Stephen Hess
Local resident Stephen Hess is an executive chef and kitchen manager at Cantina Laredo in the Uptown Entertainment District. Photo by Jordan Hays.
Stephen Hess may be an executive chef and kitchen manager, but he said he’s continually grateful for his degree in psychology. It aids him with “the broad dynamic of personalities, needs and interactions” that occur daily in the kitchen of Cantina Laredo.
“Managing people and situations every day is a challenge,” he said. “Both your co-workers and guests thrive on the mutual relationship that develops as a result of a supply-need interaction.”
Hired as executive chef just prior to the restaurant’s opening in the Uptown entertainment district about a year ago, Hess said his title is somewhat misleading. His responsibilities extend beyond food and include a variety of tasks, including purchasing and receiving and the oversight of all sanitation practices.
“It depends on the need at the moment — it’s a scratch kitchen and I oversee the back line where items like rice, beans and signature sauces must be ready and right for the doors to open,” Hess said. “And then the pressure turns to the front line, where I make sure every plate is right and served in a timely manner. I can cook anything on the menu and have done most everything in a restaurant, from the dishes to handling the profit and loss statements.”
Hess, who resides in Vestavia with his wife and two children, has spent nearly half of his 33 years in the hospitality and beverage service, rising to his position with no formal training. At 15, he jumped into the summer and after-school workforce, working at the entry level as a dishwasher and busboy. After graduating from John Carroll High School, he entered Birmingham-Southern College to pursue psychology, paying his bills via restaurant work, which eventually included cooking at locations of TGI Friday’s and Chappy’s Deli.
He took a break from school when he was promoted to management at the Prairie Fire Grill and Original Joe’s restaurants, but when they closed he headed back to Birmingham-Southern and finished his degree. After graduation, Hess worked in a few more restaurant kitchens before being recruited to Cantina Laredo.
“I had actually intended to pursue my Ph.D. but my graduation coincided with the birth of our son, so I decided to utilize the skills I had by applying my knowledge to this field,” he said.
Hess said he views psychology as a mindset rather than a skill set and uses it as “a predictive and managerial tool” in his job.
“It’s important to know the people around you and learn how to work together, develop expectations and execute our respective functions in the restaurant,” he said. “Every day is different. You might be serving the same food, but you never know what’s going to happen.”
Susi Smith, Cantina Laredo’s general manager, said she highly values Hess’ attitude and all the experience he has gained by working his way up in the business.
“Stephen is extremely creative and, while he knows when to be serious, can be light and silly and brings a sense of fun to the kitchen,” she said. “At the same time, he can do most anything here, which is vital because his area of responsibility — the back of the house — is the heart of the restaurant that is the key to a restaurant’s success.”
