How to Be a Great Prep Cook In a Restaurant

I’ve worked on and off both part-time and full-time in various restaurants for the past 10+ years. I’ve cooked and served in all sorts of places, from pizza joints to greasy spoon diners to food trucks and regional eateries as well as fine dining establishments and international mega chain franchises.

The restaurant industry and more specifically customer service and catering operations is something I’ve always been interested in and enjoyed being a part of, in addition to working as a freelance digital marketer.

With all that being said, I feel somewhat qualified to share my thoughts on one of the most important and vital members of any restaurant team: the prep cook.

What Does a Prep Cook Do In a Restaurant?

Also known as a “food preparation worker” or “preparation cook”, prep cooks are responsible for readying the ingredients of restaurant menu items.

This entails any necessary cleaning, measuring, seasoning, and portioning of ingredients and preparing them for line cooks, who then take these prepared items and assemble them into the specific dish when ordered by a customer.

For example, a prep cook may wash and chop vegetables for later use in a salad. Or they might prepare dressings, sauces, marinades, or soup broth.

Depending on the restaurant type, some prep cooks may even be responsible for baking bread or preparing large quantities of side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, pasta, and rice.

At some restaurants, the prep cook may be looked upon as a lower level junior position, or one where rookies get their start in.

Prep cooks usually have additional duties like washing dishes, cleaning service areas, maintaining kitchen equipment, unloading supplies, organizing food storage areas, and emptying the trash.

I personally do not see any of these tasks or the role of the prep cook as lower level at all. In fact, I see the prep cook as absolutely integral to a restaurant’s overall success.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the role of a prep cook in a restaurant, we can look at the 5 traits of a great prep cook who is truly an asset to their team:

1. Consistency

A professional prep cook is someone who shows up, rain or shine, day in and day out.

Without any prepared ingredients, a restaurant kitchen will be “in the weeds” and food will not be served in a timely fashion. Long ticket times and unhappy customers will quickly shutter any restaurant, regardless of food quality and taste.

A line cook and the rest of the kitchen brigade should primarily be responsible for assembling menu items and getting them ready to be served, not wasting valuable time during rush to prep ingredients that should’ve been ready much earlier in the day.

Nothing is more stressful for a restaurant’s cook staff than heading into a busy dinner service without the right amount of prepared ingredients needed for the most popular menu items. Always having all the right amounts of product at the ready and in the right condition for firing when ordered will ensure a smoother service.

A prep cook will work off a “prep list”, or a listing of the day’s ingredients to be prepared that also specifies how much is needed. This list can vary day to day depending on how much is in stock, the season, the day’s specials, and the required “par levels” the restaurant needs to have on hand for service.

2. Stamina

Almost all prep cooks will also be responsible for unloading supply trucks and arranging the restaurant’s walk-in cooler, pantry, and freezer with heavy and bulky boxes of food products.

They will need to ensure items are organized on shelves and in storage areas according to date, in a logical “first in, first out” order so other cooks and staff can easily and quickly grab what they need without wasting time endlessly searching for items.

In addition to this heavy lifting, a majority of a prep cook’s shift will be devoted to chopping and washing fruits and vegetables, butchering meat, preparing sauces and dressings, and other labor-intensive kitchen activities that require constant and repetitive motion.

The typical prep cook shift starts early in the morning (before service) and can last right up until or even past dinner service. There will be very little time for breaks and time wasting, as prep lists can be very long with only a few short hours until service and customers start ordering.

From the moment a prep cook punches in and gets started on their list, they will need to be in constant motion and preparing multitudes of items simultaneously. This is not a position for someone who enjoys working at a leisurely pace and wants to take it easy. Multitasking and being organized are major requirements of the prep cook’s job.

3. Knowledge of Restaurant Operations and Food Safety

Prep cooks should have a firm grasp of safe food handling basics, knowing when items are rotten, stale, and unacceptable for serving.

Also, they should be aware of how the restaurant operates, specifically what items are popular, what’s in season, and what ingredients can be substituted in case something is out of stock. They should also understand what menu items are profitable for the restaurant.

Having this knowledge will only help the prep cook work more efficiently while reducing waste and saving time. A prep cook who works smart will ultimately have a more positive impact on a restaurant’s bottom line.

If a restaurant wants to improve profitability, then closely examining preparation methods and areas where costly waste can be reduced might be a good first step.

4. Willingness to Learn and Improve

I’m a firm believer that all skills are learnable.

When it comes to knife skills, all it takes is some time, patience, a sharp knife, cutting board, and a willingness to learn and improve.

Also, a solid pair of cut-proof gloves is also a good idea, particularly for those new to working as a prep cook and using a knife to cut large quantities of food.

Nobody is a master knife user the first time they start slicing. The speed and precision to expertly break down a bag of onions, pounds of chicken breast, or dozens of melons in a few minutes only comes with time and repetition.

The best way to improve one’s knife skills is to practice as much as possible and maintain proper and safe technique. There are also knife skills courses available both online and in cooking classes that will further hone your ability to quickly and efficiently slice and dice any fruit, vegetable, or meat.

5. Focus

A prep cook who is a prima donna will likely find themselves unemployed quickly.

Prep cooks should by nature be focused on results with a “can-do” positive attitude. Negativity and having a low vibration will not be tolerated in the kitchen. Getting the prep list done and assisting the line as needed should be their mission.

Prep cooks should also be versatile and ready to fill in different roles when called upon.

If a line cook is out sick, the prep cook can be counted on to fill in and man the station, or at least be open to learning it.

If the dishwasher “no-called, no-showed”, then the prep cook can don the rubber dishwashing gloves get to scrubbing (provided their prep list is finished).

Basic equipment maintenance, deep cleaning, scrubbing, even front of house duties should all be considered within the boundaries of a great prep cook’s realm of responsibilities.

The best prep cooks are not just good at prepping, but they are versatile team players who can plug in gaps and keep the restaurant running when they are needed the most. They are the true warrior kings and queens of the kitchen leading from the front of the battle.

It is this work ethic and willingness to take on responsibility that separates your average prep cook from the great ones who form the foundation for a successful restaurant business and set the example for others to follow.

Conclusion

The prep cook is an essential role found in every restaurant kitchen worldwide, but it’s not a role suitable for everybody.

In fact, it takes a special breed of person who is willing to take on the responsibility, workload, and maintain a professional attitude with a warrior spirit. No challenge faced in the kitchen is too great for a great prep cook. They handle it, cross it off the list, and keep moving.

A prep cook who is dedicated to their craft, challenges themselves to continuously improve, and is laser focused on keeping the line stocked will always be in high demand at restaurants worldwide.