Set your story in the kitchen of a bustling restaurant.

Posted in Fiction on Jul 14, 2023

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✍️ 39 stories

“The Onion” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #207

The mayonnaise has not been made.As the onion contemplates how long it will be until someone notices that the mayonnaise has not been made, it sees Chef Doyle trying not to cry.Chef Doyle does not cry at work. In general, Chef Doyle does not cry at all, but the onion has no way of knowing that. We only know what the onion knows, and the onion knows that, for the most part, crying at work is frowned upon. The onion also knows that crying in a busy kitchen on a Saturday night is not helpful when the tickets are already piling up and the weeds ...

41 comments 41

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“Bigfoot Bouillabaisse” by Joshua Copus - Oxland

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #207

Sweat stuck to Sue. It stuck to her smooth skin, her hair, her toque, her whites, her apron, everything. Her sweat intermingled with that of her fellow chefs, humans like her and monsters alike. The odours of wet fur, ripe fruit, almonds and petrichor emanated from the canidens and the bigfeet. Mixed with the sizzling of steak, peppers and hot oil in the pan, broiling onions and stew in the pots, and the baked aromas of cheese and pastry wafting from the ovens, it filled the kitchen with a musky miasma.Sue loved it. It sucked to feel like a ...

17 comments 17

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“The Land of Opportunity” by Joan Wright

Submitted to Contest #207

Salvador leaned over the sink to rest his aching back. "We need more glasses," shouted Steve as he pushed his way through the swinging door. Salvador filled another metal tray with glasses and lifted it into the dishwasher. He adjusted the bandana he had tied on his sweating forehead. The spray of hot water and the heat from the giant grills was almost unbearable. He only made ten dollars a hour. He was paid in cash no questions asked. Salvador was one of the lucky ones, and he knew it. He had a job and made enough money to rent a tiny apar...

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“The Chef's Hat” by Mary Richards

Submitted to Contest #207

The Chef’s Hat Macy pushed the swinging doors open to enter the kitchen. Her kitchen. The space that brought her more joy than anything else. The restaurant had been built from the ground floor by John, her husband. Memories flooded her brain as she watched the dance of the head chef and her helpers. The smell of sauteing garlic and onion mixed with the heavenly scent of prime rib and roasting chicken assaulted her senses today. It should be John wearing the white chef’s coat, calling out the orders, working his magic. She stood, unnotice...

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“STAR” by Charles Corkery

Submitted to Contest #207

STAR “Okay, you guys, listen up. This is it-the real thing. The first night for our new restaurant: STAR. No more rehearsals, no more fuck ups that we can get away with. Tonight, everybody needs to be on their A-game, okay? If you have a problem, let me know immediately. Do you all understand?” In unison, the kitchen crew acquiesced. “Yes, Chef!” “I can’t fucking hear you. Do you all understand?” “YES, CHEF!” “Okay, fifty minutes to service. Let’s do this!” Aldo turned away from his BOH staff ...

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“The Window” by Liam Murphy

Submitted to Contest #207

The Window There wasn’t a window. We, George and Justin La Croix, the owners of the restaurant, couldn’t allow our affluent customers to see or hear the chaotic scenes that went into the prepping of their pricey meals. While our front-of-house staff worked in a calm and measured atmosphere, the kitchens were entirely different. Our restaurant in New York was named La Maison Du George. We served upmarket, traditional French cuisine in an intimately formal setting. Diners ate to the accompaniment of background classical music. The customer's...

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“In the Weeds” by Stevie Burden

Submitted to Contest #207

In the Weeds By: Stevie Stephens Burden It was early but Mickey was already in the kitchen. She worked on all the front of the house chores that had to be done before she could open the coffee shop. She needed to find out what their baker had come up with overnight. Then she would need to put them in the display cases. Mickey, never knew what to expect on any given morning or day despite being co-owner of the restaurant. It was just the nature of the business. She prepared for another busy day of tourists, locals, serving three meals, co...

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“All the trouble for Ali ” by Miranda Ndowa

Submitted to Contest #207

It was exactly 3:30 am when the whole town went dark. The Generator rolled his eyes and sighed. It was going to be a hectic day without electricity, with all screwdrivers and spanners operating him should he try the malfunction stunt. He wondered why Lagertha was his destination after the three months he had spent in a container shipment from China, only to be delivered to the doorstep of the Foodies Corner, a famous restaurant in Lagertha. He had served for straight five years, but right now he felt like retiring. “Hey, Generator, off I g...

