head chef

sous chef

chef

line cook

kitchen assistant

Upper Crust Food Service

The work is mostly what they'll tell you it is. I was offered very little training and then left to fend for myself so, initially, I was working more hours than anticipated on salary. After acclimation, it became a bit more accurate to their description. I'm being vague because I'm sure each house runs a bit differently, but you're cooking meals for college kids and possibly for their banquets. I do feel I was misled during my interview about certain aspects when it came to breaks and benefits, but the main issue with the job was the lack of support from management. I had multiple issues with getting in contact with my employers. You're pretty much unable to call out depending on your situation because no one is able to cover your shift/ located in your area. You almost never see your superiors, which I initially saw as an upside, but realized that meant I was required to do things outside of my job description. Finally, I was fired by an automated email after 9 months of employment, and after a raise, with nothing but outstanding performance reviews. The pay was good for me and for my particular location I had a nice set up, but not every house will be worth it. Depends a lot on your clients/work environment.

Your job will vary a lot depending on where you work. A small sorority house that wants a big meal once a week will be a wildly different experience than a large frat house that wants 2 meals a day. It's also going to vary a lot depending on what region you're in and who you're working under. Pros are the schedule; Lunch and dinner Mon-Thurs, Lunch on Friday, dinner on Sunday was my schedule, out by no later than 6:30, which is pretty good for food service. You only get one full day off, but 2 half days so not really ideal , but if you like having your weekend nights off its good.  Cons were its nearly impossible to take time off during the school year, theres no one to cover your shift and if you call off sick youre going in on Saturday to make up the meal. Have another job lined up for the summer unless you happen to live near a summer camp they cater to or are willing to go across the country. 

ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING. They like to do phone calls so they can talk and cook, but you're going to need a written record. 

Going on my 6th year with Upper Crust Food Service. I started as a House Chef and worked my way up to a Regional Director position. I can honestly say that I absolutely love my job and the company I work for. 

When they say "great schedule", "minimal/no late nights", "advancement/growth opportunities" and all the other misnomers companies use to get you on board; this doesn't hold true in Upper Crust's case. They're not just saying those things to solicit or falsely entice you, they're saying those thing because they are 100% accurate! The environment and culture they have developed and have instilled throughout their organization is unlike any I have worked for in the past, in the food service industry.

Being with this company as long as I have, I have been able to witness this company develop into what it is today and I can truthfully say I couldn't be more honored and proud to work for Upper Crust.

Unethical business practices. They paid me what I wanted, had all of us chefs set up the accounts, then brought in low skilled cooks who were paid less and fired all of the chefs within a weeks time. There was no documentation, no call directly from the person that made the decision to fire us all. Upper crust conducts themselves in an unethical, deceptive manner. I'm sure the state of Texas would appreciate that you fired a hard-working disabled veteran who is a full time student and has been a chef for 7 years whom opened the Texas A&M hotel as their executive banquet chef to save a buck and fill the kitchen with low skilled Hispanics. If upper crust does not care about it's employees, why would it care about your houses? We were all fired right before the holidays to avoid being paid during that time. We were brought in as placeholders. Now my family has to suffer. This is not the end of this!

I have worked many jobs in the hospitality industry and it is very rare to find a company who actually takes the time to get to know their employees.  Maybe I am lucky in my area of the country but my Regional Manager and Regional Director are really great to work for.  They told me from day one what the expectations were and I feel that I have exceeded those which is why my house is so happy with the food I create for them and the company shows appreciation for my hard work.  I love the weekends off to be with my family and the students are really great.  I used to be stuck in the kitchen with no interaction with the customers but at this job I get to see and talk to the people I cook for every single day.  

I've worked for Upper Crust Food Service for three years in Lincoln, NE.   Thisis the best position I have held in the food service industry as I am treated very professionally.  The management team has trust in my expertise, food choices, and delivery.  They give the freedom to listen to my students as I have developed a close relationship with them.  I can usually tell what dishes will go over well and be appreciated.  When I call the office for anything, I am greeted with respect and receive all the help I need in handling situations that might come up. In past positions I have worked many long hours and it is so nice to have regular hours and be treated as a professional.   It is just a great place to work and I hope to be here for many more years.

Poor and bad management, and lack of communication among the managers. I would’ve recommended this company, based on the location they provide the job positions there’s a hassle to park anywhere near. It offers good food & service but once you sign w/them, they give a low food quality. they don’t keep their word. Food Service sucks and when it’s time to sign the next contract, they want to trick you by offering good service, again.

I worked at Uppercrust for a little over a year and no matter how long I stayed I was looked down on by coworkers and customers. I stayed positive the whole time however I was frequently left to do a majority of the work, I was commonly put to blame for irrelevant issues and the girls at the house I worked at treated me like I was their butler. Uppercrust never gave me a pin to clock in which frequently came with issues with my pay including two separate times where I wasn’t paid for an extensive point of time. Overall I was very unsatisfied with the environment, the management, the house, the salary, the employees and the organization of the company. I would not recommend working for uppercrust if you like an organized professional place of work.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Very disorganized company. Management is only connected to a few employees that will do anything and I mean anything with management for professional gain.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Every aspect of the job accept the students

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic at best would describe your employment with this company.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
If your fellow employees are complaining about something that doesn’t concern them, the upper management caters to a few. Usually women that are catered to by a male supervisor. Something is not right about their interaction. Very unsettling.

I have been working at Upper Crust Food Service as a head chef for the past 5 years.  During this time I have been given the opportunity to practice my craft in a really great environment.  This is the first job that I have had in the kitchen where I also get to interact with the customers which is great.  The work life balance at Upper Crust Food Service is better than any other job I have ever had.  I am home every night for dinner with my family and I am off on most weekends and all major holidays.  I have been promoted twice within the company and the future is bright.  Our managers are engaged, friendly, and in any times I have needed them they have been genuinely interested in finding a solution for me.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Head chef 592 salaries reported	$26.50 per hour
Sous chef 157 salaries reported	$22.72 per hour
Chef 10 salaries reported	$20.75 per hour
Line cook 97 salaries reported	$18.56 per hour
Kitchen assistant 132 salaries reported	$18.45 per hour

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