What Happens If My Right Hand Decides to Leave Tomorrow?

Every chef has one: the right hand. The sous-chef who knows your mise-en-place better than you do, the manager who keeps the floor running while you’re at the pass, the person you trust when chaos hits.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: one day, they might leave. And if you haven’t prepared for it, your whole operation can crumble overnight.

So the question isn’t “Will they leave?” it’s “What happens if they do?”
Here are 10 strategies to protect your kitchen, your brand, and your peace of mind.

1. Document Your Systems

If all the knowledge lives in your right hand’s head, you’re one resignation away from disaster. Write down recipes, prep lists, supplier contacts, and service protocols. Systems save you when people move on.

2. Cross-Train Your Team

Don’t let one person be the only one who knows the sauce, the suppliers, or the bookings. Train across roles so that if someone leaves, others can step up without panic.

3. Build Leaders, Not Followers

Empower multiple team members to take initiative. When leadership is shared, no single departure can paralyze you.

4. Make Them Proud of the Brand

Your right hand should feel like more than an employee, they’re an ambassador. Involve them in branding, storytelling, and guest interactions. Pride in your vision keeps them loyal, and if they do leave, the rest of the team still carries the brand’s flame.

5. Respect Work-Life Balance

Often, right hands leave not because of money, but because they burn out. Respecting boundaries and protecting rest time shows you value them as humans, not machines.

6. Create a Pipeline of Talent

Spot the hungry commis, the sharp server, the curious junior. Give them chances to lead in small ways. That way, if your right hand leaves, someone is ready to grow into the role.

7. Build Emotional Bonds, Not Just Professional Ones

People stay when they feel part of a family. Shared rituals, team traditions, or even a sense of humor in the hardest moments, these bonds make departures less likely.

8. Have a Crisis Plan

Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Know in advance who covers which tasks, how to communicate the change, and how to reassure both staff and guests if your right hand suddenly exits.

9. Keep Dialogue Open

Don’t wait until they hand in their notice to ask how they’re doing. Regular check-ins, honest conversations, and listening to frustrations can prevent surprises.

10. Accept That Change Is Part of Growth

Even the best right hand may one day leave to open their own place, to move abroad, or to take a break. If your systems, culture, and brand are strong, your restaurant won’t collapse. It will adapt and perhaps even grow stronger.

Final Thought

Losing a right hand hurts. But the chefs who thrive are the ones who see it not as the end of an era, but as part of the natural rhythm of hospitality. Build systems, invest in people, and lead with vision so that when change comes, your kitchen doesn’t lose its heartbeat.