Position Summary:
The Executive Chef will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of our kitchen operations, including menu planning, food preparation, and kitchen staff management. Responsible for the success and growth of all culinary operations by developing the culinary team, managing costs and executing restaurant promotions.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Duties and Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Direct and manage all kitchen operation
- Coordinate and manage all food purchases
- Conduct daily pre-shift and monthly department meetings
- Supervise all training of new employees
- Coordinate and conduct all final interviews for new hires
- Initiate and develop a relationship with culinary, colleagues, Vendors and educational institutes as a means of promoting future employment candidates
- Manage and mentor Chef de Cuisine, Kitchen Manager and Sous Chefs
- Establish, coordinate, and train all departmental standards
- Monitor and adhere to all culinary operations standards
- Create menus and executive creative menus in coordination with RMD philosophy
- Control food cost by monitoring and maintaining expenditures
- Create and implement a culinary career development program which promotes a challenge for all employees
- Oversee and be responsible for all food served to ensure it meets all RMD culinary standards
- Oversee and coordinate banquet food preparation and execution
RMD quality standards
- Set BOH department goals
- Maintain a positive relationship with all interacting departments
- Ensure communication to all culinary staff of all pertinent RMD information
- Manage and counsel employees as needed
- Ensure the proper care of all equipment
- Ensure a clean and safe working environment
- Initiate Repair and Maintenance work orders as needed
- Conduct Chef’s tables/events in coordination with Sales and Marketing
Financial
- The number one goal of the venue is to exceed customer expectations while meeting or exceeding the budgeted EBITDA
- Approving invoices for payables and ensuring clear communication with the accounting department on all invoices, etc.
- Managing, monitoring, and meeting budgeted COGS
- Overseeing monthly P&L and daily numbers to maximize revenue and managing controllable costs and expenses with a strong emphasis on all cost of goods (“COGS”) and labor
Employee Performance
- Working with underperforming employees to get them to the top half of the list or removing from roster
- Always be working to raise the Per Person Average (PPA)
- Implement & maintaining systems related to customer service and revenue maximization
- Reviewing and identifying the “Best Players”, putting these employees on the best shifts and grooming to be leads
- Creating, implementing, and maintaining systems related to customer service and revenue maximization
Menu Analysis
- Implementing programs to push appropriate menu items
- Review all reports & working with General Manager to ensure menu is performing as intended
Staff Turnover
- Always working towards keeping the overall turnover percentage down to help reduce payroll cost
- Identifying and correcting reasons causing high turnover
Other Wages
- Ensuring all staff clock in/out times are being reviewed before payroll is processed
- Tracking, managing, and minimizing overtime & meal break premiums
Marketing
- Always be thinking about big and small social media opportunities, taking impactful video and photo content at every opportunity to be submitted to the Marketing Department
- Ensuring all reviews are at goal numbers
- Ensuring venue is maximizing the effectiveness of all marketing and art services while getting an acceptable ROI on those expenses
- Ensuring venue brand is being properly represented
Internal Restaurant Marketing & Revenue Generation
- Executing in-house marketing promotions and ensuring staff is trained and aware of promotion details
- Ensuring the proper menus and promotional material are always out
- Creating and executing promotions to drive business like tournaments and nightly contests
- Working with all managers and staff to come up with new ways of driving revenue and communicate ideas to DOFB & DOC
- Developing and implementing specific staff up-selling programs and ensuring quantifiable tracking is always in place
- Ensuring all revenue generating programs are being executed per plan
Operation
- Holding everyone accountable for ALL policies and procedures
- Ensuring all changes to policies and procedures are communicated and documented formally
- Overseeing nightly closing to ensure all elements are properly completed
- Reviewing all manager nightly notes, making comments, and responding as needed
- Ensure closing tasks are continuously reviewed and appropriately followed and changes are implemented as required
- Creating and implementing specific policies and procedures that will enhance customer service and share best practices with other RMD venues
- Reviewing all incident reports before they go to RMD
- Conducting weekly manager meetings, with agendas, and ensuring proper follow-up on all action items
- Ensuring there is always a Lead in every department, and that each lead is trained to be a “Key Holder”
- Ensuring BOH departments have a manager assigned and that Manager has a plan and is executing it
- Coordinating and attending repairs and maintenance walkthroughs monthly
Other
- Reading Industry publications to keep up to date on trends
- Conducting staff check-ins per company standard
- Taking time to learn what you don’t know
- Responsible for all aspects of all systems (back of the house)
Training & Onboarding
The best way to achieve success on all the above is to have effective and consistent onboarding and ongoing training programs for all new staff and managers
- Ensuring new hires go through orientation with all necessary paperwork before scheduling them on any shifts
- Ensuring all training programs are being executed properly
- Ensuring trainees have all required certificates
- Ensuring all potential new hires are properly interviewed and vetted for qualifications, and conducting interviews before an employee is sent to DOFB & DOC
- Identifying approved staff that can train new employees (should have multiple trainers in each department)
- Creating and executing a minimum of one voluntary staff training per month
- Creating and implementing one mandatory staff training per quarter that has participation numbers per company standards
- Working with DOFB and DOC to create an “approved’ training program for all BOH positions
Staff Development and Recruiting
- Ensuring proper progressive disciplinary steps are taken accurately and tracked through “note to file system”
- Identifying and tracking staff that is being developed for future growth within venue or for other RMD Venues on a quarterly basis
Qualifications:
- At least 3-4 years senior management experience with extensive knowledge in restaurants, and private events.
- Must be familiar with yield management and cost controls
Skills and Attitudes:
- Must be motivated, hard-working, and passionate
- Perform job functions with attention to detail, speed, and accuracy
- Prioritize and organize
- Be a clear thinker, remain calm, and resolve problems using good judgment
- Follow directions thoroughly
- Understand guest service needs
- Possess excellent communication skills
- Works cooperatively in a team environment
- Must be comfortable learning new skills
- Uses critical thinking reasoning skills to solve problems quickly
- Manages time effectively
Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations:
- San Diego County Food Handlers Card (must be obtained within 30 days of employment). Serve safe certificate preferred.
- Anti-harassment and nondiscrimination management 2-hour class.
Education:
Must have one or more of the following:
- Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from a four-year college or university (prefer)
- Four years related experience and/or training
- Equivalent combination of education and experience.
Venue
Rustic Root’s menu showcases a dynamic rustic American cuisine rooted in tradition, yet with an inventive modern flare. The signature drink menu offers a take on timeless classic cocktails as well as Rustic Root originals using creative spirits and the freshest ingredients. A full dining room boasts of eclectic flare: from a ceiling filled with floating colanders to chic nature-inspired wall art and décor. If it’s San Diego views you want, head upstairs to the Gaslamp’s premier rooftop restaurant. Animal hedges, beautiful streetlamps, and not-your-mama’s patio furniture create a buzz-worthy and energetic atmosphere.
ABOUT RMD Group
RMD Group was formed by three partners who had a passion for hospitality and creating unforgettable experiences. For over a decade, RMD has been a driving force in the industry, creating some of San Diego’s most successful and exciting concepts including Rustic Root, Huntress, Lumi, Side Bar and FLUXX. In addition, the group works with a thriving portfolio of hospitality and lifestyle concepts that include Ballast Point Brewing and Hard Rock Hotel’s Float and 207. RMD brings extensive expertise in all areas of consulting including design, development, and management, plus a talented team of industry leaders that continue to elevate guest and client experience in San Diego and beyond.
