Michelin-starred restaurants. Prestigious culinary schools. Celebrity clients. Training in France. The resume sitting in front of us looked flawless. The chef’s portfolio showcased plating that belonged in art galleries. References praised their technical mastery and creative vision. By every conventional measure, this person should have been an ideal candidate for private service in Miami.
We didn’t move forward with them. Not because they couldn’t cook beautifully, which they absolutely could, but because an impressive culinary resume doesn’t automatically translate to success in private households. Cooking talent is only part of what makes someone effective as a private chef, and some incredibly skilled chefs simply don’t have the temperament, flexibility, or service orientation that families actually need.
We turn away roughly 95% of the private chef candidates who approach us. That’s not an exaggeration. For every twenty chefs who contact Seaside Staffing Company looking for placement, we might represent one or two. And the reasons we say no have very little to do with their culinary skills and almost everything to do with whether they understand what private service actually means.
Let’s be direct about something. Families hiring private chefs are paying six figures for someone who will make their lives easier, more enjoyable, and less stressful. They’re not paying for drama, rigidity, ego, or someone who makes them feel like they’re bothering their own employee by having preferences. After twenty years of placing private chefs in Miami and across ten markets, we’ve learned to spot the red flags early, and we’ve learned that protecting our families from bad placements is just as important as making good ones.
The Chef Who Can’t Handle Dietary Preferences Without Judgment
Last month, a chef contacted us with an absolutely stunning resume. Training in France, experience at a highly-regarded Miami restaurant, incredible plating skills documented in their portfolio. We were excited until we started asking about dietary flexibility and preferences.
The conversation changed immediately. They started talking about how most dietary restrictions are just trends, how they refused to cook “Instagram food” that prioritizes appearance over technique, how frustrating it is when people claim allergies that aren’t real. There was an unmistakable tone of judgment and superiority, like accommodating dietary preferences was beneath their training.
Here’s what this chef didn’t understand. In private service, your job is serving the family, not showcasing your culinary philosophy. If a family wants plant-based meals three nights a week, your job is making those meals delicious, not lecturing them about why they should eat differently. If someone has dietary restrictions, whether those are medically necessary or personal preferences, your job is accommodating them graciously and creatively.
We’ve placed private chefs with families who are vegan, families who follow strict kosher guidelines, families where one member has severe food allergies, families who are training for athletic competitions and need precise macro counting, families who eat extremely simple food despite being able to afford anything. The best private chefs handle all of this without making families feel high-maintenance or difficult. They see dietary requirements as creative challenges, not annoying restrictions.
That chef with the French training and the stunning portfolio? We didn’t move forward. Because we knew that the first time a Miami family asked for a grain-free, dairy-free dinner party menu, this chef would make them feel like they were asking for something unreasonable. And families paying $120,000 to $180,000 annually for a private chef should never feel judged about what they want to eat in their own home.
The Chef Who Needs a Perfect Kitchen or They Can’t Function
We interviewed a chef two years ago who had every credential you could want. But when we started talking about kitchen setups and working conditions, red flags appeared immediately. They needed very specific equipment. They needed a certain amount of counter space. They needed particular brands of knives and cookware. They had extremely detailed requirements about appliances, ventilation, and workspace layout.
This matters because private households don’t have restaurant kitchens, even wealthy households in Miami. Some families have beautiful, well-equipped kitchens. Some have kitchens that are designed more for aesthetics than functionality because the family rarely cooked before hiring a chef. Some have galley kitchens in downtown condos that are small but functional. Some have outdoor summer kitchens where families want meals prepared during good weather.
Great private chefs are adaptable. They can work in imperfect conditions and still produce exceptional food. They can make do with equipment that isn’t ideal. They know how to work efficiently in small spaces or configure less-than-optimal kitchens to suit their needs. They might ask families to invest in certain key pieces of equipment over time, but they don’t make their ability to do the job contingent on having a perfect setup from day one.
