Executive Chef - Resort Culinary
Cheeca Lodge and Spa
81801 Overseas Highway
Islamorada,
FL
33036
Job Description
Executive Chef at Cheeca Lodge & Spa: Lead Our Culinary Excellence
Join Our Culinary Leadership Team: Cheeca Lodge & Spa, a premier luxury resort in Islamorada, FL, seeks an innovative and organized Executive Chef to lead our kitchen team. This role requires a strong leader with a passion for culinary excellence, team empowerment, and guest satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities:
Vision and Strategy:
- Collaborate with the Director of F&B to design menus to control costs, maximize profits, and provide unique culinary experiences.
- Establish the resort restaurant’s competitive market position.
- Analyze monthly performance, identify issues, and implement corrective actions.
- Act as an ambassador for Cheeca, participating in special events and maintaining a high profile.
- Stay current with industry trends and implement beneficial suggestions.
- Attend meetings and training courses to continually improve professional skills.
- Enforce the highest standards of safety, sanitation, hygiene, and food preparation according to State Board of Health.
Guest Management:
- Ensure guest satisfaction with high-quality and beautifully presented menu items.
- Regularly engage with dining patrons and review guest feedback.
- Train wait staff on menu details.
Staff Management:
- Recruit, hire, train, evaluate, and manage kitchen staff following resort policies.
- Conduct disciplinary actions and team briefings.
- Coach staff to reinforce positive behavior and improve performance.
- Conduct performance evaluations and develop staff improvement plans.
- Maintain a productive relationship with Human Resources.
Culinary Management/Production:
- Supervise food production to meet cultural and core standards.
- Coordinate with the sales department for upcoming events.
- Ensure proper preparation, presentation, and sanitation of all food items.
- Manage kitchen mise en place and effective purchasing of quality produce.
- Ensure accurate delivery and storage of fresh food, dry goods, and cleaning materials.
Financial Management:
- Control labor and operating expenses through effective scheduling, budgeting, and inventory control.
- Maintain quality and portion consistency; monitor food shipments to meet purchasing specifications.
- Train staff on the economic impact of portion controls and proper food preparation.
Other Duties:
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Requirements:
- High school diploma and culinary degree required; college degree preferred.
- Proven experience in a 5-star/5-diamond establishment.
- Strong leadership experience.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- In-depth knowledge of culinary trends, techniques, and business management.
Benefits Include:
- Bass Pro Shops 50% Discount Card
- 401(k) with employer matching.
- Dental, health, and vision insurance.
- Employee discounts.
- Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
- Life insurance.
- Paid time off.
Why Join Cheeca Lodge & Spa: As an Executive Chef at Cheeca Lodge & Spa, you will lead a talented team in a renowned luxury setting. This role offers the opportunity to innovate and elevate our culinary offerings while fostering a collaborative and high-performance kitchen environment. Join us to create exceptional dining experiences and drive culinary excellence.
About Cheeca Lodge and Spa
WELCOME TO CHEECA
A Legendary Tropical Hideaway
Since 1946 the historic Cheeca Lodge & Spa has enchanted guests with world-class fishing, exceptional accommodations, and gracious hospitality. Come experience this lush oceanfront retreat, considered the premier luxury resort in the Florida Keys.
The Legend of Our Grand Florida Keys Hotel Resort
You've found it...the crown jewel of Islamorada Florida Keys hotels.
Hardy Keys pioneers called Conchs chose this very beach to carve out a tenacious living in the isolated beauty of the undiscovered Florida Keys. Here, they formed a Methodist congregation and built a two-room school house and a cemetery. Cheeca has preserved this Pioneer Cemetery, where members of the founding families of Islamorada are buried. You can explore it today; it is a designated historical site. The Angel with the Broken Wing watches over the grave of Etta Pinder, who died in 1914. Here lies the first footprint of Islamorada – "Purple Isle" in Spanish.
The early 1940's brought electricity and fresh water. Mrs. Clara Mae Downey from Olney, Maryland, opened the Olney Inn in 1946. She described this early bellwether of Cheeca as "different – rather comparable to the tropical estate of a gifted host." Clara's first guest was President Harry Truman, who cherished his time loafing around the pool and wondering amidst the resort's 22 quaint bungalows.
Fast horses, high society and a healthy dose of Keys vivacity marked the reign of the Twitchell Family in the 1960's. Cynthia, better known as "Chee," was an heiress to the A&P grocery chain and owner of a top thoroughbred racing farm. "We took my nickname, combined it with my husband Carl's, and came up with "Cheeca," she recalled. The Twitchells completely refurbished the property, adding the main lodge, the oceanfront villas, tennis courts, golf course and Cheeca's trademark wooden fishing pier. Chee raised miniature tarpon and her beloved seahorses in the aquariums throughout the resort. "Suzy the Seahorse" became Cheeca's mascot and logo, gracing the resort's menus, brochures, towels and linens.
Avid outdoorsman and Coca Cola magnate Carl Navarre purchased Cheeca Lodge in 1976, hosting his Fortune 500 friends in for sunny days of sportfishing and golf. Celebrities flocked to the hotel and famous guests were reeling in giant bonefish right off the resort's pier. The "Sportfishing Capital of the World" was born, seducing wealthy adventurers from around the world.
In 2005, Cheeca Lodge underwent over $30 million dollars in renovations, restoring the property and its surrounding grounds to their original grandeur, ensuring that we will be a cherished destination for generations to come. Following a fire on New Year's Eve 2008, the Main Lodge was completely rebuilt once again, with a fabulous open-air lobby, a spectacular oceanfront banquet room with panoramic views, and an exclusive indoor / outdoor lounge area for club members.
About Northwood Hospitality
Founded in 2006, Northwood Hospitality (NWH) has established itself as a leading boutique operator with a true understanding of value creation. Our high-touch management philosophy focuses on providing a collaborative and hands-on approach with each hotel team. We rely on real-time operating data to drive both strategies and revenues.
People are our Passion
Our team members, guests, partners and our communities are our passion. We take a people-first approach to learning & developing, ensuring our team members have the skills and tools to succeed.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to create and nurture an environment that ignites our team members passions; we provide the tools & mentoring to empower them and foster a sense of belonging.
Our Mission
Our mission is to maximize asset value creation and performance.
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