Romantic relationships are common in the restaurant industry - SmartBrief

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Romantic relationships are common in the restaurant industry

2 min read

Food

SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in Restaurant SmartBrief — tracks feedback from restaurant owners and managers about current trends and issues.

Last week’s poll question: Are you dating/married to someone you work with?

31.75% — Yes, I’m dating/married to someone I work with.
42.86% — I have dated/been married to someone I work with.
25.4% — I have never dated/married someone I work with.

Many chefs and restaurateurs have found love in the kitchen. Here are a couple of cute stories:

  • Piperade in San Francisco: Chef and owner Gerald Hirigoyen told the San Francisco Chronicle, “It’s a nice way to start the evening, making a beautiful dinner.” His wife, Cameron, handles back-of-house duties and strategy.
  • The Chemels of Baumé restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif., spent Valentine’s Day with their customers, according to this article. For dessert, chef-owner Bruno Chemel created dark chocolate paired with a delicate rosewater confection. His wife, Christie, works in the front of the house.

A CareerBuilder survey found that about 40% of workers report that they’ve dated someone they worked with, and 30% of those workplace romances turned into a trip down the aisle. “Workplace relationships no longer carry the stigma they once did, as 65% of workers said they aren’t keeping their romance a secret,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

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