to the detriment of workers’ wellbeing.
“He’s brilliant and is living the realization of his dream in this restaurant, and in order for that dream to work effectively, there are casualties. The dream has forgotten the employee in a sense.’’
It all began in April 2021, when Julia Moskin of the NY Times broke the story on Willows Inn, a restaurant located on Lummi Island led by ex Noma chef, Blaine Wetzel. The title reads The Island Is Idyllic. As a Workplace, It’s Toxic. The article recounts how Wetzel not only deceived customers into believing the ingredients used were “locally foraged, fished and farmed” from the island, when really they could be traced to mainland farms and supermarket chains, but also his leadership failures among employees. Sexual harassment, wage theft, intimidation and verbal abuse including racist, sexist and homophobic slurs were reported at the inn. As I read through the pretty horrific accounts, with comprehensive descriptions of an abusive kitchen, sexual harassment and deception, my reaction was not one of shock, but relief. The stories I had heard from colleagues who had worked there were now in the public eye. The hidden life at Willows Inn had finally been revealed.
Then only last week, Vox Media’s food magazine, Eater LA, released a story on an equally creative restaurant Vespertine. The restaurant is headed by the incredibly gifted chef and owner, Jordan Kahn, who with his inventive and self-proclaimed ‘extroverted and introverted dishes’ has successfully captured the imagination of the food scene. Titled, A Soul-Crushing Work of Staggering Genius, journalist Cathy Chaplin shares the stories of 18 former employees who suffered from Kahn’s artistic expression. It states that Kahn’s “drive to create an immaculate, otherworldly experience resulted in a culture where workers’ physical limitations and emotional boundaries were pushed, even by the notoriously harsh standards of fine dining”. Staff recall how they were pushed to their mental and physical limits. They describe the sustained passive-aggressive treatment they received, the “weird punishments” and the snide remarks on appearance that the front of house endured during an unsettling pre-shift line-up in front of their peers. Then there’s the goatskin slippers and an expected level of silence throughout the restaurant. There’s no disputing the harmful effects that such incidents can have on a person’s mental and physical health but this article in particular recognises the other consequences.
“These workers felt that Kahn’s expectations, in aggregate, contributed to an environment where his creative genius took precedence over their physical and mental well-being, forcing them out of the restaurant after enduring burnout, emotional distress, or injury.”
Khan’s creativity and talent is undeniable. Following the article, I found myself examining videos of his restaurant and feeling inspired by the level of detail and skill attributed to his dishes: 18 dishes, many of which I had never seen before, served in dishware entirely unique to the restaurant. Despite feeling complete dissatisfaction towards Kahn's behaviour, I couldn’t help but respect the quality of his work, almost ashamedly taking notes on elements of his cooking. Is it possible to be inspired by someone whose morals you loathe?
Most recently at a private dinner I catered for, one of the diners at the table openly asked a staff member (a chef, long time friend and colleague) whether I was abusive to him. To quote, “does he ever give you a slap? A go’on he hits you doesn’t he?” The diner, now with the entire attention of the table, repeatedly taunted the chef throughout the meal. Clearly the situation was an uncomfortable one for both of us and really made me wonder what the customer was hoping to achieve. Was he lauding the behaviour of abusive kitchens and was it ‘scandal’ like this that excited him? In truth, seldom do chefs of notoriety take accountability of their accused actions. Now feels like the right time for me to attest that I don’t slap my co-worker! With each passing week, the aforementioned articles slip further and further down Google’s rankings, allowing the perpetrators to continually avoid punishment and continue their ways just as they once were. There is little consequence to such behaviour, but the impact is lifelong (not just for the victim). It has a knock-on effect on other staff members, affecting the restaurant’s culture, morale and reputation, not to mention reinforcing the industry’s long term stance of dismissing such conduct and viewing the standard as one to be expected.
While informative and undoubtedly successful in shedding light on the untold and often smothered accounts of mistreatment and abuse in our industry, these articles had me question the hope for fine dining and indeed my future in it. The issue is that seldom do these articles come up with solutions that will benefit the chefs and consequently the industry. Judging by the waiting lists in restaurants of chefs with reputable behavioural issues, one could question whether a large majority of the public aren’t bothered about this mistreatment. To echo the views of both Moskin and Chaplin, it’s evident that if the dream is an uncompromisable one, the dream is an unsustainable one. If the goal is to establish a thriving business with longevity, the only way forward is to nurture staff and ensure their wellbeing. The result will be an ever-developing environment where fulfilled staff will take pride and ownership in response to the care and respect they are attributed (emphasis on the word fulfilled).
Following conversations with industry peers, research from an array of resources such as Hospitality Speaks and podcasts like The 7shifts' Restaurant Growth Podcast) and learnings from past experiences, both good and bad, I commenced work on the Ómós Manifesto. It outlines some basic principles that I deem critical to the success of my future workplace, however that may look. The list amassed is personal and reflects only my opinions and thoughts - it’s a manifesto of my values that I wish to bring forward. At no point should it be taken as fact. I understand that no one one workplace is the same, however, I hope that this list can be of use to others. Similar to the foraging list, I aim to adapt and improve this manifesto over time.
Moving forward, improving the industry and setting a new standard that benefits all hospitality staff requires transparency and a collective effort, which is why I am sharing this manifesto with you. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences as readers and leaders, in an effort to make a more sustainable and working environment.
See link below: