Chef de Cuisine

Job Description

Job DescriptionBenefits:

• 401(k)
• Bonus based on performance
• Dental insurance
• Employee discounts
• Health insurance
• Training & development
• Vision insurance
• Wellness resources

Chef de Cuisine

Position Overview
The Chef de Cuisine is responsible for the execution of all culinary business operations and management of all back of house staff including, hiring, training, and onboarding. The Chef de Cuisine maintains highest professional food quality, plays an important role in menu development, food preparation and presentation, and ensures line cooks execute all prep and service in accordance with set instructions and expectations.

The Chef de Cuisine acts as the senior leader on-site in the absence of the general manager, ensuring seamless daily operations, staff productivity, and excellent customer service. Key responsibilities include managing employee performance, resolving customer complaints, and enforcing safety/security protocols.

The Chef de Cuisine reports to the General Managers on a daily basis as well as to the Vice President of Operations, Product (VPOP} and Senior Director of Operations {SDO} on an as needed basis.

Core Duties & Responsibilities:
Culinary Program Oversight
Manager On Duty
Teamwork & Communication

Culinary Program Oversight
Service Standard
Maintain a strong sense of ownership of entire culinary offerings provided by Gin & Luck; provide creative and technical influence to kitchen staff in keeping with Gin & Luck Core Values
Manage day-to-day operations, ensuring the quality, standards and meeting the expectations of the patrons on a daily basis
Leads shift teams while personally preparing food items and executing requests based on required specifications
Supervises kitchen shift operations and ensures compliance with all culinary policies, standards and procedures
Ensures employees
are cross-trained to support successful daily operations
understand expectations and parameters
Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others
Enforce strict compliance with health, safety, and sanitation regulations, including kitchen cleanliness
Serving as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors
Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members
Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team
Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention
Be capable of covering any position in the kitchen at any time
Menu Development
Participates in designing menus, creating recipes, and determining plating presentations to maintain high culinary standards
Collaborate with the VPOP, SDO and Executive Chef to:
conceptualize and create new menu items that showcase creativity, taste, and visual appeal
develop and refine recipes, considering factors such as taste, presentation, cost, and nutritional value final approval for all dishes
organize new menu rollout dates; set wireframe and overall tone of the menu
Train and educate kitchen team on new menu items
provide guidance on proper cooking techniques and presentation
execute all-staff tasting for new menus
create auxiliary educational materials
follow-up on menu knowledge and execution through testing
Prepare for menu launch
prep sheets
dish descriptions
mise en place
Administrative Duties
Meet with the admin and leadership team monthly to review monthly P&Ls with management team and ensure all targets are being hit and proactively plan improvements
Oversee culinary administration duties including invoicing, cost control, labor control, budgeting, menu development, and strategic planning of the department
Sets and supports achievement of kitchen goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
Develop specific guidance and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish daily kitchen operations work
Understands the impact of kitchen operation on the overall shop financial goals and objectives and manages to achieve or exceed budgeted goals
Maximize Company profitability with a target margin of 20%; monitor financial controls established by VPOP
Write and manage execution of business policies, SOPs, kitchen related job descriptions, quizzes, and disciplinary initiatives
Hiring, training, mentoring, and scheduling kitchen staff to ensure optimal efficiency and productivity
Oversee training of all kitchen positions; train new hires by guiding them through training trails, answering their questions, providing workflow advice, and teaching them G&L's expectations, steps of service steps, and standards operating procedures
Administer bi-annual check-ins and annual reviews
Work proactively with Event Sales Manager to oversee all event coordination; participate in marketing initiatives and activations as needed
Communicate all facility maintenance and improvements needs to the General Manager; Managers approval is needed for all initiatives over $250

