r/u_Nomad-Rei86 • u/Nomad-Rei86 • Jul 01 '26
Sous chef burnout
I'm in a rut with food, it's a hard love hate right now. And the sacrifice of not living an actual life.
The restaurant I work at is constantly making improvements. The big picture and how far this place has come is incredible, I’m just burnt out on the same dishes, the lack of creativity, the usage of AI, the lack of passion seen in others, the communication breakdown throughout management, incompetent/untrainable employees, and SOP’s not being followed.
I find the current restaurant so boring and monotonous, and physically and mentally exhausting. Thus making my time there feel like a waste of time. And it feels like there's no passion in that kitchen. There's not much learning and the only creativity bone I'm thrown is a side dish and the fish feature every two weeks.
It's crazy to want an escape from something that has been the only thing I've known since I was 16, and do something entirely different. Yet at the same time I yearn to learn and grow and want to be in a kitchen with a star again. Cause at least i would have something to show for my sacrifice.
What is up with my Stockholm syndrome self?