Executive Chef - La Serre

Brought to you by DineAmic Hospitality and situated in Chicago’s West Loop, La Serre and Bar La Rue offer a transportive dining and cocktail experience inspired by the charm and sophistication of the French Mediterranean. La Serre features French-inspired cuisine in an elegant, garden-like setting, while Bar La Rue provides a lively atmosphere for expertly crafted cocktails and elevated bites—creating a destination that seamlessly transitions from dinner to drinks.

DineAmic Hospitality is seeking an Executive Chef for La Serre and Bar La Rue. The Executive Chef is responsible for the successful management of the restaurant’s kitchen. The role requires a wide range of skills from designing and developing satisfactory menus to managing staff and creating and maintaining financial budgets. Our Executive Chef will demonstrate exceptional leadership skills by recruiting, training, and mentoring the culinary staff. Responsibilities also include maintaining a safe, clean, and professional kitchen at all times; managing food costs; conducting proper inventories; and product ordering.  The Executive Chef will coach and develop the Sous Chef(S) to have an understanding of and ability to take on these responsibilities in their absence. 

GENERAL FUNCTIONS + RESPONSIBILITIES

Culinary

• Conduct ongoing research and continuously collaborate with the corporate chef team on menu items with respect to changing seasons, guest feedback, product cost and availability, and other factors
• Develop and update recipe books prescribing ingredients, product specifications, and portion sizes, which become property of DineAmic.
• Coordinate with event teams on menu items and create ways to activate spaces within restaurant outlets

Leadership and Management

• Create the benchmark for our kitchen culture by modeling a high standard of professionalism (ie. respect for fellow co-workers, mature communication in delegation, and enthusiasm for the food program)
• Work with management team to develop insight and leadership goals for staff to encourage a culture of continuous learning and development
• Identify, address and document individual employee performance problems according to standard operating procedure.  Discipline and/or terminate as necessary according to DineAmic procedures.
• Schedule, conduct and document employee performance reviews according to standard operating procedure.
• Identify, train, and develop key employees for growth, advancement and promotion.

Kitchen Operations

• Maintain mandated food cost, organizing and facilitating ordering for ingredients utilizing order sheets, maintain pars commensurate with minimizing waste, and consistent ordering of dry goods and restaurant supplies to ensure product availability
• Maintain departmental budget expectations
• Assist company efforts to optimize labor & product costs
• Proactively build lasting relationships with purveyors
• Coordinate with General Manager and Corporate Chef to ensure production standards are accurate, determine lunch and dinner specials, employee meals, complimentary pass outs and amuses, review kitchen personnel needs and issues, etc.
• Oversee the purchase and ordering of all food products and supplies for the restaurant.
  • Ensure daily product orders are taking place
  • Track high-cost items according to standing operating procedure.
• Manage Sous Chefs and ensure they are properly supervising kitchen staff and following all procedures and protocols for line checks, cook meetings, food allergy procedures, food consistency and presentations, etc.

Safety

• Ensure BOH employees understand and adhere to sanitation/safety guidelines.
• Coordinate proper food storage according to standard operating procedure and health and safety guidelines
• Work safely in a confined, crowded space of variable noise and temperature levels
• Comply with all safety and sanitation guidelines and procedures
  • Move safely through all areas of the restaurant, which may include stairs and uneven and slick surfaces.
  • Wear a hair restraint while on duty.
  • Wash hands regularly, according to guidelines.
  • Safely and efficiently use knives and other tools, utensils, and equipment necessary to complete preparation of menu items.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum 2 years high-volume Kitchen as an Executive chef, up to 4 years preferred
• Proven experience creating a safe work environment incorporating teamwork and professional development
• Ability to efficiently identify issues and problem solve.
• Commitment to quality, accuracy, timeliness, and results
• The ability to handle stress in a productive way as well as the ability to delegate while maintaining control
• Proficient computer skills, basic math skills, and ability to operate a point-of-sale system.
• Flexibility to work a variety of shifts, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays
• Minimum of 50 hours per week required
• Holds a current SERV safe (or equivalent) certification

 BENEFITS +PERKS

• BCBS Medical
• BCBS Dental
• Eye Med Vision
• Company-paid Short-term Disability Insurance
• Company-paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• Company-paid Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Sick Leave
• Commuter Benefits
• 401K + Match
• Monthly Food & Beverage Allowance and Discount

DineAmic Hospitality is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.