The rise of the open kitchen has changed how diners experience their meals, and the way chefs approach their work
, the popularity of the open kitchen represented shifting attitudes toward dining culture itself. “If you went to a French restaurant, which was the epitome of haute cuisine until the ’80s, it was just this magical thing that happened away from you,” he says. “And then someone would come out with this cart, and you pull off the cloche, and there was this fancy meal there.
The rise of the open kitchen hasn’t just changed how diners experience their meals; it’s influenced the way chefs have to approach their work. Now there is an expectation of performance involved, whether that means cleaning an apron stain that otherwise could have waited or trying to politely turn away drunk customers who want to talk while you’re in the middle of dicing peppers.Amethyst Ganaway
For AuCo Lai, the chef at Hermitage Farm’s Barn8 in Goshen, Kentucky, working in an open kitchen emphasizes the importance of appearing professional. “You learn to work cleaner, more organized, and you learn to be more mindful of your teammates and their cues so that your timing is aligned because the expeditor can’t really shout the cues to you,” she says. Being visibly upset isn’t really an option., but in Ganaway’s experience, it mostly just changes how and when that abuse is expressed.
An open kitchen does require some emotional labor from the chefs, whether that’s smiling at onlookers or answering the occasional question. “Guests are able to watch us, and we get to watch them too. There’s an expectation of connection and engagement,” says Lai. Sometimes that expectation is built into the restaurant, whether it’s the performance at the griddle at Benihana or a display of fresh produce in Mara’s ingredient niche—of course that’s meant to be asked about.
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