Parenthood and a gastronomy career: Does it work? Here are some candid confessions
Who shared their experiences with us?
- Dalibor Křivánek, chef at Burger Service, who is raising two children (6 and 8 years old) with his wife Jana, general manager of the same company.
- Linda Novohradská, HR manager and sommelier at Skô. Her partner Tomáš is chef at the same company, and they are parents to 5-year-old son Nicholas.
- Tomáš Rous, waiter at Brasileiro Slovanský dům, who is raising a 7-year-old daughter with his wife Lili, a waitress at Brasileiro U Zelené žáby.
Time (in)flexibility and the struggle for moments together
A normal working day in gastronomy follows the rhythm of lunch and dinner, and children also require their own, often uncompromising regime. When both parents work in such a busy environment, spontaneity takes a back seat, including time together. The reality tends to be different shifts and passing each other in the doorway, so the foundation of family harmony becomes a detailed calendar, precise logistics and a huge willingness to compromise.
"As parents, we work a lot with a calendar where we write down when we want to go out with friends or have a beer," explains Dalibor. It's not about control, it's about mutual respect - they both know when it's the other's time to recharge, and who's keeping an eye on the kids at that moment. "We meet at home, but we often only manage to tell each other the essentials of running a family, so having a system in place is key," he points out.
At Burger Service, Dalibor has set up a Monday to Friday schedule, so he can spend his weekends with his family. During the week, he tries not to miss the most important moments of the day. "Even when it's busy, I always spend at least an hour with the kids in the evening. They love to goof around with us at bedtime. Then we brush our teeth, read a story and go to bed," he says, describing a ritual that is also an anchor for him. But work is unpredictable, so sometimes the shift drags on, or Dalibor leaves before the others wake up. "Sometimes it happens that we don't see each other for two days in a row. It's sad for both parties, but it's part of the job," he says.
Tomáš Rous sees it the same way. Both he and his wife are part of Brasileiro's busy operation, and they want to provide for their family financially, so there's not a lot of free time. "My daughter is starting to feel it. She asks when the three of us will be together again. Sometimes it seems as if we have alternating care - either my wife is at work or I am. We have maybe two or three days off together a month, which is not enough," Tomas admits openly.
Linda Novohradská, on the other hand, feels an advantage, as her current position allows her more control over her time. "At Skô, I write shifts for the staff and for myself, so I can adapt them at least a little. Plus, I'm not just on the restaurant floor, I'm partly sitting at the computer, so I work my hours during the day and don't have to spend so many evenings at work," she explains. She and her partner also have a sophisticated babysitting system - their son Miky goes to Slovakia three times a year for about 14 days to stay with Tomáš's family, and every other weekend his other grandmother takes him to Pardubice.
Coming back after maternity leave
When the Křiváneks quit their business and returned to Ambiente, they were already clear on how they wanted to divide their time between work and children. Jana went into the negotiations with an honest vision - she loved gastronomy and wanted to stay in it, but only part-time. "We went into it thinking that this was the only sustainable way for us as a family. We wanted the kids to have their mom around since dad was already spending so much time in the kitchen as a chef," says Dalibor, describing their joint decision.
Linda admits in retrospect, that she may have put unnecessary pressure on herself after maternity leave. Before her son was born, she worked as a sommelier at Eska in Karlin. "I went back there when Miky was a year old. I remember how it was grinding inside me - I wanted to make something of myself, but I also wanted to be a mom. I was working two or three days a week, and to some extent I was going to work to relax. But today I know, I should have taken fewer of those days or stayed longer on parental leave and not rushed" Linda looks back.
Tomáš and Lili have relied on open communication about their limits. So that Tomáš could do his best at work and not come home exhausted, they agreed on a clear regimen. "We set it up so that when I'm working a lot, I need to have some space at home to get a good night's sleep and recuperate. It wasn't that I wanted to shirk my responsibilities, but we knew that in order to be a partner to the little one and to be able to function 100% in the business, it was necessary. Lili gave me the space I needed and thanks to this agreement we managed to get through the most difficult initial period," explains Tomáš.
Fatigue, recharging batteries and having your own space
Working with people is exhausting in itself. Where do parents find the energy to manage their children's attention after a shift?
- Tomáš: I recharge by exercising and also I make sure I eat a balanced diet. When I can, I like to spend time alone with my thoughts.
- Linda: We try not to talk about work at home. When we're with Miky, we want to be with him. And when the grandparents are watching him, we finally have time to ourselves.
- Dalibor: I have a garage where I go to have a cigarette, sometimes a beer on Fridays. Or I take a walk in the garden, and when the mushrooms are growing, I go into the woods.
We love gastronomy, but...
Although all three respondents love their work at Ambiente, they are well aware of what the field entails.
The experience of running a business has been a crucial lesson for the Křiváneks. Dalibor recalls the gruelling Tuesday to Sunday rounds. "It was demanding in terms of both time and money. We needed a babysitter for every event, which disrupted the family budget and well-being," he recalls, adding that returning to Ambiente brought stability to the family.
Tomáš speaks frankly about the financial pressures of Prague life. "In Prague, you are happy to go out with your family. Although Lili loves gastronomy and the Ambiente environment, she realises that working on the restaurant floor is physically tiring and time-consuming. To avoid being fixated on one area of expertise and to gain more flexibility for the future, she's taken nail tech classes and Brazilian waxing. She enjoys it and wants to get better at it," says Tomáš.
He too has experience of excursions into other fields. During covid, he stepped out of gastronomy and made sanitisers, then tried his hand at kombucha at UM, but with a baby, there was no time for that. "Gastro is hard work, but this job got me out of insolvency. It's a stable environment, and when you do what's expected of you, you leave with a clear head," he says.
Are they growing up to be "gastro kids"?
Children of Ambiente parents are at home in the gastronomy industry. Tomáš's daughter enjoys picanha or sushi, and when she visits her mom at work, she enjoys the hustle and bustle, and when everyone greets her with a smile.
"On Wednesday nights, I'm usually babysitting and Jana is at work. I get take-away hamburgers for dinner from work. They love them. "They'd like to come to work for us," smiles Dalibor. But he tries to show the children other levels of the industry, as well as growing vegetables in the garden, so they can see that food doesn't grow in a supermarket.
Some advice to save:
What would you say to couples who are planning a family, and both want to stay in business?
- Don't worry and don't wait for the perfect time. "If we were always waiting for something, it might never happen either. There's always a way to fit it all in and find a compromise to keep everyone happy," says Tomáš.
- Get a babysitter and an equal partner. Linda emphasises how important it is to have a functional system in the background. "The key is to have a good nanny and be with a man who, doesn't just bring in money, but is a real dad and actively cares."
- Set firm boundaries. Talk about who's in charge of what, and stick to it. Who watches the finances, who gets up at night to see the kids, and how much time you need for yourself.
"Kids are great and gastronomy is a stable environment for them to grow. Parenting has changed me - I was very explosive before, but I've calmed down with my family. And I also feel a huge responsibility," concludes Tomáš.
