- Top New York City chefs have been recruited to become private chefs for wealthy families.
- The New York City restaurant industry was severely impacted by the coronavirus. On March 17, all restaurants in the city were ordered to cease dine-in services and pivot to take-out or delivery only.
- Becoming a private chef allows for many-out-of-work restaurant employees to remain employed and maintain a steady income.
- They can even make more money as a wealthy family's personal chef than they did working in a restaurant.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Chefs from upscale New York City restaurants are leaving the city to become private chefs for wealthy families instead, Page Six's Jennifer Gould Keil reports — and it's just the latest example of how the city's high-end restaurant scene is suffering amid coronavirus shutdowns.
According to Keil, out-of-work chefs from restaurants like Daniel, Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, Jean-Georges, and Eleven Madison Park, tell her they've been approached by real-estate brokers and talent agencies for potential new jobs as private chefs. These are some of the city's most renowned upscale eateries; Eleven Madison Park, for one, is ranked among the top restaurants in the world, Business Insider previously reported.
Resorting to privatized work is one way for laid-off chefs to continue to make a living while staying in the industry. Ian Tenzer, a former sous chef at Eleven Madison Park, told Keil he "can't stand not working" and that he misses "being in the kitchen."
It can also be a more lucrative career option than restaurant cheffing. Those who formerly worked as sous chefs at upscale restaurants can expect to earn $120,000 to $200,000 a year working privately for a family, Keil reports — that's compared to the roughly $100,000 they'd make working in a restaurant.
They also have the potential to earn even more in bonuses if they agree to shelter-in-place with the families that hire them during the pandemic. Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported that many wealthy people (including Martha Stewart) are asking their staff to quarantine with them indefinitely, with some offering bonuses and raises to do so.
Business Insider's Katie Warren previously reported that the NYC restaurant industry ordinarily makes nearly $50 billion in sales each year and employs over 167,000 people. On March 17, restaurants in the city were forced to cease dine-in services and offer take-out and delivery only as part of coronavirus shutdowns implemented to curb the spread of the virus.
Just a day later, Union Square Hospitality Group, the restaurant group owned by renowned chef Danny Meyer that operates at least 18 restaurants in NYC (including the famed Gramercy Tavern), laid off 80% of its workforce, Business Insider's Taylor Borden reported. Many other restaurants and major hospitality groups followed suit, leaving thousands of restaurant workers without jobs or steady income.
