Is Louisville 'Lazy-ville' For Young Restaurant Workers?

According to "these six guys" Steve Coomes talked to recently, today's young people suck. At least, those who aspire to work in Louisville's restaurants. "Several area restaurateurs" Coomes contacted for Insider Louisville fear there are "few to no back-ups" on the local chef and server scene, and think "without such support … the city may never reach its potential as a nationally recognized restaurant town." Coomes finds complaints of cooks that lack skills and servers who only want to work "25 to 30 hours a week" and party "the rest of the time." He quotes one operator: "'You go to great restaurants in New York and very qualified people are lining up for those jobs … Louisville servers don't view the work as a career, but rather as part-time work.'"

"I know I sound like an old man when I say it, but it's the damn truth: Too many of these kids want it now, but they aren't willing to work for it like we did," one of Coomes' crew reports. Coomes adds: "Worse, waaaaaaaay too many get frustrated and quit when they realize the bright lights of a Food Network studio are a lifetime away from the fluorescent-lit kitchen corner where they're peeling potatoes." Even a "younger operator" thinks Louisville area folk lack "a certain amount of motivation that can't be taught," adding that "Louisville is a very easy town to get by without doing a lot."

So is lack of depth and motivation really holding back the potential of the Louisville food scene? Eater would like to know your opinion. Tales of aimless, overly delicate (or overly old and cranky) restaurant people are welcomed as comments.

· To become a national player, Louisville's restaurants need a better 'bench' [Insider Louisville]