Manager On Duty
Supervise FOH and BOH staff during shifts to ensure compliance with company standards, food safety, and sanitation regulations
Communicate all necessary guest information with the team to set everyone up for success (allergy alerts, VIPs, special requests, celebrations, etc.)
Emphasizes patron satisfaction during pre-shift meetings; empower employees to provide excellent customer service
Monitor FOH and BOH flow in regard to timeliness during business hours, assist when and where necessary; manage table touches, and ensure food quality and service speed meet expectations
Lead the team and communicate effectively with staff and customers
Direct employees, manage breaks, and handle any staff performance issues
Improve service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed
Fast-paced decision-making to handle immediate, on-the-spot issues -e.g., ability to make quick, effective decisions to resolve operational bottlenecks
Act as the primary contact for emergencies, enforcing company policies, and maintaining security standards -e.g., remain on-site during the assigned shift and be immediately available for emergencies
Handle patron complaints and ensure a positive patron experience
maintain warmth and hospitality in all correspondence with guests
use tact and good judgment when dealing with guest challenges and respond to patron needs with patience and courtesy
ability to recognize an intoxicated patron and address concerns accordingly
Complete opening/closing checklists, managing cash handling procedures, performing inventory checks, and writing shift reports

Teamwork & Communication
All leadership positions are expected to adhere to our guiding principle of Leadership, Managing, and Accountability (LMA)
Provide a strong sense of leadership, including both FOH and BOH hospitality and communication lead by example
Maintain effective communication with the General Manager, Bar Director and all staff
Maintain a reasonable schedule with flexible availability; on days or nights off, be on call and ready to manage and respond to emergency situations
Maintain a reasonable response time for all communication minimal of a confirmation (by email, slack, text or call) same day with a timeline in regard to a full response
As a key ambassador for Gin & Luck, act in a professional manner and represent the bar graciously whether you are in house, traveling on behalf of the company, or at industry events

Human Resources
Communicates performance expectations in accordance with job descriptions for each position
Coaches and counsels employees regarding performance on an on-going basis
Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably. Strives to improve employee retention
Solicits employee feedback, utilizes an "open door" policy and reviews employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns
Ensures recognition is taking place across areas of responsibility

Physical Demands
The physical demands for this position are seeing, hearing, speaking, reaching, frequently lifting to 25 pounds, occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds, sitting, standing, for 4 to 8 hours, bending, and moving intermittently during working hours. These physical requirements may be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodations

Required Qualifications:
4+ years of proven kitchen management experience in a reputable establishment
ServSafe or local food safety certification
Highest levels of EQ and discretion
Ability to lead, motivate and develop teams; skilled in managing BOH systems
Exceptional culinary skills and a deep understanding of various food preparation techniques, flavor profiles, presentation styles, culinary trends, and food safety regulations
Strong understanding of cooking techniques, menu planning, and safety regulations
Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment; ability to work under high pressure
Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills to effectively manage a diverse kitchen team and collaborate with other departments
Experience managing front- and back-of-house, ensuring smooth service and resolving guest complaints
Outstanding communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with team members
Flexibility in working hours, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays; and time for All Staff meetings and tastings
Patience and adaptability
Self-motivated and a team player
High ethics, hard worker, and a great sense of humor

Desired Qualifications:
Culinary or Trade Certification
4-6 years of related experience in a high-volume establishment
3-4 years of supervisory experience
Have sufficient skills, knowledge and personality to provide a memorable experience for our patrons

Demonstrate the Core Values of Gin & Luck
Curiosity: We learn and improve through active observation and creative problem solving.
A.B.K.: We anticipate, prepare and execute with intention.
Pursuit of Excellence: We will forever be chasing excellence, even when we sometimes fail. It is a pursuit without end.
Contagious Joy: When we're having fun, it emanates out and influences our work and the people around us.
Connection: We build relationships through intuition, empathy, and transparency

What We Offer:
Gin & Luck strives to create a welcoming, nurturing and understanding culture. We want all employees to feel valued through their work/life balance and compensation. Compensation for this position is $80,000. Medical, dental, vision, and life are included in our benefits package for full-time/part-time employees. Eligible to participate in the company 401(k) program after a set vesting period commencing after the first day of work; the company does not match contributions currently.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job. The duties of this position may change from time to time. Gin & Luck reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at their discretion