Experience
Education
Advice from Joe Downey-Zayas
Quotes about career path, skills, and teamwork from an industry leader.
Most of the time, nobody is going to give you anything unless you ask for it.
It could be a raise, promotion, participating in a special event – anything. Take the time to tell your managers exactly what you want and work on a plan to achieve that goal.
My friends and I moved out to the Hamptons for a summer after we graduated from high school and all got jobs at the same restaurant.
During that summer, I got hooked on the restaurant life – the excitement, food, culture, the lasting relationships I made, everything. My friends went on to have different careers, but sixteen years later I’m still here having fun.
I look for a positive attitude and the ability to work well with others.
We work a lot of hours in the restaurant industry and getting along well with the rest of the team is critical in promoting individual well-being.
The best way to continue my own education is by going out to eat and experiencing other people’s perspectives on food.
I enjoy reading and cooking out of cookbooks as well, but I’ve found that going out to eat at restaurants provides me with a perspective that’s fresh and keeps me striving to do better.
In order to do my job, I need a team around me, both FOH and BOH, that shares the same passion that I do.
Reopening Union Square Café after COVID is something that I’ll always be extremely proud of.
While I was a small part of the team that helped re-open it, we could never have opened it without each and every person who came back to work and cared so deeply about that restaurant.
The Outlook Schedule/Calendar is something I rely very heavily on.
I would be incredibly lost without it. The 18 year old version of myself would have never in a million years imagined I’d be saying this.
For self-care, I try to play golf with friends who aren’t in the service industry.
While I love my job and my team, being able to get outside with friends and relax for four or five hours without having to think about the restaurant is therapeutic.
Roles in Culinary
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