top of page

The Dark Side of Hospitality: No More Bullshit 2024

Writer's picture: Scott ValentineScott Valentine

"Uncle Sam wants you to join the hospitality industry, live, travel, and experience the world. Come see the other side"
"Uncle Sam wants you to join the hospitality industry, live, travel, and experience the world. Come see the other side"

When The Party's Over

Lights are on, and the champagne has stopped; the party is over. Go home. Not for the table with the overweight old F&B guys and the chefs with half-empty whiskey glasses, cigars and yelling, "Bring more whiskey!" They want to continue talking about the good old days when you could shout, say shit, and semi-sexually harass the workforce.

"We need cocaine to keep the shift going, booze to take off the edge, and sex to satisfy our needs".


Old-school prophecy or they just don't listen. Will it ever stop? I don't know, let's start unveiling the Dark Side of Hospitality.


Why Nobody Wants This Shit Anymore

One thing is for sure: the world of hospitality is changing fast, and these old guys are not going to keep up. The hospitality industry is complaining about why there are no more people coming into the industry and why people don't want to be servers or chefs.

Well, let's break it down.


There are so many easy ways to make money: online trading, social media, drop shipping, only fans—you name it. You can make money sitting on your ass with a smartphone. So why would anyone want to endure the following?

  • Guests that yell at you, film you for hits and likes

  • Some 17-year-old blogger that wants a freebie, like she has spent 20 years, 16 hours a day cooking

  • The manager and chef that live their past 20 years just ridiculing you

  • More casuals added to the teams as we don't want to hire

  • Hotel companies that eat you up spit you out


overweight old F&B guys and the chefs with half-empty whiskey glasses, cigars and yelling, "Bring more whiskey!
Boys Club

The Ugly Truth

Now don't get me wrong; there are a lot of shitty hospitality companies out there and a lot of good respectable F&B establishments. Unfortunately, the bad outweighs the good.

Why?

We have 8 billion people to feed and transport and serve with much more disposable income, that's why. Hotels can't cope. We need more rooms, Captain! (Star Trek reference, LOL.) We have everyone traveling and wanting more for their buck.

With this need and demand, greed is the leading driver:

  • Fewer staff

  • Lower-paid staff

  • Untrained staff

  • Uneducated travelers thrown in the mix

  • A sprinkle of old-school management

What a recipe, and WOW!, does it just add to the already spoiled broth.


The Marketing Bullshit

Then OMG!, there are the ones that self-promote.

"Our employees are our heroes, and we value them". To this I say, Marketing is a great thing. With the right marketing, we can all shit rainbows.


The Real Deal About Working Hours

Let's break it down some more. One of the biggest drivers is long hours, no social life, or your social life consists of your work life. Why? Why? Why would I choose to do this job?

Well, if you're single, you can travel the world, discover new places, people, cultures. Yes, that is true and amazing, and I have truly benefited from this myself, but there is always some asshole waiting for you.


The Leader Problem

Leaders! The biggest bastard of them all, the one that doesn't realize he can't even serve a plate or boil an egg, running the hotel like their own personal paradise and just looking for that bonus.

Criticize me if you want but there is only a handful of front of house leaders that are good - the best ones come from F&B trust me, or the Leader that has self-awareness that hires the right people and manages them well.


The Money Game

Yes, we need to make money.

Rooms make money, F&B costs money, but people need to eat. So, like Europe has done, put more laws in place to protect the working class, and the guys get their 8 hours and go home regardless of the 10 guests or the 150 guests. Great one step in the right direction, but how does the industry respond? Fewer staff, more casuals so they don't have the risk.


The Guest Experience Shitshow

So then the GM's are asking? Why and what are the guests complaining about? We charge them only 350 euros per night in a semi 4-star hotel that has:

  • No servers at the bar

  • Breakfast that couldn't even feed 10 people

  • Coffee that's like an oil tanker hit a rock and spilled black frozen coffee sludge all over


Seriously!, whoever invented frozen coffee packs for the coffee machines should be made to drink this shit for the rest of their lives.


What Really Needs to Change

Here's what people actually want:

  1. To be valued and have purpose

  2. Training and growth opportunities

  3. Work-life balance

  4. Better benefits

  5. Secure jobs

  6. Money to cope with inflation and show something for their hard work

Yes, take note money is last on the list.


Final Word

This is a stark and candid exploration of the evolving dynamics within the hospitality industry. I shed light on the clash between traditional practices and the fast-paced changes in the modern era. A highlight of challenges in attracting talent, mistreatment, and management issues paints a raw picture of the industry's underbelly.


Final note: I want to give my respect to the hard-working back-of-house people that continue to work their way through the shit every day.



2 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comentarios


Instagram QR code
Chef Scott podcast
Podcast

©2022 by Valentine Hospitality Group .

bottom of page