Stephanie Gasseling

Starting as a line cook my duties included all prep work, keeping a clean and orderly work station, turning on pizza ovens in a timely manner as they took up to 4 hours to reach temp while hand kneading freshly prepared dough as needed. Cleaning and maintaining deep fryers as well as boiling out when necessary. When promoted to kitchen manager I became in charge of taking inventory and placing the orders for food as well as contacting our local cattle farm to deliver fresh meat to be hand rolled and pressed for burgers. I was also in charge of writing a work schedule that was both efficient and practical for both the business and crew.

I would arrive at 5 AM to clean the bar seating and family seating areas, swab of the bathrooms, sweep and mop the restaurant. After I would head into the kitchen to start dishes and any prep work I could help with, (breading schnitzel, portioning, cleaning tasks).

I would show up at 10 AM, visit with my chef about what needed done that night, and proceed to over see the stock for the night. Working in a kitchen can be difficult, but all the more when you are short staffed. You make a plan, work hard, and make it work.

I kept a clean working station, made sure we had a vat of fresh sushi rice going and pre-sets of such in the works. It was a very high volume restaurant and our prep was very important. When you run out, or are about to run out of something you communicate that, adapt and overcome. It was not a perfect system but when you have a strong front of house, all things are possible. Not only will the food come out quality, the service and kindness they receive from your bartenders and wait staff will make them not only feel welcomed, but loved.

Broadway Diner was open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. While not only being a truck stop, it was a nice place for the family to come together and be met by some of the kindest and most seasoned wait staff I have ever met. Some who had been there 10 plus years because at that point, they were family. It was a short order restaurant, your longest cook time being pork and steak, Which at the most only took 8 minutes unless they wanted them well done. I will do it but I'm going to complain the whole time. Just kidding, you can have a jerky steak if you want one. The fact that we were open 24 hours a day meant your tasks were that of an opener and closer, I made sure everything was prepped and ready for the night shift as they were the ones handling the deep cleaning and fryers, so they wouldn't have to worry about prep for the morning shift. This was not an easy job to get to, it took me an hour on the bus and a twenty minute walk on a busy overpass at 110*, or sub zero temperatures in the winter. But I suffered that for how much love I had for these people, this was the only place I ever felt sad about turning my two weeks into, if there was anything else I took away from Broadway Diner, is that hashbrowns thrive on neglect. Trust the process.

I started as a pantry cook, which both start and end the course. When broil side is getting hit hard they push the food as fast as possible as this was a corporate restaurant and ticket times are a huge deal. If a customers salad is just being plated and their steaks are already done, the quality of their dinner has been compromised. You also need to be on point to care to everyone's allergies, (shellfish, celiac, gluten, tree nuts, etc). When was the last time you changed your sanitizer bucket? Because if you didn't do it recently, before you started chopping all this romaine, you could kill somebody. Did somebody just set a macadamia nut encrusted Brie on your cutting board? Sanitize your station, wash your hands, and change your gloves. You were hired to provide a service that catered to everyone's wants and needs. Do it right, right now, or leave. Clinkers has taught me so much about working in a high volume kitchen, food safety, and communication. It is an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.