The chef who needed everything perfect? We didn’t represent them. Because we knew the first time they walked into a family’s kitchen and started listing everything that was wrong with it, that relationship would start on the wrong foot. Private service requires flexibility and problem-solving, not demands that families renovate their kitchens to suit your preferred working conditions.
We did place a chef last year with a Miami family whose kitchen was genuinely challenging to work in. Small, poorly laid out, lacking some basic equipment. The chef we placed walked through the kitchen during the interview, asked some questions about the family’s plans for updates, and then said something that sealed the placement: “I can absolutely work with this. Give me a week to learn the space, and I’ll make it work beautifully while we figure out what equipment investments would make sense long-term.” That’s the attitude that succeeds in private service.
The Chef Whose Schedule Is Non-Negotiable
Private chef positions often require flexibility with hours and schedules. Sometimes families eat dinner at 6:00 PM. Sometimes they eat at 9:00 PM because of business commitments. Sometimes they’re entertaining on a Saturday night. Sometimes they need breakfast at 5:30 AM because someone has an early flight. Sometimes plans change last minute.
We’ve turned away talented chefs because they needed strict 9-to-5 hours, or because they couldn’t work evenings, or because they wouldn’t work weekends under any circumstances. Listen, everyone deserves work-life balance, and we absolutely advocate for private chefs having reasonable schedules with appropriate time off. But if your schedule is so rigid that you can’t accommodate the natural flexibility that private households require, you’re not right for this type of work.
The best private chefs build flexibility into their roles from the beginning. They work with families to establish core hours and expectations, but they understand that private service sometimes means adjusting schedules to accommodate the family’s needs. They plan ahead when they know busy periods are coming. They communicate proactively about their availability. And they’re willing to have their schedules shift somewhat based on family travel, entertaining, or changing routines.
We worked with a chef in Miami Beach whose family had unpredictable schedules because of business travel and international calls at odd hours. Some weeks, the family needed three meals a day. Other weeks, they barely needed the chef at all because they were dining out for business or traveling. The chef we placed structured their compensation to account for this variability, built in guaranteed hours and salary minimums, but remained flexible about when those hours happened and how meal prep was timed. That flexibility made them invaluable to that family.
The chefs who need absolute schedule predictability? They’re usually happier in restaurant environments where service hours are consistent. Private households require more adaptability, and there’s no shame in acknowledging that’s not everyone’s preference. But it does mean those chefs aren’t right for our placements.
The Chef Who Thinks Meal Prep Is Beneath Them
Here’s something that separates restaurant chefs from private chefs. In private service, you’re often doing meal prep, cooking family meals that aren’t particularly fancy, making food that will be reheated later, or preparing simple weekday dinners that are healthy and quick rather than elaborate productions.
Some chefs with high-end restaurant experience think this type of cooking is beneath their training. They want every meal to be an artistic creation. They want to showcase advanced techniques. They want to present elaborate tasting menus. And when families just want grilled chicken and vegetables for a Tuesday night dinner, these chefs get bored or resentful.
We turned away a chef last year who made it clear during our conversation that they were really only interested in cooking dinner parties and special events. The daily family meals? They saw that as filler work they’d tolerate to get to the interesting cooking. That attitude is poisonous in private service.
The reality is, private chefs spend a lot of time cooking relatively simple food. Making breakfast for kids before school. Preparing healthy lunches. Making quick weeknight dinners. Doing meal prep so families have ready-to-eat options when the chef isn’t working. The best private chefs take pride in this work because they understand their job is nourishing the family and making their daily lives easier, not just impressing them with culinary pyrotechnics.
We placed a chef with a Miami family who are serious athletes and eat very clean, very repetitive meals built around lean proteins, vegetables, and specific macronutrients. Lots of grilled chicken, lots of steamed fish, lots of salads with precise dressings. Not glamorous cooking. But the chef we placed approaches it with pride because they understand they’re supporting the family’s health and performance goals. They make those simple meals delicious within the constraints. And when the family does want something more elaborate, they deliver that too. That versatility and willingness to cook whatever serves the family best is what makes someone successful in private service.
