I’m not talking the Waldorf, here. I’m talking middle-of-the-road America-used-to-chef-at-Red-Lobster executive chefs.
Are they all assholes? Do they typically run the joint as well? What, exactly, do they do? Do they make a lot of money?
Most likely the senior burger flipper at Mac or Wendy or Back Yard.
The bigger the joint the bigger the white hat, the more the $.
The title has been watered down of recent years. In times past and in some of todays fancy and expensive restuarants the Executive Chef(s) are experts in their selected fields, create new a fancy dishes/presentation regularly and keep the lowly apprentices in tow as well as shop for the best fresh ingredients. A really respectable job with a lot of responsibility. But you have to be very good at it. Not for slackers or someone looking for a cushy job.
“Beware of the Cog”
I know two Executive Chefs at work, there is a restaurant (sort of fancy) and a larger, more middle of the road food service. Both of them are very nice people to work with, and extremely professional.
They both do a fair amount of actual cooking. In addition, they are responsible for hiring and firing kitchen staff, as well as training the staff. They also supervise some aspects of the front of the house staff jobs. Food education is a big one. Let’s see, they create the menus, the regular menu and any specials. They also work closely with the bar manager to stock appropriate wines and other seasonal liquor that complement the food on the menu. They oversee their kitchen budgets, which are rather large. They deal with food vendors, both on contract and for single purchases. They also deal with things like replacing or upgrading equipment.
Some of these things are delegated, particularly if another staff person is being trained to do these tasks, but the ultimate responsibility for them rests with the Executive Chefs.
FYI, both of these restaurants are run by a restaurant management company. As the chefs advance in their careers, they might do stints at a variety of facilities in the company’s network. It seems like a great job – very demanding but a lot of stability, room for growth, and good benefits. Long hours, though.