How did abuse get baked into the restaurant industry?

Many restaurant workers see violence as a core aspect of a hardscrabble kitchen culture that has existed for generations. Jetta Productions/David Atkinson via Getty Images

When the The New York Times and The Boston Globe recently published exposés in which employees of award-winning chef Barbara Lynch described their abusive work environments, we weren’t surprised.

Anyone who has spent years working in restaurants probably wouldn’t be surprised, either.