In a world comprised of shining stars, few shimmered as bright as Switzerland chef Benoit Violier. But stars do not glow forever, and it seems restaurant stars are burning out daily.

Benoit Violier was the head chef of the critically acclaimed Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Lausanne, Switzerland. Only two months ago did the establishment receive the title of best restaurant in the world according to the French Foreign Ministry’s La Liste, a comprehensive guide to 1000 restaurants in 48 countries.

Violier’s restaurant was also of the select few to have the Michelin Travel Guide’s three-star rating, something only the best and brightest get. This restaurant, operated by a husband and wife duo at the top of its game, paints a picture perfect vision of what every restaurant aspires to be.

With all of his success, it’s unimaginable why Violier was found dead this weekend in an apparent suicide at his home.

This death presents the topic of the high pressures of the restaurant business. In an industry where you are only as good as your last meal the pen seems to be mightier than the knife.

Chefs are constantly under the intense opinions of their companions, unforgiving food critics and even more so consumers.

Most chefs are known perfectionists and many chase the capricious rankings of the culinary world with obsessive zeal. 

Unfortunately, Violier’s story isn’t anything new to the restaurant world. Renowned Chicago chef Homaru Cantu, the Michelin-star proprietor of the innovative restaurant Moto, hanged himself.

Michelin three-star French chef Bernard Loiseau’s suicide story ominously mirrors that of Violier. Both men worked with their wives in the restaurant setting; both men were hunters and used rifles as a means of their death; and both men were bestowed one of France’s highest honors, the Meilleur Ouvrier de France.

Bernard seemed particularly paranoid when it came to his star-studded workplace. The French media claims he was distraught over a slight demotion in the Gault et Millau, another prestigious food guide. He also worried over the possible loss of his third star in the Michelin Guide.

When there are so many arbitrary ranking systems for chefs it is easy to become distraught about the numbers or stars. Every day is a demand to create nothing less than a masterpiece and make unpredictable diners happy, and maintain or surpass the current rankings.

The hospitality industry should invoke a sense of happiness, warmth and care, but it is disheartening to find that is not usually the first thing that comes to mind.

In an industry that emphasizes care, warmth and compassion for the masses, it becomes a disheartening question of who is taking care of the ones that take care of us? There’s seldom a support system for restaurant workers to deal with the stress, emotions and physicality of their day-to-day jobs.

Chef Benoit Violier’s untimely death is a reminder that everyone is fighting a battle inside, big or small. The important name he wears on his jacket shouldn’t be “chef” but “human being.”