This is a follow-up blog from my previous blog “The Hospitality Dilemma” from January 12, 2019, published in the Swiss Newspaper “BLICK”, on Jan 12, 2019, by Dominique Rais, Katja Richard, and Flavio Razzino
Desperately wanted: Good Chefs!
*The Stress job spoils the professionals and deters the young ones.
*Talents want to go high up and end up in the debt trap.
TV Chef Joel Kraaz from Ottenbach ZH is not the only one who burned his fingers for his dream of independence and was in debt. Today he says, “I can not handle money.” “Yes, I have over CHF 400,000 in debt,” Kraaz confirms.
The Schaffhauser Simon Adam was elected the Young Chef of the Year in 2007, founded a catering company, and went bankrupt last year.
Before that, even a world-famous super-pro like the Brit Jamie Oliver is not immune.
Highly decorated and still in debt. He is said to have over CHF 91.5 million in debt with his restaurant chain. With fatal consequences: a year ago, Oliver had to close twelve of his 37 branches and lay off around 600 employees. Since then, the famous British TV star has had to cook on a massively smaller flame.
THE OFFSPRING AT THE STOVE IS MISSING
Fewer and fewer teaching posts in gastronomy can be filled. A reason, GastroSuisse Union states is the declining number of school attendees in Switzerland. This affects all industries. But: Gastronomy also fights against a bad image among learners. This is proven by a study of the Hotel & Gastro Union. Above all, the unattractive working hours and the salaries are reasons why young people shy away from a vocational apprenticeship.
A look at the readjustment barometer also shows that culinary professions are not among the most sought-after places for an apprenticeship. That is the reason why culinary apprenticeships sank 20% over the last 5 years. Additionally, 20% of the apprentices change their professional branch after completion of the apprenticeship.
EMERIL LAGASSE:
Chef Emeril Lagasse shot to fame as the host of a popular Food Network show that encouraged amateur chefs to try their own hands in the kitchen. But despite being one of the most recognizable celebrity chefs in the country, Lagasse’s outlook on his future as a restaurateur — and the restaurant industry in general — is fairly grim. “I have nowhere to go, really — other than broke,” said Lagasse at a recent event promoting his upcoming TNT reality series On the Menu.
“It’s becoming a very challenging industry to become a very successful average restaurateur,” continued Lagasse. “I can’t charge $300 a person in my restaurant or I would not be in business. Am I using any different ingredients? Not really. Am I using any caliber of service staff? I don’t think so. I think our service is as good or better than most places.”
“And then you add all the Obama nonsense!
to what it’s become in the last several years. I don’t have anything against Mr. Obama. I’m just saying the way that you know… the government should stay out of things. […] Pretty soon, they’re going to wipe a lot of the middle restaurateurs and restaurant cooks. […] If it continues, then watch: you’re going to have high-end, and you’re going to have fast food, and you’re going to have chain restaurants.”
Lagasse went on to lament that the areas in which he operates restaurants — including New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — have been hit particularly hard by the problems in the economy. “Somebody having a $12.99 meatball and pasta dish at my restaurant means a lot to them,” he said. “That’s like a special occasion.”
“The one thing that I can say is that I’m pretty connected to America — because I’m a good listener, and I think that’s what makes a great restaurateur, is that you’re a good listener,” he said. “I don’t have a solution. If I did, I could run for president. But I don’t have a solution. All I can tell you is that the balance of the economic cycle is out of whack.” by Scott Meslow, SEPTEMBER 2014
