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Building Better Kitchens: Leadership Strategies for Stronger Restaurant Teams
Three tools leaders can use right now to build trust, listen better and strengthen communication
Chef Scott Wittkopf, CEC, has worked in some of the industry’s most demanding kitchens, from Michelin-starred restaurants to luxury hotels. Today, he oversees culinary workforce development at Inspiration Kitchens in Chicago, where helps train future foodservice workers while supporting an operation that produces approximately 600 meals a day for residents of Chicago’s SPARC shelter.
Why Strong Kitchen Leadership Matters
Recently, Wittkopf attended a Building Better Kitchens workshop hosted by Catalyst Kitchens, a national network of nonprofit culinary training programs (like Inspiration Kitchens) that use foodservice as a pathway to employment and economic mobility. The workshop focused on trauma-informed leadership and communication techniques that help kitchen leaders build stronger, more resilient teams.
“I think there’s a desperate need in the industry for this,” Wittkopf says. “Many owner-operators think that financial motivation is first and foremost for people, and it’s what they need to live, absolutely. But if you want a committed employee, someone who will weather the storm with you and help you build something, creating a supportive kitchen environment is way more important.”
Three Tools Operators Can Use to Create a Supportive Kitchen Environment
Start with a Brain State Check-In
The Brain States framework helps leaders recognize when employees may be struggling and adjust their approach accordingly. At the top of the chart is Calm, associated with the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for creative thinking, planning and problem-solving. As stress increases in Alert and Alarmed states, thinking becomes less rational, more emotional. In Fearful and Terror states, the brain shuts down for survival and can’t learn. Recognizing when someone is struggling prevents bigger problems later.
“I printed out the Brain States chart from the workshop and hung it on the wall, so we can all use it to check in with each other every day. I ask, ‘Where are you today?’ If you’re orange or red, we want to know. Maybe we’ll do a quick break outside, or start the day with an easy task. To think that everybody has equal capacity to work through those states themselves is delusional. Nobody gets through a heightened state alone.”
HUG Before You Solve
When tensions rise, many managers instinctively jump into problem-solving mode. The workshop’s HUG framework encourages leaders to slow down and focus on listening first by Hearing, Understanding and Giving Back before offering solutions. Leaders can use phrases like “What I’m hearing is…” or “Help me understand…” to clarify and reflect back what’s been heard.
“We use the term ‘heard’ all day in kitchens, but HUG is truly listening, understanding, expressing empathy and reflecting what people are saying back to them to make sure they’re fully heard. This helps the person feel recognized and that they matter. This is very motivating in a busy kitchen and over the long term.”
Follow the Three Rs
After employees feel heard, move into the Three Rs: Regulate, Relate and Reason. The framework helps de-escalate conflict before moving into problem-solving and accountability. Wittkopf says the short time investment pays off in reduced conflict and stronger relationships.
“Regulate the emotional state. Relate by acknowledging their experience and emotions—not focusing on the mistake or the problem. Then move into reason by including them in the problem-solving process. I have seen situations where we might have sent somebody home because they were so escalated. But if we take five to HUG and go through the three Rs, within 10 or 15 minutes everyone gets right back to work in the kitchen.”
Want to get your team centered before a shift? Here are some tips for getting your Mental Mise en Place together!
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