What to expect as a ChefXperience chef

When a customer books your profile, you receive a booking request with their event date, guest count, location, occasion, and budget. Requests are not auto-confirmed — they wait for you to review and respond.

• You'll see new requests in your chef dashboard and via email.
• Aim to respond within 24 hours; faster response times convert better.
• You may message the customer through the platform with clarifying questions.

You are an independent contractor. You choose which bookings to accept based on date, travel, menu fit, and any guest details. There is no penalty for declining a request that doesn't fit your craft or schedule.

• Accept to confirm the date — payment is captured from the customer.
• Decline politely if you can't deliver the experience the guest deserves.
• Repeated late responses or no-shows may affect your standing on the platform.

Every request includes the customer's intake form. Read it carefully before you accept — you are responsible for what you serve.

• Allergies & dietary restrictions for every guest.
• Pets in the home (relevant for allergies and prep space).
• Kitchen & equipment available at the venue.
• Accessibility notes (stairs, elevators, walk-ups).
• Parking and loading details.
• Special notes from the customer (occasion, surprises, kids).

If something is unsafe or unworkable — for example, a severe allergy in a kitchen that can't be cleaned to your standard — decline. See our Allergy & Risk Disclosure.

You define the service areas and travel radius on your profile. Customers outside that radius won't see you in their search results. Common service areas include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, the Hamptons, Westchester, and New Jersey.

• Plan to arrive 60–90 minutes before service for prep and setup.
• Build travel time and tolls into your pricing — there is no separate auto-billed travel fee yet.
• For bookings outside your usual radius, you may add a travel surcharge in your quote.

Most NYC chefs don't drive to every booking. Common setups our chefs use:

• Rolling utility carts for subway-friendly transport of mise en place.
• Insulated bags (Cambro, Rubbermaid) for hot and cold holding.
• Wheeled coolers for proteins, dairy, and prepped components.
• Rideshare (Uber/Lyft XL) for multi-bag loads or longer routes.
• Personal vehicle if you have one — factor in parking.
• Subway and bus for shorter trips with light loads.

Always keep cold items below 41°F and hot items above 135°F during transport, in line with NYC Health Code.

You have two common options for ingredients:

• Chef-sourced (recommended): You buy everything and bake ingredient cost into your price. Cleaner experience for the guest, full control of quality.
• Customer-sourced via shopping list: You provide a precise list; the customer purchases. Lower price point, but more risk of substitutions or missing items.

Whichever you choose, state it clearly on your profile and confirm with each guest.

Home kitchens vary widely. Assume the customer has a basic stove, oven, fridge, and a few pans — and confirm anything beyond that.

• Bring your own knives, thermometers, and any specialty tools (sous vide, torch, mandoline).
• Check the customer's intake for what's available; ask about induction vs gas.
• If serviceware or platters are required, confirm in advance who provides them.

Standard ChefXperience service includes leaving the kitchen as clean as you found it: wiped counters, washed cookware, trash bagged, and floors spot-cleaned if needed.

• Dishes used for service (guest plates, glassware) are typically loaded into the dishwasher, not hand-washed unless agreed.
• Plan 30–60 minutes for cleanup at the end of service.
• If a guest requests "white glove" full cleanup, price it in.

Customers pay through ChefXperience at booking. You keep 80% of every booking; ChefXperience retains a 20% platform fee that covers payment processing, marketing, customer support, and platform tooling.

• Funds are released to your connected payout account after the event.
• You'll be able to view upcoming payouts and history in your chef dashboard.
• Tax forms (1099-K where applicable) are issued by our payments partner.

Stripe Connect onboarding for chef payouts is rolling out — you'll be prompted to connect before your first paid booking.