Why Are Young Chefs Struggling to Stay in the Kitchen? Is the Issue Passion or Work Model?

The statement that "young people no longer want to do this job" is frequently repeated in the restaurant industry. However, the experience shared by Gambero Rosso writer Michele Di Molfetta from his own kitchen career highlights another side of the discussion. Di Molfetta recounts that at the age of 19, he worked approximately 16 hours a day, five days a week in a professional kitchen; when he divided his monthly income of 1,400 euros by his working hours, his earnings amounted to about 4.50 euros per hour. He notes that overtime is largely unpaid and that the long working hours have gradually been accepted as normal. These figures are not industry averages but are based on the author's personal experience.

The intersection of this personal story with broader industry data is the issue of staffing. According to FIPE's Rapporto Ristorazione 2026, about half of the personnel searches in Italian restaurants in 2025 were difficult to fill. Two-thirds of businesses struggling to find staff cite the lack of sufficient candidates as the primary reason. FIPE also states that the restaurant sector competes with other sectors for similar employee profiles, and that more stable or personally compatible working hours can influence employee preferences.

The same report reveals that cooking is a profession that cannot be easily replaced. For 2025, previous work experience is preferred for most chef positions sought in restaurants and hotels; it is noted that the time taken to find a chef can sometimes extend to four to five months. In contrast, the proportion of open positions for young people is lower compared to service and bar positions in cooking. This situation indicates that while businesses are searching for experienced employees, they must also create working conditions that will keep young professionals in the industry.

FIPE's assessment in April 2026 also reports that paid employment in the restaurant sector has decreased by more than 114,000 people compared to the previous period, and that about half of businesses are struggling to find staff. Nevertheless, the sector still represents a significant area of employment for young people; 61.6% of workers are under 40 years old. Therefore, the issue should be addressed as a more complex workforce matter rather than simply young people losing interest in gastronomy.

In our opinion: Defining the staffing crisis in the restaurant sector solely as "there are no people to work" would be an incomplete diagnosis for businesses. Retaining employees in the profession is as much a part of operations as finding them. Long shifts, unpredictable working hours, unclear overtime compensation, and insufficient rest periods can accelerate young workers' shift to other sectors. Especially in a market where finding experienced chefs can take months, losing employees due to excessive work can also increase hiring and training costs. According to Stafflink, kitchen discipline and an unsustainable work culture should be separated; shift planning, overtime tracking, training, and career development should become interrelated parts of the personnel strategy.