I opened an email from my association (the association of associations – go figure) and discovered this article which ended with a very interesting quote:

“A lot of people want to come out and be the next Gordon Ramsay of the world, but that’s just not how this business works. It’s like any trade—you need experience more than anything,” Macrina said. “There are a lot of cooks out there that understand that they need to work Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, and they’re all for it and they work hard for it. You can’t discount them.”

It was about a noble effort that the American Culinary Federation, a wonderful organization, is putting forth to find more restaurant chefs.

As I read it I recalled a fact that my favorite generational “guy” shared when I heard him speak last year: “Gen Y loves instant gratification. We are notorious for not being able to wait in line—especially when getting coffee!”

It seems a bit crazy to talk about the importance of recruiting new people into a staid industry and then tell them they have to pay their dues like everyone else.  I’m not sure that’s going to work.  Thankfully, chefs have many other options today from catering to owning their own personal chef business.

The even better news…consumers have more choices for healthy eating than ever before – whether dining out or dining in!