Can Chefs Have Tattoos? (Question Answered)
There are many professions where tattoos aren’t allowed, a flight attendant, for example. These jobs always have something in common such as customer service and standards that needs to be upheld.
This article will teach you whether chefs can have tattoos and some additional information about tattoos and what chefs can and can’t do.
In short, chefs can have tattoos from head to toe. In fact, the profession of a chef is one of the only jobs that allows having as many tattoos as possible, whereas salespeople and other occupations will not. Many chefs are tattooed because the person is creative, and so is the job of a chef.
That being said, if you are a customer, you might not know this because chefs are usually in the back working, and you rarely see one. However, you can see chefs in open kitchen restaurants or more high-end restaurants where the chefs prepare food for the audience. In these cases, you might have noticed that many chefs have tattoos.
As a chef myself that has worked in dozens of restaurants, I can confirm that there are more tattooed people among chefs than in any profession out there. Even when I don’t have tattoos myself but I have thought of getting them.
The funny thing is that not every restaurant type has the same amount of tattooed people, and the ones that do are clearly restaurants that are open in late hours and where younger people are working.
For example, sports bars/restaurants, a la carte restaurants, and casual restaurants are the restaurant types with many tattooed chefs compared to school cafeterias, nursery kitchens, and industrial kitchens. I know because I have worked in all of these and beyond.
Finally, there are many popular tattoo locations (at least where the eye can see) that clearly are trending. These places are the inner part of an arm, knuckles, and the neck tattoo has become more and more trending.
Now, let’s see why chefs have so much tattoos compared to other profession groups.
You might be interested in: Why Do Chefs Smoke? (5 Reasons Why)
Contents
Why do chefs have tattoos
There are two main reasons on why chefs have so many tattoos if we don’t take their personal reasons under the radar.
The first reason why chefs have tattoos is that they can. As briefly hinted above, many other occupations don’t allow tattoos, at least ones that are visible to the customers. This is because of an outdated mindset that is still present in today’s world. However, this mindset is clearly fading bit by bit because tattoos have skyrocketed in popularity.
If we went back in time to a restaurant in the 1940s or 1960s, tattooed chefs certainly wouldn’t be a common sight; however, 2020 and beyond is a completely different thing.
Still, tattoos are taboo for some professions simply because they deal with many tattoo-averse customers that haven’t adapted to the thought that tattoos don’t mean criminal or something along that line.
The second reason why chefs have tattoos is that they are creative people. The common question about chefs is why so many chefs get and have tattoos, but the real question you should be asking is why do people with tattoos become chefs, and you will find the answer.
People with tattoos are usually creative and artsy people that love to express themselves. The same goes for the chef’s career, as you can craft beautiful dishes and put your personality and creativity into them. Certain things attract each other and so creative people to create jobs.
How much do chefs spend on tattoos
This really depends on the chef and the number of tattoos, but from what I have talked with my co-workers about, the usual cost goes over a thousand dollars, sometimes even +$10.000. That being said, getting such tattoos aren’t cheap, and some tattoos cost way more than others.
For example, back, stomach, and neck tattoos will cost more than a simple tattoo to the hand. The cost varies between how large the tattooed area is, how stretchy the skin is, and how much pain it will inflict because it will take more breaks. All of this requires more time and effort, which is reflected in the price.
Read also: Can a Chef Be Rich?
Can chefs have face tattoos
In general, chefs can have as many tattoos as they want, including neck and face. However, this is ultimately up to the employer, and some of them don’t want tattoos that show, at least on their faces, because tattoo-averse customers are coming in to be served.
Do chefs shave their arms
Generally, chefs don’t shave their arms because of the job, nor are they required to do so. Keeping body hair out of food is extremely important; however, it is unreasonable to ask a person to shave their whole arms, especially when arm hair doesn’t just come off like hair, which is why chefs use hats.
Also, when chefs are touching the food as they are assembling the dish, it is common that they are using gloves. If arm hair would come off, it is usually in the shower or brushing from the clothing’s friction.
Finally, if the chef has really hairy arms, then it would be reasonable to tidy them up because, after all, chefs are preparing food, and if the person has really hairy arms, then it would be best to do so.
Read also: How Do Chefs Work: Complete Routine Revealed
Conclusion
Chefs can have tattoos in nearly all cases, especially if the tattoos aren’t directly on the face. However, in the end, it will be the employer’s choice, but in many instances, they are tattooed as well.
I hope that this article was helpful to you, and you now understand that chefs can have tattoos and why so many chefs have tattoos in the first place.