What Do Short Order Cooks Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Short Order Cooks prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables. They also clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.

Other tasks include:

• Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
• Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
• Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
• Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
• Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
• Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.

We asked Short Order Cooks how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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45% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 36% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

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Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Short Order Cooks grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes. They clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.

A typical day for a Short Order Cook will also include:

• Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
• Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
• Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
• Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
• Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.

We asked some Short Order Cooks a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	31% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	63% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	70% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	30% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	9% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	48% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Short Order Cooks also order supplies and stock them on shelves. They may also accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Short Order Cooks Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters. They might also Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.

In addition, they Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.

To some Short Order Cooks, it is also their responsibility to Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Short Order Cook, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/food-preparation-and-serving/cooks.htm

http://www.acfchefs.org/

http://www.restaurant.org/

http://www.personalchef.com/