Hot take: mise en place is a crutch until you actually do service without it once

I ran a 40-cover brunch solo last Saturday because my prep cook called out, threw my entire station setup out the window, and realized I'd been hiding behind my own lists for 6 years, so who else has had that panic moment where the system fails and you finally learn what you actually know?

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the_miles6d ago

Trust the chaos, that's where the real learning kicks in. I've had nights where the ticket machine died and prep ran out mid-rush, so I had to work straight from the pass and call every mod out loud. You find out real quick which steps you actually need and which ones were just comfort. My trick now is to do one "no-crutch" shift a week, even if it's quiet, just to keep that muscle memory sharp. Keep your lists for the heavy volume days, but never let them become a blindfold. Sounds like you already found your real speed, so don't lose it.