“And that happens constantly.” Sushi chef at Rock N’ Raw “Today Rise Kitchen & Deli, for whatever reason, did three times the volume we expected for breakfast, so it’s all hands on deck, pulling chefs, needing everybody to get through it, and then they go back to their normal duties,” Tash says. But there are many days, like the day we visited, where unexpected employee sick days or a surprise influx of guests scramble Tash’s best-laid plans. Tash uses forecasting spreadsheets to predict the number of diners per hour at each restaurant, each day, based on historic numbers and extenuating circumstances - say, a special giveaway at the casino that entices more people to visit the property, and thus the restaurants. Well, at least when things are going according to schedule. “That’s when things really start ramping up,” Tash says. That’s usually on weekdays before 11:30 a.m., when Fresh Harvest Buffet and Hard Rock Café open and the rest of the property’s restaurants are in full prep mode. Administrative tasks like meeting with chefs, reviewing menus and specials, analyzing food costs, and communicating with support departments like human resources and purchasing are slotted in wherever they fit. when just one restaurant, the 24-hour Rise Kitchen & Deli, is open for business. He typically arrives on property around 8 a.m. “It changes constantly week over week,” Tash says. Tash quickly disabused us of the idea that there was such a thing as a “typical” week - or even a typical day - in the life of an executive chef charged with serving 10,000 diners every 24 hours. We were going to detail a typical week in the life of executive chef Albert Tash, who oversees the design and operation of the Hard Rock’s 12 dining concepts, as well as menu creation and team communication. On a recent Friday afternoon, we went into the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa with a plan. The facts and figures described below are reflective of the property operating at full capacity. The Seminole Hard Rock is currently operating with a limited capacity, and some restaurants are not available. Editor’s note: This story was reported and written before in early March, before the pandemic.

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