Philadelphia’s culinary scene is thriving—serving fare from throughout the world with unique takes on classic dishes, as well as original creations by up-and-coming chefs.
But there’s a lot more going on in the kitchen.
Homegrown chef Irving Perdomo has put a spotlight on the local restaurant industry with a new documentary, ‘Zero Hour’, set to premier at Plays and Players this weekend. The film aims to highlight Perdomo’s growing concerns surrounding restaurant workers, specifically, improving their work environment. He hopes the film will influence the incoming generation of young chefs and restaurant workers as a whole and offer authentic insight into the industry.
“The industry is at a very strange place right now, it seems like the value of our work is being diminished,” says Perdomo.
A native Pennsylvanian, Perdomo has resided in Philadelphia for 12 years and has worked at a number of restaurants across the city.
In his opinion, this line of work is not for everyone and in ‘Zero Hour’, he makes it clear why. Perdomos’ focus for the film surrounds drug and alcohol abuse, mental health, immigration in the workplace and independence outside of work.
Perdomos told Metro he believes owners and managers are hiring cheaper labor and overworking staff. He also relayed how he predominantly has seen white Americans working the front-of-the-house jobs—meaning bussers, servers and hosts. While some of his greatest colleagues and friends are individuals who came from overseas and have been kept working in the backend.
The idea for this film came about for Perdomos while navigating his way through the industry for the past decade—and he wants to change the narrative.
“Change is inevitable. But if you’re going to be a stand up person in this line of work, don’t expect anyone to stand up with you,” he said.
Irving has dealt with his own personal issues as a chef. In the past, he struggled with alcohol addiction, which stemmed from the stresses of the kitchen—and he says this isn’t an uncommon occurrence amongst restaurant workers.
Perdomo says he always had the idea of curating film projects, and the idea for ‘Zero Hour’ came to fruition during this most difficult time.
“Not everyone talks about what they’re going through, I try to be that guy to let others know I’m here for them,” he said.
Perdomo shared that his main hope for this film is to help guide the next generation of young chefs and restaurant workers—teaching them to take their job seriously, amidst the distractions and difficulty that can come along with working in a restaurant.
“Treat working in the kitchen like a sport, meaning not drinking every night, getting sleep, and doing what’s best for your body before getting burnt out,” Perdormo said. “It’s a line of work where you’re taking care of other people. You’ve got to take care of yourself first.”
He believes the future of food is heavily in the hands of people creating their own food endeavors independently—creating their own supper clubs, food trucks and self promotion of their businesses.
“The Instagram chefs are the smartest out there right now,” he said. “They’re independently creating their dreams without being in someone else’s kitchen for 12 hours a day.”
Perdormo is a one-man-show on the production and filming of the cinematic piece. And while he says ‘Zero Hour’ may not have an immediate effect on the industry, he hopes that it will set the blueprint for the next generation.
Plays and Players, at 1714 Delancey Street, will host showings of ‘Zero Hour’ on Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6. More information and tickets are available online.
