Behind the scenes
How restaurants really work
Kitchen stations, front-of-house roles, menus, inspections and restaurant careers, explained plainly with the sources behind every fact.
On the rail
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Hospitality Careers Beyond the Kitchen: A Buyer’s Guide to Paths
Not every food-loving career is at the stove. Here is how service, bar, restaurant management, hotel management and…
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Restaurant Ratings Compared: Stars, Guides and Grades
A letter grade in the window, a star in a guidebook and a score online answer different questions.…
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Restaurant No-Shows: How Booking Policies Work
A booked table left empty is lost for the night. Here is how restaurants guard against it with…
Latest articles
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Restaurant Kitchen Stations Compared
A professional kitchen is split into stations, each owning part of the menu. Here is how grill, sauté, fry, cold, pastry and…
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Mystery Shopping at Restaurants Explained
A mystery shopper eats like any other guest, then files a detailed report. Here is how the visits work, what they measure…
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Restaurant Job Interview: A Checklist for Applicants
Whether you are applying to the floor or the line, a little preparation goes a long way. Use this checklist before, during…
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Expediting at the Pass: A Walkthrough of One Ticket
The expediter is the link between the dining room and the line. Follow one table’s order from the moment it is entered…
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What Does a Sous Chef Do?
The sous chef is the kitchen’s second-in-command. Here is what the job involves on a normal day, how it differs from the…
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What Health Inspectors Look For: A Checklist
An inspection follows a set form. This is the checklist behind it, from fridge temperatures and handwashing sinks to pests, labels and…
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The FDA Food Code: A Walkthrough of How Restaurant Rules Are Set
The rules your local inspector checks start as a national model. Follow one change from proposal to the kitchen floor and see…
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Mise en Place: How Professional Kitchens Get Ready
Before a single order comes in, every cook sets up a station. Here are the six steps of kitchen prep and how…
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Dinner Service: A Walkthrough of One Night on the Floor
What actually happens between doors opening and the last table leaving? A step-by-step look at how a dining room team runs a…
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Culinary School vs Learning on the Job Compared
There is more than one way into a professional kitchen. See how a formal program, learning on the line and a registered…
