Chef de Cuisine / Specialty Restaurant Chef
Opportunity:
Lead and inspire the culinary team in delivering an exceptional dining experience while ensuring the highest standards in food quality, cost control, and team development.
Your Growth Path:
Chef de Cuisine → Executive Chef → Director of Food & Beverage
Your Role & Responsibilities:
Culinary Leadership & Team Development:
- Recruit, train, mentor, and develop kitchen staff, ensuring continuous skill improvement and adherence to brand and operational standards.
- Conduct regular training sessions on cooking techniques, menu knowledge, food safety, and service excellence.
- Foster a positive kitchen culture that encourages teamwork, innovation, and professional growth.
Menu Development & Engineering:
- Design and continuously refine the menu that is innovative, cost-effective, and aligned with guest preferences and seasonal ingredients.
- Incorporate seasonality and local products to create dynamic, evolving menus that highlight regional flavors and guest preferences.
- Analyze sales trends, guest feedback, and market demands to optimize menu offerings and pricing strategies.
- Standardize recipes with precise portion controls to maintain consistency and profitability.
Food Cost Control & Sourcing:
- Work closely with purveyors to source high-quality ingredients, ensuring alignment with cost efficiency and menu objectives.
- Develop strong relationships with local suppliers to secure the best quality products at optimal pricing.
- Continuously adapt offerings based on availability, market trends, and culinary innovation.
- Manage food costs by tracking inventory, minimizing waste, and optimizing ingredient utilization.
Operational Excellence & Quality Control:
- Establish daily prep and production priorities, ensuring efficiency and adherence to food safety standards.
- Ensure all kitchen workstations are well-stocked with tools, equipment, and recipe guidelines.
- Conduct regular walk-throughs of kitchen operations to maintain cleanliness, organization, and compliance with health and safety regulations.
Guest Experience & Special Events:
- Collaborate with front-of-house teams to ensure seamless service and guest satisfaction.
- Develop special menus for events, promotions, and seasonal offerings to enhance the restaurant’s appeal.
- Engage with guests for feedback and refine menu offerings accordingly.
Financial Performance & Reporting:
- Monitor and analyze daily sales, food cost percentages, and labor expenses to drive profitability.
- Prepare staffing schedules based on forecasted business levels, optimizing labor efficiency.
- Follow sustainability guidelines and practices related to HHM’s EarthView program. Practice safe work habits, wear protective safety equipment and follow MSDS and OSHA standards.
Safety & Compliance:
- Maintain rigorous food safety, sanitation, and occupational health standards in compliance with industry regulations.
- Train and enforce best practices for safe food handling, proper equipment uses, and kitchen hygiene.
- Practice safe work habits to ensure safety.
- Monitor storage areas, such as refrigerators and dry areas, for cleanliness and orderliness.
- Perform other duties as requested by management.
Your Qualifications:
- Experience as a Chef de Cuisine, Executive Chef, or senior leadership role in a high-volume, full-service restaurant.
- Experience in butchery, steak preparation, dry aging, and premium meat cuts, with a deep understanding of protein-driven menus.
- Strong background in menu engineering, food cost control, and inventory management.
- Proven ability to train and mentor kitchen teams to uphold operational excellence.
- Experience working with purveyors and local suppliers to ensure quality and seasonality in menu offerings.
- Exceptional organizational, leadership, and communication skills.
- Proficiency in using POS systems, inventory tracking software, and financial reporting tools.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment while maintaining attention to detail.
- Degree or certification from an accredited culinary program preferred.
- 3 years’ experience in a managerial position of an upscale and/or high-volume foodservice establishment required.
Work Environment and Context:
- Work schedule varies and may include working on holidays, and weekends.
- Requires standing for extended periods, walking, pushing, lifting up to 25 pounds, reaching, kneeling, bending.
