Spent 3 years avoiding brunch shifts until a sous chef changed my mind

I always swore I'd never do brunch. Too chaotic, no respect from the dinner crew. But last month my new sous chef, Dave, pulled me aside and said 'brunch is where you learn to move fast and fix problems with whatever you have.' He showed me how he handles a 200-cover Sunday with only one flat top and two burners. After working 4 brunch shifts with him, I get it now. The pace is insane but it really sharpens your short order skills. Any other chefs find brunch actually helped them improve?

3 comments

3 Comments

price.tyler1mo ago

Yeah brunch really does force you to think on your feet.

patel.daniel1mo ago

@brooke484 nailed that comparison though. Traffic is the perfect example - you're just stuck there figuring out a new route on the fly. Brunch is like life's training mode for that skill, where you have maybe 20 minutes to turn leftover veggies and eggs into something presentable. The scramble forces those quick decisions that end up applying to everything else.

brooke4841mo ago

@price.tyler nailed it. It's kind of funny how that sinks in with everything, not just cooking. Like that thing where you have to learn to adapt with whatever's right there happens in traffic or even during random errands. Brunch just speeds up the lesson.