The Chef Who Can’t Work with Other Staff
Private chefs in larger households work alongside housekeepers, house managers, estate managers, and sometimes other kitchen staff. If you can’t collaborate respectfully with other household staff, you’re not going to last in private service.
We’ve turned away chefs who were territorial about their kitchen space, who treated housekeeping staff dismissively, who refused to coordinate with house managers about schedules and inventory, or who saw themselves as superior to other household employees. This attitude creates toxic household dynamics that families absolutely hate dealing with.
Great private chefs understand they’re part of a team. They communicate with housekeepers about kitchen cleaning schedules. They coordinate with house managers about grocery orders and vendor relationships. They’re respectful about shared spaces and other staff’s responsibilities. They build positive working relationships with everyone in the household, from estate managers to security staff to gardeners.
We placed a private chef with a Coral Gables family that has a large staff including a house manager, two housekeepers, and a driver. The chef we placed immediately established great working relationships with everyone. They coordinate with the house manager about weekly menus and shopping lists. They’re considerate about timing their kitchen work so it doesn’t conflict with the housekeepers’ cleaning schedules. They’re friendly and respectful with everyone. Two years later, the house manager tells us that chef is the easiest staff member they work with, which is exactly what we want to hear.
The chefs who see themselves as artists who need everyone else to accommodate their process? They struggle in households with other staff. And families don’t want to referee conflicts between their employees or deal with complaints about someone being difficult to work with.
The Chef Who Can’t Handle Feedback
Here’s one that surprises people. We’ve turned away very talented chefs because they couldn’t handle feedback graciously. In private service, families will have opinions about their food. Sometimes they’ll ask you to adjust seasoning, change an ingredient, modify a recipe, or prepare something differently than you’d prefer. If you take that feedback as personal criticism or get defensive about your choices, you’re going to struggle.
The best private chefs separate their ego from their work. They understand that cooking for a family long-term means learning their preferences, adjusting based on feedback, and viewing criticism as helpful information rather than personal attacks. They ask questions, they take notes, they adjust without making the family feel bad about having preferences.
We interviewed a chef last year who had incredible skills but couldn’t seem to hear feedback without getting defensive. During our conversation, when we mentioned that families sometimes need recipes modified for allergies or preferences, the chef immediately started explaining why their recipes were balanced perfectly and changing them would ruin the dishes. That defensiveness was a massive red flag.
Compare that to a chef we placed with a Miami family where the principal is extremely particular about flavors and has very specific preferences. This chef approaches every meal as a learning opportunity. They take notes about what the principal loved and what could be adjusted. They ask questions about seasoning preferences. They experiment with variations to find what works best for this particular family. And when the principal makes a request, they respond with “absolutely, let me work on that” rather than defending their original approach.
That openness to feedback and willingness to customize your cooking to suit the family is essential in private service. If you need your culinary choices validated rather than adjusted, you’re better off in a restaurant where you set the menu and diners either order it or don’t.
The Chef Who Treats the Job as a Stepping Stone
We’ve also turned away chefs who were very clear that they saw private service as temporary while they worked toward opening their own restaurant or pursuing other culinary goals. Listen, ambition is fine. Career goals are fine. But families investing in a private chef want someone committed to the role, not someone who’s clearly planning their exit before they even start.
Private chef positions work best when there’s stability and longevity. It takes time for chefs to learn a family’s preferences, routines, and needs. It takes time to build trust and comfortable working relationships. Families don’t want to invest in hiring and training someone who’s planning to leave in a year or two.
The chefs who succeed in private service genuinely enjoy this type of work. They like the creativity of cooking for the same family long-term and developing deep knowledge of their preferences. They appreciate the work-life balance that private positions often offer compared to restaurant hours. They value the relationships they build with families. And they see private service as a legitimate career, not a temporary gig between restaurant jobs.
