Chef's PSA

17/06/2026

A returned plate doesn’t just cost you the food, you are paying for that food cost twice, along with the lost labor, delayed ticket times, and broken guest trust.

If it is not the standard, do not send it. The pass is your final line of defense, not a place to gamble and hope the guest won’t notice.

If it is a re-fire in your head, it is a re-fire on the line.

WHAT YOU DO WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THEN WHEN SOMEONE IS.

🔗 GET CHEF BRAINS! LINK IN BIO! . . .

16/06/2026

The Sous Chef Blueprint is now on Audible. 🎧
It hit #1 in new releases on Amazon when it launched last month. The most-asked question since: "Is there an audio version?"
Today there is.
For the commute. For the drive home after a long shift. For the prep time before service when you want something in your ear that actually moves the needle.
15 chapters. Every one ends with what to do Monday.
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Sous-Chef-Blueprint-Audiobook/B0H51HPSRV?source_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp

Paperback & Kindle (if you haven't grabbed it yet): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GXFPVT3G

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Most sous chefs were promoted because they could cook. Nobody told them what happens next. The jump from line cook to sous chef is about skill. The jump from sous chef to running a kitchen is about something nobody trains you for authority, command, cos...

15/06/2026

Stop guessing on the line because you are too proud to check.

Asking a question takes ten seconds. Remaking a ruined dish takes ten minutes, spikes food cost, and kills ticket times.

There is zero shame in asking how to execute the standard properly. The real shame is wasting prep because you chose to gamble with the guest’s plate.

EGO IS YOUR ENEMY. ASK THE QUESTION.

🔗 GET CHEF BRAINS! LINK IN BIO! . . .

15/06/2026

THE EXPANSION RULE: DON'T GROW UNTIL YOU CAN GO. 🏢🍽️

Too many chefs think expanding their business just means working double the hours. That is the fastest route to burnout and failure.

Three-time James Beard Award Finalist Chef Brian Lewis joins me on the latest episode of Chef’s PSA to explain how he successfully scaled from a single kitchen to running Full House Hospitality Group with four restaurants across Connecticut and New York.

Key Takeaways From the Episode:

The Chef-to-CEO Shift: Why scaling your brand means learning to let other chefs shine instead of forcing your own culinary voice.

The Guardrail System: How to give your management team real autonomy while maintaining non-negotiable standards.

Kindness Without Weakness: Using psychology and empathy as your primary leadership tools instead of old-school kitchen intimidation.

Stop running yourself ragged trying to be in every room at once. Learn how to build a hospitality framework that lasts.

👇 Watch the full conversation with Brian Lewis now!
Link in Comments.

08/06/2026

Never talk over the chef calling the order.
When the expeditor is calling the ticket, the entire kitchen should be silent. That is not the time to ask for a status update, yell for prep, or hold a conversation on your station.

It’s distracting and you need to focus.

If you are talking, you are not listening. If you are not listening, you are missing modifications, timing, and allergens. You are throwing off the entire rhythm of the line.

No one likes to repeat themselves because you were in the middle of a conversation and not paying attention.

Service team I am looking at you mostly.

🔗 GET CHEF BRAINS! LINK IN BIO! . . .