Need someone to tell me I aint crazy because I've been sitting with this for two hours straight.
Had a working interview today at a fine dining spot downtown. Line cook position with a solid kitchen by the looks of it so I showed up early to make an impression, got directed to a table out front by the host and got told the chef would be right with me. 23 minutes to be precise like jesus, I know so because I checked the time when I sat down and again when the chef finally came out. I know it might've been busy, Im familiar with the industry because I have worked for over 5 years but why tell me a time when you're not ready at that time.
So I kept myself busy and started playing on myprize because what else are you supposed to do sitting alone at a table in a restaurant that isn't open to you yet.
The actual interview went fine. Chef walked me through the station setup, asked about my knife skills and experience with the menu style and they seemed interested. Ended on what felt like a good note.
I get a call a couple hours later. They liked my background but had one concern and it was the fact that I had been seen on my phone before we sat down and it came across as unprofessional. Keyword BEFORE we sat down. That was the waiting part. That was the part where I was alone.
I have been cooking for 5 years and I take kitchens seriously. And the thing that might have knocked me out of contention was sitting quietly at a table by myself for nearly half an hour not bothering anyone.
Is this a red flag about how they run their kitchen or I'm not fully getting it?