We placed a chef five years ago with a Brickell family, and that chef is still with them today. During the interview, when we asked about their long-term goals, they talked about building a career in private service, developing expertise in household management, and potentially mentoring younger chefs entering private service. That commitment to the work itself, not just using it as a means to something else, is what families want and deserve.
The Chef Who Doesn’t Understand Discretion
This one is non-negotiable for us. Private service requires absolute discretion. You’re in people’s homes. You see their lives, their families, their routines, their struggles, their celebrations. You overhear conversations. You know details about their finances, health, relationships, and schedules. All of that information is completely confidential, always.
We’ve turned away chefs who casually mentioned having cooked for celebrity clients by name, who posted photos of elaborate meals they’d prepared in private homes on social media without permission, or who talked about former employer families in ways that revealed details about their lives. If you can’t keep confidential information confidential, you don’t belong in private service.
Miami is a particularly challenging market for this because there’s a lot of wealth, celebrity, and social visibility. Families are extremely concerned about staff discretion. The private chefs who succeed here understand that you never discuss your employer family with anyone outside the household, you never post photos of their home or meals without explicit permission, you never share details about their routines or schedules, and you certainly never trade on their names to impress people or advance your own career.
We placed a chef last year with a very high-profile Miami family, and one of the reasons we selected that chef was their understanding of discretion. When we asked about their previous positions, they talked about the types of families they’d worked for and the scope of their responsibilities without ever mentioning names or revealing identifying details. That ability to discuss their experience professionally without betraying confidentiality told us everything we needed to know.
What We’re Actually Looking For
After turning away hundreds of talented chefs over twenty years, we’ve gotten very clear about what actually makes someone successful in private service. Technical cooking skills are important, but they’re table stakes. What we’re really evaluating is temperament, flexibility, emotional intelligence, professionalism, and genuine service orientation.
The chefs we love placing are the ones who light up when talking about making families’ lives better through food. The ones who get excited about learning a family’s preferences and customizing their cooking accordingly. The ones who see dietary restrictions as creative challenges rather than annoying limitations. The ones who are endlessly adaptable and unflappable when plans change. The ones who treat other household staff with respect. The ones who take feedback graciously and use it to improve. The ones who understand that private service means prioritizing the family’s needs over their own ego or preferences.
Those chefs might not have the most impressive resumes. They might not have trained at the most prestigious culinary schools. But they understand private service at a fundamental level, and that understanding makes them dramatically more successful than more technically accomplished chefs who can’t adjust to what private households actually need.
Why We’re So Selective
Families sometimes ask us why we’re so selective about the candidates we represent. The answer is simple. Your household is your sanctuary. The people who work in your home should make your life better, easier, and more enjoyable. If we place a chef who’s talented but difficult, or skilled but inflexible, or accomplished but egotistical, we’ve failed you even if the food is technically excellent.
We’ve been making these placements for over twenty years in Miami and across ten markets. We’ve seen what happens when families hire based solely on culinary credentials without evaluating temperament and service orientation. We’ve seen talented chefs flame out because they couldn’t handle the flexibility private service requires. We’ve seen families become stressed and unhappy because their chef is difficult to work with, even though the food is good.
Our job isn’t just finding someone who can cook beautifully. It’s finding someone who will be a genuinely positive presence in your household, someone who makes your daily life easier, someone who your family looks forward to seeing every day. That requires us to turn away a lot of technically qualified candidates who simply don’t have what it takes to succeed in private service.
While you’ll never see us trying to become the biggest household staffing company, you’ll always see us working hard to remain the best. And being the best means protecting families from placements that look good on paper but create stress in reality. It means saying no to talented chefs who would be successful in restaurants but struggle in private households. It means being selective, being honest about what works and what doesn’t, and never placing someone just to make a placement.
Because the truth is, bad placements don’t just waste time and money. They create stress, conflict, and disappointment in your home, which is the last place you should experience those things. The chefs we turn away might be brilliant culinarians. But if they’re not right for private service, they’re not right for our families, and we’d rather say no than set everyone up for failure.
