This co-op is very interesting because I am finally learning the “behind-the-scenes” of where and how my food is being cooked. I started off just being a prep cook, went over to dishwasher for a while, and now I am a full time expo. For people who do not know what expo means, I am the person that makes your food look pretty, adds dressings to your salads, adds garnishments to your plate, and basically makes sure that all of the food goes to the right people.
This is the first time that I have worked as an expo. I first thought that I am no good at it, but my co–workers keep reassuring me that I am actually doing a great job and have been so far the best at doing it. I really like working in my little niche and taking care of everything. Even if I am scheduled until a certain time, I stay longer and make sure that everything I need for the next day is ready. I also make sure that everything is in stock for my station and, depending if a have time, I do it myself or will write it on the prep list for the next day. I also never realized that working in a kitchen can be actually quite stressful—it may seem easy in the beginning, but it can turn from being an empty restaurant to a complete chaos in seconds.
Basically you never know how your day will be, but at the end of the day I really enjoy having a drink after work with my colleagues and just having the opportunity to chat for hours.
Photo credit: Ellie’s Restaurant at The Mills Park Hotel
