Executive Chef / Director, Food & Beverage | Fort Smith Convention Center

Oak View Group

Oak View Group is the global leader in venue development, management, and premium hospitality services for the live event industry. Offering an unmatched, 360-degree solution set for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster that includes the most influential, highest attended arenas, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions on the planet.

Position Summary

This individual will serve as the Director of Food and Beverage and Executive Chef for a premier food & beverage operation as well as menu design and meal preparation of the facility including catering & events, concerts concessions. Additionally, work with the Food & Beverage Manager to execute purchasing, receiving and producing. This innovative professional will be tasked with assembling and leading a high-performance team that will deliver an exceptional F&B experience for a diverse group of guests/clients while maximizing profits and ensuring favorable profit margins.

This role pays an annual salary of $60,000-$80,000 and is bonus eligible.

 

Benefits for Full-Time roles: Benefits: Health, Dental and Vision insurance, 401(k) savings plan, 401(k) matching, and paid time off (vacation days, sick days, and 11 holidays).

 

This position will remain open until June 13, 2025.

 

About the Venue

The Fort Smith Convention Center offers 116,800 square feet of usable, infinitely-flexible event space including 40,000 sq. ft. Exhibit Hall, 8 Meeting Rooms and over 3,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space. The Convention Center also boasts a 1,331-seat a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center just steps from historic downtown Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Responsibilities

• Research and development of menu items to keep pace with industry trends, local and seasonal ingredients to support restaurant and concession business; works with sales staff on concepts and themes.
• Establishes food presentation technique and quality standards.
• Oversees menus and standards of food production and preparation, for concessions, retail operations and all special events.
• Works with sales and event staff and Food & Beverage Manager to assign prices to menu items in accordance with budgetary goals.
• Ensures accurate recipe development and testing.
• Oversees all food production, preparation, for retail operations and all special events.
• Estimates food consumption and purchases kitchen supplies including food product.
• Double checks food and equipment purchases for all aspects of the business to ensure consistency with standard operating procedures.
• Enforces all sanitation and maintenance procedures.
• Schedules and supervises employees, checking weekly schedules.
• Coordinates and directs training of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen workers engaged in the preparing and cooking foods to ensure high quality, efficient and profitable food service.
• Work with Food & Beverage Manager to maintain cost of goods, labor, and any other P&L responsibilities at or below budget.
• Reviews menus and analyzes recipes to ensure superior standards for retail and special events.
• Responsible for inventory control and the proper rotation of all items.
• Determine, establish, and implement policies, procedures, and training to insure best quality practices in service standards for all banquet servers, captains and managers.
• Assist in the preparation of the annual facility’s budget for the Food and Beverage division.
• Determine, develop, and implement recipe cards for all food items prepared in the facility including item ingredients, updated target product costs and preparation methods to include HAACP guidelines.
• Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with OVG Hospitality policies and procedures and applicable laws.
• Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. Hires, trains, and supervises all concession workers, including recruitment of non-profit groups to work in stands as needed.
• Oversee and monitor financial management and appropriate handling of receipts and deposits; tabulate receipts and balance accounts; assist Director of Finance in compiling sales reports on event-by-event monthly basis; assist in preparing annual budget and on-going monitoring of expenses and income to maximize return.
• Work with event planners, especially in area of consigned merchandise and/or concessions offered for sale at events.
• On occasional basis, may serve as Manager on Duty for assigned events