Travelle Restaurant/Bar Sous Chef - The Langham, Chicago

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF POSITION:

Train, supervise, and work with all Travelle Restaurant and Bar Culinary staff to prepare, cook, and present food according to hotel standard recipes to create quality food products.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND JOB DUTIES:

•  Assigns, in detail, specific duties to all employees under supervision for efficient operation of kitchen.
•  Employs math skills to follow recipes, prep sheets, and inventory controls.
•  Selects, trains, and supervises kitchen staff in the proper preparation of menu items and all areas of kitchen operations.
•  Schedules culinary staff so that proper coverage is maintained while keeping payroll costs in line according to established budgets and re-forecasts.
•  Ensures proper receiving, storage (including temperature-setting) and rotation of food products to comply with Health Department regulations.
•  Adheres to control procedures for cost and quality, portioning, presentation.
•  Maintains specific set food and labor cost, established budgeted numbers and re-forecasts.
• Supervises daily cleaning of walk-in and reach-in boxes for safety reasons.
• Reports any equipment in need of repair to Chef and Engineering.
• Performs other duties as requested, such as V.I.P. parties and staff meetings.
• Maintains complete knowledge of and ensures staff's compliance with all departmental/hotel policies and procedures.
• Establish the day's priorities and assign production and prep tasks to staff to execute.
• Communicates additions or changes to the assignments as they arise throughout the shift. Identify situations, which compromise the department's standards and delegate these tasks.
• Take physical inventory of specified food items for daily inventory.
• Reviews the market list.
• Requisitions the day’s supplies and ensure that they are received and stored correctly.  Communicate needs with Purchasing and Storeroom personnel.  Ensures quality of products received.
• Meets with the Executive Steward to review equipment needs.
• Ensures that staff report to work as scheduled and document any late or absent employees.
• Coordinates breaks for staff.
• Inspects grooming and attire of staff; rectify any deficiencies.
• Checks and ensures that all opening duties are completed to standard.
• Ensures that each kitchen work area is stocked with specified tools, supplies and equipment to meet the business demand.
• Ensures that recipe cards, production schedules, plating guides, photographs are current and posted.
• Ensures that all staff prepares menu items following recipes and yield guides, according to department standards.
• Monitors performance of staff and ensure all procedures are completed to the department standards; rectify deficiencies with respective personnel.
• Is aware of any shortages and plans before the item runs out.
• Always promotes positive guest relations.
• Is familiar with all hotel services/features and local attractions/activities to respond accurately to any guest inquiry.
• Monitors and handle guest complaints by following the instant pacification procedures and ensuring guest satisfaction.
• Inspects the cleanliness of the line, floor, and all kitchen stations. Directs staff to rectify any deficiencies.
• Ensures that staff maintain and strictly abide by state sanitation/health regulations and hotel requirements.
• Maintains proper storage procedures as specified by Health Department and hotel requirements.
• Instructs staff in the correct usage and care of all machinery in the kitchen operation.
• Completes work orders for maintenance repairs and submits to Engineering.  Contact Engineering directly for urgent repairs.
• Ensures that excess items are utilized efficiently.
• Monitors and ensures that all closing duties are completed to standard before staff signs out.
• Fosters and promotes a cooperative working climate, maximizing productivity and employee morale.
• Oversees and directs training of new hires in specified phases of the kitchen operation.  Maintains an on-going training program for existing staff. Reevaluate positions in the kitchen and make changes wherever necessary.