Thinking of Asking for a Raise... What Do You Think?

Hey everyone, I’m currently in my first full kitchen job (I worked in one for 3 months when I was 15, and I’m 19 now). I’m about to hit my 6-month mark and I’m thinking about asking for a raise. I feel like I’m worth more, especially since I’m the go-to pizza guy. We even won ‘Best Pizza’ in my town, and the other chefs refer to my station as mine.

In the 6 months I’ve been here, I’ve learned every station except sauté. I’ve worked multiple shifts on all of them except for grill (I’ve only done it once, but I’m eager to try it again). This has all been because of my drive to learn, and I’ve had to push a little to get these opportunities.

Once a week, we have a pizza and salad day, with some fryer specials. On these days, there’s no leadership in the kitchen, just me, another line cook, and 2 dishwashers. The chefs have put me in charge and asked me to manage things, if it’s slow, I’m supposed to send people home and handle other manager-type duties.

I don’t know why I’m posting this, maybe I just want to share my achievements with people who might get it more than my family. Sorry if it’s a bit all over the place. I’ve found a passion for cooking that I didn’t expect. When I first started, I wasn’t sure if food was my thing, but now I’m loving it and want to keep moving forward. I know I still have a lot to learn, especially about combining flavors and making dishes, but I’m eager to get better. Wish me luck on asking for this raise, and if anyone has any advice, feel free to share!

Sounds like you’re doing great! Keep pushing yourself. It’s awesome to see that you recognize your value and want to move forward.

My advice: start with a positive approach but be ready for tough conversations. Ask them what they’d like to see for a raise, mentioning how you’ve excelled at things like the pizza station and your willingness to learn other positions. You could even bring it up like this:

“Hey, I want to learn more about grill and maybe sauté. I’m working toward a raise and I think learning more stations will make me more valuable. What do you think?”

Absolutely. It’s tough to get on the line right now because I only work weekends, the pizza day, and Tuesdays. I’m usually put on pizza for the weekends since I can handle it without help, but there’s no line work on the pizza day. I try to get on the line during my last day, but there’s been some blocking going on, so it’s hard to get more opportunities to learn.

You’re the only one who can stand up for yourself. The worst thing that can happen is they say no, and then you can ask them, “What do you need to see from me to get a raise?” This way, they’ll either have to give you that raise when you hit those points or risk losing you to a place that will pay more.

You should really be able to explain how you’ve grown in your role after six months. Think about how much your speed and productivity have improved, whether that’s prepping faster or increasing sales.

Honestly, I’d recommend waiting to ask until you’re comfortable with every station. That way, when you do ask for the raise, you’ll have a stronger case for it.

I hear you. I’m doing everything I can to get on the line more permanently, but the sauté guy has been blocking me from learning. He feels threatened when people start catching up to him, and he’s set others up for failure to keep his spot. The nights when I do get on the line, he refuses to teach me. All I’ve learned so far has been from watching and learning on my own. I know 6 months may seem early, but others I’ve talked to said they got decent raises at around 3 months.

Not sure if you’re going to get a raise. You mentioned you’ve done all the stations but then say there are two stations you haven’t done or only did once. Kitchen bosses aren’t usually easy to please. Just because you’re doing your job doesn’t mean they’re going to automatically give you a raise unless you prove it elsewhere.

Check out this site to help you figure out what to ask for based on where you live: https://livingwage.mit.edu

Make sure you’re getting what you’re worth, you’ve earned it!

There’s a good chance they’ll just give you the runaround if you ask. If that happens, start looking for a new job that’ll pay you better. Don’t quit right away, take your time and find a place that values you more.