I finally cracked the code on my prep timing after a line cook said something simple

Last Saturday during service, one of my new line cooks mentioned 'you start your prep backwards from the plating time.' It hit me like a brick. I always just worked in order of what needed to be done first, but I never really thought about counting backwards from when food hits the window. Now I map out my whole morning prep based on that and I'm finishing 20 minutes earlier every shift. Anyone else have a simple rethink that fixed a big workflow problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_coleman1mo ago

That backwards timing trick is actually just the first step. Once you start doing that you also notice which prep items can overlap with each other using downtime. The real game changer is realizing how much idle time you have between steps that you can fill with smaller tasks nobody thinks to track.

kimr741mo agoMost Upvoted

Think about when you start noticing the gaps in your prep flow, you can use that time to double check your mise en place against the actual tickets coming in. I started looking at my station setup differently after a sous chef told me to prep for the most common orders first, not the ones that took the longest. It forced me to really pay attention to what sells versus what just sits there, which saved me from wasting time on stuff that barely ever gets called. That backwards timing trick works even better once you know exactly what you're actually going to need that night.

betty_wells1mo agoProlific Poster

Nah, backwards timing is just basic math. That's not a breakthrough.