2,400+ emergency shifts filled this year. Zero no-shows.
When a line cook calls out at 5 AM, Triage puts a certified replacement in your kitchen before the first ticket drops. Same-day deployment. No temp-agency markup. No strangers who've never seen a combi oven.
Not all staffing is the same.
Three tables. Every metric that matters to an F&B director with a service starting in four hours.
Response Time
From call to confirmed cook
| Metric | Triage | Staffing Agency | Freelance Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
Initial response Live dispatch team, 5 AM–midnight | < 4 minutes | 15–45 minutes | 1–3 hours |
Cook confirmed | < 22 minutes | 2–6 hours | Often same-day unavailable |
On-site arrival | Within 90 min (major metros) | 4–24 hours | Variable / unreliable |
Same-day fill rate Verified across 2,400+ dispatches | 94.2% | 61% | 38% |
Weekend / holiday availability | Full coverage | Limited | Rare |
Ready to see these numbers in your kitchen?
Set Up Your Kitchen AccountSkill & Certification
What walks through your kitchen door
| Metric | Triage | Staffing Agency | Freelance Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
Culinary qualification | Triage Academy diploma (min. 6 mo.) | Self-reported, unverified | Varies widely |
Equipment proficiency Tested on real commercial kit before graduation | Combi oven, tilt skillet, blast chiller certified | Not assessed | Not assessed |
Food safety certification | ServSafe / Level 2 Food Hygiene — 100% | ~70% compliance | Unknown |
Kitchen speed assessment | Timed mise en place test on file | None | None |
Brigade etiquette training They know where to stand before they arrive | Included — chain of command, pass protocol | None | None |
Reference checks | 3 verified kitchen references on file | 1 reference (if any) | None standard |
Ready to see these numbers in your kitchen?
Set Up Your Kitchen AccountCost & Transparency
What you actually pay
| Metric | Triage | Staffing Agency | Freelance Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
Account setup fee | $0 | $0–$500 | $0 |
Shift markup over cook rate Published rate sheet — no surprises on invoice | Flat 18% | 35–55% (avg. 44%) | Platform fee 15–25% + hidden |
Minimum shift length | 4 hours | 8 hours (most) | 4–6 hours |
Cancellation penalty | None if > 2 hr notice | 4-hour minimum charge | Varies |
No-show guarantee Our zero no-show record makes this theoretical | Full credit + replacement dispatched | None standard | None |
Invoice format | Per-shift, PO-friendly, net-30 | Weekly bulk | Cash / app transfer |
Ready to see these numbers in your kitchen?
Set Up Your Kitchen AccountReal kitchens. Real emergencies.
Every quote is timestamped. Every shift is verified.
"6:04 AM. Two no-shows. Called Triage. By 7:45 my sous chef had two certified cooks standing at their stations. Service ran clean. I didn't even have to 86 a single dish."
"The cook they sent had already worked a combi oven at volume. I didn't have to explain anything. She just got on with it."
"Every temp agency I've used sends me a warm body. Triage sends me a cook."
"I keep our Triage account on speed dial now. Not because we have problems — because knowing it's there means I sleep properly the night before a big event."
"The SLA they sent our procurement team was cleaner than most vendor contracts I've seen. Legal signed off same week."
"I've worked with three different staffing companies. None of them have filled a shift inside 90 minutes. Triage is 2 for 2 in under an hour. That's the benchmark now."
"Flat rate, clean invoice, net-30. Our accounts payable team actually thanked me."
"The cook arrived knowing the brigade hierarchy. Didn't step on anyone's toes. Cleaned as he went. By mid-service I'd forgotten he wasn't my regular guy."
What happens after you call.
Four steps. No jargon. Exactly what an F&B director needs to know at 6 AM.
You call. We pick up.
Dispatch is live from 5 AM to midnight, 365 days. Tell us the role, the shift time, and the kitchen type. No forms. No ticket system. A person answers.
We match by skill, not availability.
Our dispatch system cross-references role, equipment certifications, and cuisine type — not just who is free. A pastry shift gets a pastry-trained cook. A banquet line gets someone who has run covers at volume.
Cook confirmed. ETA given.
You receive a confirmation text with the cook's name, photo ID, certifications, and a live ETA. No surprises at the pass.
They arrive briefed. You brief them anyway.
Every Triage graduate is trained to introduce themselves to the chef, ask for a 5-minute walkthrough, and stay quiet until they know the flow. They don't assume — they confirm.
Set up your account before you need it.
Takes 8 minutes. Means you're covered for every service after that.
8 minutes now.
Covered every service after.
Set up your account before an emergency happens. When the call comes at 6 AM, you'll have a 30-second dispatch instead of an 8-minute intake form.