To Örebro University

In recent years, the line between high and low culinary standards has become blurred, leading to a transformative shift in restaurant culture. While considerable attention has been paid to consumption, there is a notable research gap concerning the production side within restaurant dining rooms. This thesis explores the meaning and practice of dining room professionals’ work in restaurants and expands the interpretation of hospitality as a dynamic and multifaceted practice within the restaurant. Drawing on interviews, observations, and autoethnography in contemporary casual restaurants and critically examining the portrayal of the dining room professional as communicated through recruitment, this thesis illustrates how dining room professionals incorporate personal values and self-fulfillment into their professional roles and abstract from traditional hospitality traits. The findings indicate that these professionals are not primarily driven by an ambition to advance their careers in traditional fine dining settings. Instead, they are seeking workplaces that foster the growth of their culinary skills and personal interests in collaboration with like-minded individuals, including guests as well as colleagues. This shift marks a departure from conventional hospitality norms, as these professionals express a desire for more autonomy and flexibility in their work, as well as enacting a shift away from the predictability of service manuals, the constraints of scripted interactions, and the limited opportunities for self-expression within the meal experience. Seen in a time of changes within the culinary field, this thesis contributes to the restaurant industry by showing how contemporary dining room professionals experience liberation when guided by personal beliefs, social tastes and identities, rather than guest demands or business directives, allowing them freedom to provide the work. In turn, this impacts their motivations for being in, and navigating through the restaurant industry.