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“Turning Tables” by Celia Bassols

Submitted to Contest #207

“Pick up ten. Vite, vite.” Chef Claude was already tired of this waiter tonight. “If the sauce breaks before it gets to your table, you’ll be wearing it. Do you understand?”“Oui, Chef.”Upon hearing this, Chef’s ears burned. “Speaking French doesn’t make you a garçon, remember that.” Chef Claude was in a particular mood this evening. “Americans.” The acidic words flowed effortlessly off his tongue. “Life is so easy for you until you actually have to work.”His staff heard Chef’s quip and anxiously looked at him, hoping he would offer more...

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“If you can't take the heat....” by Gloria Dawn

Submitted to Contest #207

If You Can’t Take the Heat….. Marcel was screaming again. He was a great chef, but when it got busy in the restaurant, he sometimes lost his cool. The brow-beaten wait staff and kitchen helpers were terrified of him, and more than a few had quit, unable to tolerate his volatile moods. I was determined to hang in there because, although he was hard to work with at times, Marcel could be quite personable otherwise. When the dinner rush was over and things settled down to a dull roar, he could even be called pleasant. Marcel was a perfection...

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“Sylvia's Journal” by John Van Winkle

Submitted to Contest #207

Sylvia’s Journal (a short story by John Van Winkle) ‘May 26, 1998– June 3, 2012… things I’ve been told, things I recall, and a few other things: My birth mother- a single teenager of whom I know nothing else. She gave me up shortly after I was born. My birth father- no information (and no interest, really). My first foster home- Mrs. and Mr. Rios. I don’t remember much from that period, but I understand that they were good people who practiced and taught me solid values and a conversational mix of English and Spanish, raising me for...

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“The Wet Rat Finds Home ” by Morgan Thompson

Submitted to Contest #207

Putting on an apron each morning for work feels like a warm hug. I had just recently started working at The Big Orange in the grove district. It was the kind of place where you’d expect to see young professionals and moms with their kids kissing daddy goodbye. After a lot of people watching, I noticed a pattern where once the husbands left, the wives joined forces for mimosa(s).This area of town always felt like home to me when I felt like I'd lost my sense of "home". It was different than growing up in a neighboring city because the drive t...

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“Mother's Day” by Kat White

Submitted to Contest #207

I twisted my fingers in the pocket of my apron, my stomach knotting. The restaurant manager looked at his clipboard, then at us, and then at the clipboard again. Adam was probably the best manager we’d had in years, but his resting-bitch-face always made me sweat. His dark, bushy brows drew together in concentration. “Chelsea,” he said, in his cold, commanding voice, and Chelsea, who stood beside me, straightened her spine. “You’re on clearing.” “No problem,” Chelsea said, but I noticed the slump in her posture. No one enjoyed clearing dut...

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“Table 17” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #207

Elmo's on the Lake was packed by 6 pm Friday, and the staff was already rushing to fill their guest's orders.Crash!Celeste lost control of a tray of drinks. Beer, wine, and margaritas toppled onto the floor into a heap of foaming liquid, ice, and broken glass."Go reorder the drinks. I'll clean this mess," said Sarie as she grabbed the broom, dustpan, and a mop.She was hostess for the night, dressed in her best black evening gown, and hoped she didn't look too much like a witch as she swept up the muddle with the broom. There was someone comi...

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“The Harrowing of Hell” by Caroline Tuohy

Submitted to Contest #207

Tonight is not John Browns night. He sits, left leg crossed over right, on an upturned milk crate outside the back door of the restaurant kitchen, and lights a cigarette. A bucketful of water is thrown out the back door and splashes onto John Browns shoes. It is quickly followed by another. John Brown heavily inhales his cigarette. He looks away from the back door. If the kitchen is flooding, I don’t want to know, he thinks as he exhales the smoke into the air. Back inside, the dining room is booked out, over 100 guests, each barking a...

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Set your story in the kitchen of a bustling restaurant.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 39 stories

“The Onion” by Story Time

“Bigfoot Bouillabaisse” by Joshua Copus - Oxland

“The Land of Opportunity” by Joan Wright

“The Chef's Hat” by Mary Richards

“STAR” by Charles Corkery

“The Window” by Liam Murphy

“In the Weeds” by Stevie Burden

“All the trouble for Ali ” by Miranda Ndowa

“Turning Tables” by Celia Bassols

“If you can't take the heat....” by Gloria Dawn

“Sylvia's Journal” by John Van Winkle

“The Wet Rat Finds Home ” by Morgan Thompson

“Mother's Day” by Kat White

“Table 17” by Karen Corr

“The Harrowing of Hell” by Caroline Tuohy

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story on a film or TV set, starting with someone calling “Cut!”

Write about a person who constantly has to put on a persona (e.g. at work, in their relationships, etc.) who can finally drop the facade.

A journalist has been granted permission to visit the premises of a lab carrying out top-secret work. They could never have anticipated what they’d find…

Write a story about a magician who never reveals their secrets — until now.

Contest #207

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

234

Contest entries

96

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: