The war everyone knows about and nobody solves
The kitchen door is a border. On one side, fire, sweat and a clock that keeps running. On the other, guests, smiles and complaints. Two worlds that have to work as one. And in most kitchens they simply tolerate each other.
The cook watches the server take the tip for the dish they made. The server watches the cook shout at them for something the guest caused. Both are a little bit right. That is the problem.
What cooks do that drives the floor crazy
Let's start with our own side, because it is easier to point at others.
- Shouting at a server in front of everyone. Over a mistake in an order. Humiliating them, then wondering why they show no respect.
- Ignoring special requests. "No onion" goes out with onion. And who gets the earful? The server.
- Letting plates go cold on the pass. Then shouting "service!" as if it were the floor's fault.
- Treating the floor like servants. The kitchen isn't superior. It is half the job.
What servers do that drives the kitchen crazy
And now the other side, without the niceties.
- Writing the order wrong or half of it. And the kitchen cooks again, on the restaurant's money.
- Promising the guest things that don't exist. "They'll make it gluten free for you, no problem." Without asking anyone.
- Leaving plates on the pass. While the kitchen is calling, they are on their phone or out for a cigarette.
- Sending dishes back with no explanation. "They didn't like it." What didn't they like? Salt? Cooking? Portion? Without information, the kitchen can't fix anything.
Who is really to blame?
I'll say it straight: the head chef and the floor manager. Not the cook, not the server.
The kitchen vs front of house feud is almost always a leadership problem. If the two people in charge don't talk to each other, if one runs the other down in front of their teams, the teams simply copy them. The war comes from the top.
How the war ends
They don't need to become friends. They need to become a team.
- A briefing before every service, together. Five minutes. What is missing, what we are recommending, which booking has an allergy. Everyone hears the same thing.
- Servers taste the food. You can't sell something you haven't eaten. And once they taste it, they respect it.
- One set of rules for the pass. Who calls, how, when. No insults. Ever.
- Problems are solved afterwards, not during service. During service we work. Afterwards, calmly, we talk about what went wrong.
- A day in the other's shoes. Put a cook on the floor for an hour. Put a server on the pass. After that, the conversation changes.
Questions and Answers
Why do chefs and servers fight?
Because they work under pressure, with different priorities, and rarely see each other's work. Without shared rules and good communication, every mistake becomes a reason for conflict.
Who is to blame for the conflict between kitchen and front of house?
Usually leadership. If the head chef and the floor manager don't work together and set rules, their teams copy their attitude.
How can kitchen and front of house work better together?
With a shared briefing before service, servers tasting the food, clear rules on the pass and discussing problems after service, not during it.
Should servers taste the food?
Yes. A server who has tasted the dishes describes them better, recommends them with confidence and has more respect for the kitchen's work.
What do you do when a server sends a dish back?
You ask for specific information: what exactly the guest didn't like. Without shouting. A dish that comes back is information for the kitchen, not an attack.