The hospitality industry is marked by chronic labor shortages and high turnover in the cooking occupation, yet research on occupational (as opposed to job or organizational) turnover antecedents in this context is scarce. This study explores the variables that drive cooks’ intent to leave their chosen occupation, focusing on administratively controllable elements of the work environment. A survey of 213 unionized cooks employed in 13 hotels, ranging from three to five stars, in a major U.S. city illuminated path relationships between the antecedents of (a) work demands, (b) kitchen conditions, (c) management’s concern for food quality, and (d) work engagement, and the outcomes of (a) injuries, (b) job satisfaction, and (c) occupational turnover intent. Results show that the population of cooks may warrant contextually-specific models of occupational turnover intent.
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