This is pretty much a must-read for anyone interested in social justice and everyone in America who eats out regularly.

My only criticism is that the writing style is somewhat clunky. But that has nothing to do with the message of the work, and it's the message here that matters. ( )

One of the founders of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United recounts personal stories of hardship and injustice in the restaurant industry, backed up by national statistics. She details the legal policies and lobbying that enable these unjust and unhealthful working conditions, and lays out specific ways to end them. Great cause, terrible writing. ( )

Beautifully written. Having watched Robert Irvine's Restaurant Impossible many times, it's frightening to think of the conditions of the vast majority (?) of small restaurants---which immediately advertises the fact that if you can't afford the help to take care of the facilities in the restaurant you certainly cannot be treating your workers well. Jayaraman's efforts are incredible and probably work better in large cities. The wage issue should be handled nationwide yesterday---eating in a restaurant where the workers suffer makes no sense for anyone. The guide idea is terrific and it's just a shame that it's such an uphill climb. Yes, everyone who ever eats out should read this, absorb it and remember it...the very next time he/she goes out to eat. ( )

I am guilty of a crime. It’s mostly a crime of omission or ignorance, but it is an offense nonetheless. When I go out to a restaurant, I have never concerned myself with whether the establishment has fair management or hiring practices. I never bother to find out whether anybody working that day is sick and had to come to work for fear of losing pay or their job entirely. I hardly notice that skin color tends to get darker as you approach the back of the house. But Saru Jayaraman has. Her book Behind the Kitchen Door and her organization (the Restaurant Opportunity Centers United) try to lift the veil surrounding food service workers in order to make the entire world of outside-the-home dining sustainable for all, from the food vendors to the workers to management, and even to the customer.

Jayaraman’s crusade for restaurant workers’ rights began with September 11th. When the Windows on the World restaurant fell with everything else in the Towers, dozens of displaced restaurant workers had to wait for re-employment. When the owners built a new establishment, many of the old workers were not hired back because they “didn’t have enough experience.” Never mind that they had already worked for this employer before, some people for many years. Jayaraman, with the help of Fekkak Mamdouh, began a protest campaign and organization that helped the workers get rehired.

Then, others came for her help. They were tired of being discrimintaed against, tired of harassment, tired of unequal pay, and tired of wage gouging and tip theft by their employers. The ROC organized studies and research into which restaurants were the worst offenders and petitioned, through either civil or legal measures, for remuneration, for fair compensation, or for more transparent hiring policies to be enacted at many restaurants. In this book, we get many stories of restaurant workers who faced hurdle after hurdle to break into the industry only to face rampant inequality once they get the job.

Granted, the book tends to read like one long informercial for a non-profit organization, but the stories need telling. I’m not about to lie and say that I’ll be doing thorough investigations of a place before I eat there, but I will be a bit more attentive to the work atmosphere, noticing who’s where and how the restaurant presents its workforce. It’s hard to climb onto a high horse after so much nonchalance on the matter, but Jaramayan makes a very good case for serious reform in the food service industry, and it would least behoove us to listen to what she has to say. ( )

Readers will never think the same way about eating out again. Jayaraman's research is startling and hits home--if the reader doesn't care about the health of the people serving his food, he certainly will care about how it affects him. As the author points out in the book, people spend so much time worrying about the quality of the food, but not the conditions it was prepared in, the people who create it. Well, after reading this, they will. However, some of the facts lack context and seem slightly exaggerated, which, for some readers, might call into question the validity of them all. ( )