Hey everyone!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted – I’m sorry! I’ve allowed my life to be consumed with my current job as a Head Chef of a local Italian restaurant in SoCal. But I have great news…

I have been offered and have accepted a job with Benihana National Corporation! I’m still getting all of the pieces together for this new job – but I am ecstatic to re-join the ‘corporate’ world again!

I’ll be working as an Assistant Restaurant Manager for their RA Sushi concept in Chino Hills, California.  I’m supposed to start my training at the end of this month, in their Downtown San Diego location (in the Gaslamp). Then I’ll train for another month in Tustin, California.

I’ll be the first to admit – leaving the Kitchen and switching to the Front of the House (FOH) is somewhat intimidating. I have the confidence that I’ll do well in this new position – it’s just that it’s a bit daunting to leave my ‘comfort zone’ – but knowing that there are so much more success waiting for me “on the other side”…

Here are my Pros & Cons:

Pro: Great starting salary and bonus opportunities; financially stable company; awesome benefits (PTO, medical, dental, vision, etc); room for advancement!

Cons: Commute…That’s about it! From where I live, the San Diego and Chino Hills locations are about an hour drive, each way. The Tustin location is slightly further away, but not THAT much. All associated issues with the commute include: higher mileage, higher fuel consumption, toll roads/FASTTRAK fees. All of which I graciously accept!

For the past two years, I have dedicated myself to working in small private restaurants, both Italian.  I can honestly say that I have learned a great deal from my experiences at both locations.  I enjoyed the intimate-ness of working for a “mom & pop” shop because it has enabled me to develop and foster friendships with a great deal of locals. I felt as if I were trying to build a name for myself as a Chef in this ‘small town’.

Unfortunately, with small business comes small rewards and smaller margins of error.  The unstability of the restaurant business is a soul-sucker. I’ve watched these restaurants both get swallowed up from underneath because of the owners’ lack of experience. Not to take anything away from each owner – both of whom I’ve been able to develop a great working relationship. It’s just that you need to fail and make mistakes yourself before you can realize the errors.

So with that all said, I am super excited to begin my career with Benihana/RA Sushi! From my interviews with other RA managers, the quality of life is important to the company. Workweeks at fifty hours, two consecutive days off, paid time off, sick pay, full benefits: All of which I was not able to get at the smaller places.

I am also excited to get my health back on track! I’ve been needing to get my ass back in gear and get out there and start running again. I need to get back into the gym (that I’m paying for but NOT using!?).  With this new breath of “life” (aka new job), I plan to get my life back on track. I also want to continue my blog, sharing my experiences and knowledge with you all!

I have a few new ideas for my blog in the near future and I hope to be able to share these soon! So stay tuned!!

#ForkThisPlate