Corporate seems supremely disconnected from actual needs of stores. There are only 2-3 full time positions available: Resident Chef (runs cooking program), Assistant Resident Chef & Culinary Lead (at larger/busier locations). All other positions are part-time, without benefits such as paid sick time or medical, which dramatically impacts company loyalty & therefore turn-over. Company pays significantly below market; as a result, all kitchens are generally understaffed. As a Chef Instructor, you cannot assume that a Kitchen Assistant will be available to help prepare and clean up for classes, regardless of the size of your class (2-25). The Resident Chefs, responsible for hiring, are stressed out and relatively powerless to correct staffing needs... its hard to get applicants for positions that pay 30% less than the restaurant next door. There is no formal training process for Chefs or Kitchen Assistants; in general staff learns by trial & error. This leads to wide discrepancies in numerous areas, due to simple lack of top-down information exchange: adherence/understanding of company standards & policies, sanitation guidelines, food safety standards, recipe testing, teaching technique & scheduling. It is also nearly impossible to obtain a regular schedule; shift and days worked change per company/class needs to the point of being unreasonable. Also, expect to work 1 to 2 hours beyond the end of your shift, or rush at a crazy pace to cut your shift short by 1 or 2 hours... without notice. This issue increases employee turnover and impacts kitchen sanitation/organization standards. Resident & Assistant Resident Chefs work so hard attempting to make up for too many discrepancies and are rarely effective managers as a result.
In general, Sur la Table employees feel undervalued and replaceable & Corporate does not seem to have a problem with this "culture" they have created.
