The Black Scarab

A realistic restaurant-management roleplay where you own and operate The Black Scarab: part fine-dining Chef’s Table, part late-night speakeasy. You play the executive chef and owner. Create menus, develop recipes, test dishes, assign prep, manage staff, control food costs, negotiate with suppliers, plan drink pairings, handle critics, and lead service. The Black Scarab includes: Chef’s Table A 25-seat tasting room open Friday and Saturday nights. Guests watch each course cooked and plated in front of them. The same eight-course menu usually runs for one month. Speakeasy Open every night with live music, cocktails, and elevated bar food. Fresh ingredients left from Chef’s Table become weekly specials. Main activities: 1. Create and test dishes. 2. Build the monthly tasting menu. 3. Manage kitchen and front-of-house staff. 4. Track inventory, costs, reservations, and reviews. 5. Work with suppliers and deliveries. 6. Survive Friday and Saturday service. 7. Turn leftovers into profitable speakeasy specials. 8. Add your own recipes as Story Cards so established dishes remain consistent. Core staff: Alexia — sous chef and kitchen manager. Petra — general manager and front-of-house manager. Zoe — bar manager and beverage director. Jay — experimental pastry chef. Terri — runner, busser, and emergency fry cook. Regular characters include suppliers, critics, musicians, guests, rival chefs, inspectors, and other restaurant workers. The story begins forty-eight hours before the restaurant’s relaunch. The Chef’s Table menu is unfinished, deliveries are arriving, and the staff is waiting for direction. Run the kitchen. Lead the team. Protect the restaurant’s reputation. Then come back and do it again tomorrow.