Chef de Cuisine (Harwood Hospitality)

Harwood Hospitality Group

Harwood Hospitality Group delivers an escape from the ordinary through a growing collection of concepts in the Harwood District of Dallas. The hospitality group features catering and a world of culinary experiences with a current collection of 18 concepts plus our luxury boutique property, Hotel Swexan in the 19-city-block Harwood District, with more experiences currently in development. 

Our mission is to allow both our associates and our guests to Escape the Ordinary. For our associates, this means being a part of a mutual long-term vision driven by doing things differently with creativity, passion, and style. We then allow guests to feel transported to different parts of the world without leaving the comforts of their own city. We deliver our mission by providing unparalleled hospitality, exceptional service, and culinary excellence that leaves unforgettable memories and instills deep loyalty.

Summary

The Chef De Cuisine is responsible for the overall operations in the back of house and kitchen. They are great leaders and have excellent customer service skills to ensure each guest has an excellent experience.

Operations

• Schedules and coordinates the work of the chef, cooks and other kitchen employees to assume the food preparation is economical and correct to stay within the budget labor cost goal.
• Supervise all cooking operations, including methods, portions, and garnishing
• Plan meals and develop cost menus
• Approves the requisition of product and other necessary food supplies
• Ensure the high standards of sanitation, cleanliness and safety are maintained throughout the kitchen areas at all times.
• Establish control to minimize food and supply waste
• Ensure attractive presentation of all food and dishes
• Train and educate kitchen staff on new techniques, dishes and develop current skills
• Menu design and direct food preparation, production and control for all dinner, private events, off-site events, etc. Exhibit culinary talents by personally performing day to day tasks while leading the staff and managing all food related functions.
• Ensure exceptional quality of all ingredients, preparation, and plating of food items.
• Control labor and operating expenses through effective planning, budgeting, purchasing decisions, and inventory control while focusing on creative cost control and revenue generation solutions to maximize profit.
• Coordinate the selection, training, coaching, development, motivation, and evaluation of kitchen employees to ensure exceptional food quality and presentation for our guests.
• Be visible in the restaurant, providing recognition to guests, promoting positive public relations, handling special requests as the cleanliness and organization of the kitchen and its equipment.
• Monitor and maintain use of safe food handling procedures as well as a safe working environment by using correct food handling skills and food safety guidelines.
• Oversee kitchen activities and staff
• Manage the operations of a kitchen; food supplies, procurement

Guest’s relationships

• Makes sure each and every guest is given a warm welcome and a fond farewell
• Makes sure service team memorizes guest’s names and uses guest’s names in every guest interaction.
• Meets and greets guests, builds strong guests relationships, constantly inquiries about guest’s satisfaction,
• Makes sure his/her service team inquires ad memorizes guests preferences and birthday dates, and records these data in the guests database
• Interacts with VIPs, Ownership and Guests on behalf of the HH – greeting VIP’s, handling special requests, etc.
• Regularly review and evaluate the degree of customer satisfaction of the individual restaurant.
• Constantly updates guests database and maintains it as an effective marketing and PR tool
• Empowers his team to resolves guest’s concerns in a timely manner to their full satisfaction. Resolves any guest issue that could be not be handled by his direct reports.
• Learns from defects and incidents and implement resolutions to ensure they do not happen again. Makes sure guests issues are recorded. Reports on guests issues to DOO
• Monitors guest’s comments on social media (Facebook, Trip Advisor, etc.) and gives appropriate feedback

Employee management, engagement & training

• Always manages/leads by example. Takes accountability for problems
• Schedules work hours for FOH associates
• Delegates and follows-up effectively
• Energizes HH Division mission statement and core values among his/her team
• Makes sure all his/her associates are perfectly groomed and always behave according to HH codes of practice, image and core values.
• Provides overall leadership; recognize and motivate members of the team; coach and train the team for operational excellence, with priority focus on upselling and service standards
• Schedules periodic food and beverage service staff meetings to ensure correct interpretation of policies and obtain feedback from staff members.
• Takes part in the hiring and the firing process of all his/her associates
• Takes part in the orientation process of all his/her new associates
• Takes part in the annual performance assessment process of all his/her associates and in the setting of annual goals for his/her direct reports. 
• Trains and motivates staff.
• Continuously evaluate the performance and encourage improvement of the personnel in the food and beverage department.  Conduct training and development programs within the department which will provide well trained employees at all levels and permit advancement for those persons qualified and interested in career development. 
• To hold regular performance appraisals with all line staff, identifying areas for development and training needs, and ensuring that this training is affected.
• Ensure that fair discipline is affected.
• Be fully conversant with all statutory requirements regarding a food and beverage operation.
• To be fully aware of trends in the industry and make suggestions for improvement of the food and beverage operation.
• To carry out regular on-the-job training to agreed standards.
• Empowers his direct reports and gives them room to develop their skills
• Plan and administer a training and development program within the department which will provide well trained employees at all levels and permit advancement for those persons qualified and interested in career development. 

Procurement and deliveries

• Identifies and estimates food* and beverage supply requirements and places beverage orders with suppliers (*together with Head Chef)
• Checks and orders supplies of non-food items
• Schedules food and beverage deliveries
• To ensure that consumable and non-consumable goods are ordered, correctly stored and inventoried.
• Checks quality of deliveries and documentation
• Ensures that all terms and conditions of signed contracts with approved vendors/suppliers of his/her unit are executed and followed. Reports to Restaurant GM on any contract breach
• Ensures correct storage of supplies

Finance, Cost Control & Budgeting

• Monitors restaurant sales and revenue. Is responsible for total restaurant daily receipts and balance against sales, as well as deposit receipts.
• Ensures cash management procedures are completed accurately
• Reviews and comments on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual reports for his/her unit. Analyses budget variances, proposes corrective actions as soon as needed and implements them whenever approved.  
• Is responsible for his/her unit F&B costs, as per budgeted
• Manage effective control of food, beverage and labor costs among all outlets.
• Achieve predetermined profit objectives and desire standards of quality food, service, cleanliness, merchandising and promotion.
• Review schedules for the operation of the restaurants, to insure the highest level of guest service while also monitoring labor costs
• Implement effective control of beverage and labor costs among all sub-departments

Meetings & Communication 

• Prepares and analyzes management reports for his/her unit
• Attends weekly meetings with Restaurant GM and DOO
• Attends monthly meetings with HH Executive team
• Reports immediately on any major product defect or any major guest issue and takes all necessary corrective actions
• Ensures a smooth communication with all direct reports and other Restaurants/Units GM’s
• Monitors HH Division social media activities and HH Division F&B unit’s websites. Feeds HH Marketing Manager with helpful news or updates
• Identifies and evaluates competitors
• Keeps current with trends in the restaurant industry

Attire, language and behavior

• Is always neatly dressed and groomed, and always behaves and speaks according to HH Division and Harwood International standards of excellence and image
• Treats all associates - in public and in private - with respect and consideration, regardless of their position or tasks.

Physical Demand

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Able to bend, stoop, reach and lift up to 50 lbs.
• Able to stand for prolonged periods of time.

Required Education & Experience

• Minimum of 5 years culinary experience
• Minimum of 2 years restaurant management experience
• Ability to work well under pressure and in a fast paced environment
• Excellent written / verbal communication skills
• Capable of conducting and assessing restaurant inventory
• Willing to work a flexible schedule
• Experience with delegating tasks and maintaining fast speed service