Restaurant Chef - Kankakee Grille

SUMMARY: 

Responsible for the preparation, seasoning, and cooking of salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables, desserts, or other foods within an ala carte environment ensuring the efficiency of the line and kitchen operation in accordance with specifications and standards. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

• Prepares and cook foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.
• Supervise and coordinate activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation.
• Collaborate with other personnel to plan and develop recipes and special menus, taking into account such factors as seasonal availability of ingredients and the likely number of customers.
• Check the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.
• Check the quantity and quality of received products.
• Demonstrate new cooking techniques and equipment to staff.
• Determine how food should be presented, and create decorative food displays.
• Determine production schedules and staff requirements necessary to ensure timely delivery of services.
• Estimate amounts and costs of required supplies, such as food and ingredients.
• Inspect supplies, equipment, and work areas to ensure conformance to established standards.
• Instruct cooks and other workers in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.
• Monitor sanitation practices to ensure that employees follow standards and regulations.
• Order or requisition food and other supplies needed to ensure efficient operation.
• Recruit and hire staff, including cooks and other kitchen workers.
• Maintains knowledge of currently used concepts, practices and procedures associated with fine dining restaurant trends.
• Follows all recipes, specs, and control procedures.
• Maintains professional grooming and appearance and acts as a role model according to established grooming and appearance policy.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Promotes the following within the department and among all employees:

• Creates an atmosphere of fun for all casino guests.
• Encourages mutual respect, dignity and integrity with all employees, by setting positive examples at all times.
• Instills an atmosphere that encourages employees to share ideas, discuss concerns, and resolve conflicts.
• Retains employees through involvement in training and development.
• Explains why we do things, in advance of doing them.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Directly supervises the Restaurant Sous Chef and Cook 3.  Indirectly supervises Cooks 2 and 1.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

High school diploma or G.E.D.  Culinary degree or formal apprenticeship required and three to four years fine dining/ala carte experience.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong organizational and interpersonal skills required.  Appropriate licenses, as required.  ServSafe® certification, or ability to become certified, required.  Knowledge of HACCP standards required.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents, such as policy and procedure manuals, maintenance instructions, and other related documents.  Ability to write effective reports and memos.  Ability to respond to inquiries from employees or guests.  Ability to communicate effectively in one-on-one, small group, and large group situations.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute rate, ratio and percent, and to interpret data from graphs.  

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to apply common sense reasoning to variety of situations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand and walk.     

The employee is frequently required to lift up to 25 lb. and occasionally required to lift up to 50 lb.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee regularly works around mechanical moving parts.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  A casino environment is typically smoky.