The back of house of a restaurant operation is like a manufacturing section. This is where culinarians perform. In the back of house you have several roles that make the kitchen hum, including:
* Executive chef
* Sous-chef
* Line cooks
* Grill cooks
* Utility team
Everyone likes to be romantic when they talk about their food, but the back of house is like a manufacturer. It might seem unromantic but the stark reality is that raw materials come in the back door of a restaurant.
From vegetables, meats, to fish, everything comes in a raw state. It is butchered, sliced, and diced by the team in the kitchen. Then just like you take raw materials to build a car, the materials are manufactured into a wonderful meal that leaves the kitchen. Ideally, it’s beautifully plated and at the right temperature, ready to impress the guest receiving the meal at their table.
The kitchen, or the manufacturing team, is the back of house. These are the people who we call culinarians – ones who are preparing all the food.
There are also a lot of utility jobs in a restaurant. There is someone to clean the restrooms and someone to make sure that the plates, flatware, and glasses are sanitized and clean. These types of jobs are also part of the back of house function.
Hidden in between back of house and front of house, there are lots of jobs in the restaurant industry. It might be easier to say front of house and back of house, but there are lots of professional jobs in between as well.
Many professional jobs that are also now part of the restaurant industry. Restaurateurs need to make sure they have a good attorney and good accountants. They may even need consultants who help them navigate city codes and health departments, to make sure that they can get their certificates in a timely way.
Restaurant operations are complex, and there are many back of house functions that help bring the food and beverage operations to life.
