“People like to come to this restaurant because we have hot girls and great food,” Scott said. I looked around as I took a bite of my burger and I had to agree. The servers were all wearing skin-tight low cut black dresses and the burger was the best I had ever tasted. I was excited to become a part of this kitchen team.

My name is Danielle. I’m 21 years old. I have shoulder length natural blonde hair and a 29 inch waist. I was studying geography at a small midwest university on a partial scholarship, but things weren’t really working out. When I went home for spring break, I saw a career fair and dropped a few resumes off. I managed to get a job at a restaurant called Allan’s, so I quit school and moved in with some girls from my hometown. Scott, the head chef, trained me on pans on my second day, and by the end of my first week I knew salads and appetizers as well. I was quickly promoted to calls, putting me in charge of pans, salads, and appetizers cooks. I started leading the closing shifts, and the sous chef, Ian, trained me on grill. I felt confident that I would shortly be promoted again when Scott mentioned raising my salary. 

That was three months ago. Since then, Scott has hired more line cooks, most of them clueless. The two most clueless are the new pans cook, Evan, and the appetizers guy, Derek. Evan likes to complain about every little thing that goes wrong and is a very slow worker, but seems to think that he is God’s gift to the kitchen. Derek is at least aware of his own incompetence, but he is a lazy high schooler who is only there to make money to buy weed. The only recent hire that I like is Roger. Roger had no prior kitchen experience, but he is a hard worker and a fast worker who gets along with almost everyone.

The only person Roger doesn’t get along with is Kevin. Kevin is 18 and in high school. He works part time after school. As far as I know, this is the only job he has ever had. Kevin also works on calls. Up until this week, we have hardly ever worked together, since we are in the same position. Scott and Ian have been scheduling me on pans and appetizers lately instead of calls, though. They are putting Kevin on calls. Kevin isn’t any better or worse at it than I am, and I don’t mind cooking, but there are other circumstances surrounding the situation. There is a promotion on the line.

Kevin, Roger, and I are the three likely candidates for the promotion. All of the kitchen management is already acting like Kevin already has the promotion, though. Rick, the night kitchen supervisor, is directly under the sous chef. Rick has been having Kevin do the logout with him each night, preparing him for the position he is so sure Kevin will get. As far as I see it, Kevin doesn’t deserve the promotion, and Rick acting like he has already been promoted is incredibly inappropriate.

I have more education, more work experience, more restaurant experience, and more management experience than either Kevin or Roger does. I am older than Kevin and more responsible than him. The only thing they have that I don’t is a penis. The more I thought about the situation, the more gender inequality in my workplace became evident. There are no female kitchen leaders, sous chefs, head chefs, or regional managers that I have ever heard of. And Scott’s comment keeps echoing through my mind. “Hot girls and great food.” Looking around at the servers, I can see that all we are is a classier version of Hooters. 

Be warned, Allan’s. If the less qualified Kevin and Roger are promoted before I am, I will not let it go unavenged.