I could really use some perspective from other managers/leaders of people on a situation I am dealing with. Recently I hired a new executive chef to run the kitchen for our business with the hope of eventually running multiple kitchens as we grow.

He comes from more of a corporate kitchen (think Costco vs. mom & pop) and is trying to bring all of his corporate ideas to our business. They are not bad ideas, but they are not well thought out and is is not taking the time to bond or create relationships with his kitchen staff (including the current kitchen manager) and it is failing….a lot.

He is introducing new product without getting buy in from myself or the business owner, he is changing recipes in the spirit of cost or ease. (trading out butter for margarine in pastries) and recently made the decision to stop purchasing regular eggs so that he could use liquid eggs instead. All without first discussing with me, or even taking the time to cost out the increased food cost.

Worst of all, literally everything I have tasted that he’s created…was not good. He’s only been here 3 weeks but he is turning a once harmonious kitchen into chaos and after he posted the schedule for the coming week, (with new hours/shifts that most of the team did not want to work) they are responding by putting their shifts up-for-grabs.

We are paying him very good money (over $70k) and are not in anyway getting a return on our investment. The way he talked during his interview, I was expecting him to come thru the door and make an immediate positive impact. Instead, he’s told us about the money we need to spend to get better equipment and alienated the staff.

I have already had multiple conversations with him about these issues, and today we had a major event at one of the sites. He made products that were not on the approved list (and they did not look good) and brought new dishes out for the owners to try….that were not appetizing. At this point I am feeling backed into a corner and am seriously considering letting him go on Monday. This is just not working, and for what we are paying him, we do not have the luxury of time.

He left another job to come work with us, I feel bad about that. But it does not change the fact that he is not delivering on what he promised us, and that he is the true definition of ‘bull in a china shop’.

Thoughts?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ronin1069,

He's not following orders, screwing up your business, and you have to ask? Well, I guess that comes with the times.

Are you sure this guy really was what he says he was in his previous job?

Fire his ass, before your customers start firing your company.

Sounds like the probation period is over and he didn't meet the company's expectations.

Two weeks severance (at your discretion) and the door.

He works for you. He is not listening to your direction or input. Let him go. Let him go do great somewhere else.

Make sure your expectations are very clear and hold him accountable to producing against them. If he doesn’t deliver, then you’re better off with someone who will.

Yeah, he has to go. It isn't like he is out of sync in one area, but solid in the rest. I mean, cooks unappetizing food while substituting lesser ingredients, doesn't follow instruction, and jacked up the schedule?

Bad hire. Live and learn put hiss ass out the door. I’ve had to deal with ones that were kept hoping they’d come around and have a 100% track record of firing them later after they’ve hurt business. Better to have to search for a new one while you still have customers now then later when they are gone

Shoulda been fired yesterday.

That's a lot of chaos in just 3 weeks. Did he have any mentoring/orientation or just free reign?? This is a bad fit. It happens, but you have to keep your organization going and growing. Find a better candidate.

Sounds like there are just too many serious problems, and...

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
Worst of all, literally everything I have tasted that he’s created…was not good...He made products that were not on the approved list (and they did not look good) and brought new dishes out for the owners to try….that were not appetizing.

...if the food is truly not up to par, then that's something you can't and shouldn't have to fix. I say that knowing that different people have different ideas of what's good, what's in style, etc., and that you should make sure it's him that's out of step and not the reverse.

If he really can't cook, then...

You didn't mention a single positive to build on.

While I am not a manager, I need to work with people like everyone else does. While it is a difficult decision to make, he either needs to follow instructions or shown the door.

Margarine for butter in most recipes ends in disaster almost every time I have tasted or made food, especially a dessert. As you know I am not a food taster, I can pick out flavors better than some people and one of the reasons I enjoy so many cigars. If he is changing food ingredients that result in a bad flavor, I would not be back and would be a lost customer. Word of mouth is cheap advertising, good or bad. The bad spreads faster than the good it seems and business will suffer quickly. So not only is the company losing money from patrons, they are losing $70k in a salary to a pompous ass that single handedly destroyed a good thing.

Sit down with him and have a very blunt talk with him. Either shape up or you're getting shipped out.

Swapping butter for margarine in pastries is fireable on its own. It does sound like there's a communication gap between him and you. If he knows he needs approval on menu changes etc. and goes forward without getting it he needs to go especially if he's been counseled and ignored it. Sounds like you either need a new exec chef or you'll need a new staff in short order.

He goes, or you loose customers.

Your choice is easy.

My girlfriend's entire professional life has been spent running restaurants. Something about many of these "professional" chefs and how they live with these grandiose fantasies of their greatness.

We ate at some small hole in the wall pizza place a few months back and the guy came out in a chef's jacket with his name embroidered on the front. I knew right then and there what we were in for.

My original impression was proven correct when he stopped by our table (we were the only ones there) to see how the food was. He explained how the owner was in trouble, he was brought on board to save the business, he changed this, he changed that, and he's striving to have his pizza be the best in the community.

In a taste test, Papa Johns would have given him a run.

Sounds like cancer. Cut it out now before it kills the host.

At the end of the day, you have to let him go. It sucks, but he is not delivering the production that was promised.

He's got to go.

You hired him to make a positive impact, and he's not doing that. Sounds like he's got a bigger ego than his demonstrated skill set would imply.

3 weeks is not a lot of lost time. Right the ship before it's too late.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
The way he talked during his interview, I was expecting him to come thru the door and make an immediate positive impact.

I think a lot of people who hire believe they make really good choices when in reality people are good at telling other people what they want to hear. Sometimes you can spot the fraud and sometimes you can't.

You are crushing it where most people fail, self-awareness, which is realizing you made a hiring mistake and seeing it very early. It is painful to admit that you were initially wrong about a person but better to cut them now than leave them to destroy the place.

Anyone who tells you they are the best at hiring people probably isn't. You never know until they're weeks into a job.

quote:

Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
Shoulda been fired yesterday.

For this:

quote:

(trading out butter for margarine in pastries)