Michael Crecion

I started and spent my first four years learning and performing daytime Prep duties. Here, I worked alongside others learning and memorizing recipes, specific routines for meeting food and sanitation standards, portioning control, following chemical & food safety guidelines such as HACCP and Eco-Sure, in addition to keeping heating/cooling logs.

Eventually, intent to move up in the world and familiarity with the menu and friendships formed with existing Cooks led me to begin working on the Line in 2010. This is where I would continue on for the next 14 and a half years with the company, applying skills and learning new things. During this time, I climbed up their hat-color based BOH progression system, (Blue-Brown-Yellow-Purple-Green-Red-Black-Orange) arriving at the last level before Kitchen Manager in 2015. I gradually became efficient on each station, (fry, pantry, sets, flattop, grill, oven) working in tandem with many other cooks and FOH employees to help ensure quality and timely food service. I was given the responsibility for tasks including (but not limited to) opening, closing, cooking, cleaning, training people, food counts and Prep list creation, banquet and event prep/service, dishwashing, receiving and expediting; with many odds and ends mixed throughout.

I was given multiple awards and in-store recognition over the course of my employment, multiple pay increases and shining performance reviews from at least eight separate Kitchen Managers. I pride myself on being as professional, detail-orientated and conducive to a kitchen environment as I can be.

My first job in the city found me at Red Lobster on Phillipi Rd, performing the duties of "Alley Coordinator," which was essentially an Expo. I garnished and dressed entrees before they went to tables, working and communicating through the window to ensure customers were getting complete and excellent looking food. There were also times when I would deliver orders to tables myself.

After a few years, this location was closed and I continued to work at their new (and current, for now) location on Georgesville Rd. Once they re-opened I retained my original position, but then transitioned to working on the line to learn and earn more. During the next three to four years I learned as much as I could about the kitchen, from basics to tips and tricks. While here, my managers encouraged me to enroll and complete Darden's Culinary Professional Program. This role gave me insight and allowed me to work in conjunction with FOH, making sure food was on point and guests were content by delivering entrees, touching tables and coordinating with BOH and management about issues that might arise.