Posts: 1050
From:Portland, Oregon
Registered: Jun 99

posted January 19, 2009 09:28 PM            

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Hello. I just interviewed with a job as Executive chef at a "fine dining" restaurant of a retirement community (just a community, not assisted living). Everything sounded really good about the flexibility and past quality of food that was offered, and I am one of 5 interviewees for the position.

The pay is not great, but definitely acceptable. The challenge I really have little experience with is that they have a strict $2.60 food cost per meal (cumulative, so you can spend a little less on breakfast and a little more on dinner). The menu looks pretty nice and food portions are not large, but that's not alot of money. Does anybody have experience with a similar number to that to share with how nice they could cook on a similar budget???

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Posts: 255
From:Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
Registered: May 2003

posted January 20, 2009 05:40 PM               

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Hi Ira
I worked many years ago as a dietary supervisor in a 154 bed nursing home. Although about 50 percent of the patients were elderly the rest were there more for there social behaviour. I had a budget of $1.16 per meal and surprisingly in the 5 years that I worked there, I never went over budget. Like you said the portions are small and really have to be enforced but the activity level is low. We had to use beef clods and chicken legs and thighs instead of better cuts but cooked and seasoned properly, I believe that we had a pretty tasty menu. We also got a lot of help from dieticians as to how much from each food group had to go into each meal. We baked a lot of the food from scratch to cut down on food costs and to utilize the labour that was already there. I think that was one of the most challenging positions I had and would probably still be there if the caterer had not sold his business. I also don't remember thinking to much about how little money I had to work with. It just seemed to fall into place. I am sure that they have tried and true menus that you can work from until you get your feet wet. I pray that if this is in Gods plan for your life that you seize the opportunity. Hope this helps and if I can be of help let me know. The best thing about this job when I think about it was every other weekend off.
God Bless
Bryguy

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Posts: 1050
From:Portland, Oregon
Registered: Jun 99

posted January 20, 2009 06:01 PM            

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Okay, that doesn't sound so bad then. Haven't heard anything from them yet and it's getting late in the day (they said the decision would be made today).

Yes, one of the best parts is that they say it's only 40-45 hours/week with weekends off. I would love that extra family time rather than the 55-60 I've been doing.

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Posts: 77
From:Diamond Springs, Calif.
Registered: May 2003

posted January 21, 2009 10:20 PM               

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I did over 20 years ago in a nursing home. My daily food cost was $2.45 at the time. That included special dietary food items. It was tight at time, especially since I had to use the company-wide vendors and couldn't shop around.

I think a $7.80 daily food cost ($2.60 x 3, right?) can be done. The Calif. prison system feeds on less than $3 per inmate per day (different cliental, of course). At camp I run about $5 plus daily food cost.

Can you save from one day and use that savings to give the residents a special meal later in the week? Find out over what time period you account for food cost. If it's spread over a month, you'll be okay.

The thing that attracted me to prison work was (in addition to the salary) was the potential for weekends off and normal work days. I spent 12 years as the manager of a well-know prison and only worked 40 hours per week. I had three supervisors who were responsible for the two shifts and who took care of most of the staff issues.

[This message has been edited by ChefSteve (edited January 21, 2009).]

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Posts: 1383
From:Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted January 21, 2009 10:54 PM            

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Amen Steve...it is al possible...and it will be as good as you make it! I am ack in "correctional" feeding and it is a blessing and a half to have benefits , security, and those wonderful hours...It's all good! It;s all God!
We chcukled when you asked me what my food cost was at the mission...and I said 0...well not quite we spent a couple grand a year on food some staples and some special food for special events...but relied on donations almost exclusively..but as Bry shared we had the labot and the infrastructure that made that possible....and while it is an issue when in the restaurant area I found labor a bigger concern and my labor budget...
I know God is moving you..I also know He is working you not to destroy but to build up and conform you more closely into what and where He wants you for His plan and for His glory!
Rock and Roll Bro!

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Hungry for Him,
Leo Griego
Member Support
2 Cor 4:7

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Posts: 135
From:Alabama (but travel out of country most of the year)
Registered: Jun 2004

posted January 23, 2009 01:09 AM               

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I could really type a book on this one, on the other ship I worked on for years my budget was about the same and after I worked out all the past inexpeienced mistakes we were really eating too good that most were embarassed to write home about the food, or they gained weight before they left, the good thing was it also -the budget- was accumulative to a certain time period, but I always needed to spend up to the limit at the end of my time constraint:::

I can answer more questions in the future or give more menu ideas-ordering ideas, but I am travelling in europe and these keyboards are a pain in my fingers - it took me a few ,inutes to use the -at- sign the other day just to use ,email address to log into email:::

JUST LEFT ROME -UNBELIEVABLE! sistine chqpel; st peters basicilia; the food; colleseum; ::: sorry got cqrried away

now in Belgium keyboard is terrible!

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Posts: 1050
From:Portland, Oregon
Registered: Jun 99

posted January 23, 2009 01:25 AM            

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I only spent a few hours in Belgium (train layover), but it did look nice while it lasted.

Anyway, I didn't get the position. Still I'm always interested in all different aspects of the industry, for example how to do that on such a tight budget.

I remember the European keyboards very well, and even though it was about 8 years ago, that was my first big challenge on a computer there to find the @ symbol. I ended up copy-and-pasting it, then found there's another shift-like button you need to use or something like that.

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Posts: 77
From:Diamond Springs, Calif.
Registered: May 2003

posted January 23, 2009 08:02 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by tyronebcookin:
I could really type a book on this one ... the budget- was accumulative to a certain time period, but I always needed to spend up to the limit at the end of my time constraint ...

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When I was in the Navy, we weren't allowed to carry a surplus beyond the 90-day quarter. What we did to get around this accounting restriction was to buy high-dollar food items (like steak and lobster) from inventory and place the cases in a special location in the freezer. We, in effect, purchased the stock in quarter A and used it in quarter B.

THe Navy eventually got wise to this practive and allowed galleys to carry a certain percentage of a surplus to the next quarter. Of course, they also required us to carry a deficit over as well!

[This message has been edited by ChefSteve (edited January 23, 2009).]

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Posts: 1383
From:Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted January 26, 2009 09:10 PM            

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I too rememeber working for a county government and having to spend all my budget to make sure they didn't cut it for next year..it is a balancing act for sure...I think you will find places differently run but the times will re-enforce the need tobe Good Stewards...just as in our gifts from od, and in our lives...Thank God His budget is eternal!

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Hungry for Him,
Leo Griego
Member Support
2 Cor 4:7

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