Objective
Unique blend of creative flair and passion for food, strong business sense and engaging interpersonal skills. Strong record of streamlining operations and improving service while preserving the highest levels of quality. Natural ability to create enthusiastic, productive working environments with customer-oriented professionals. Highly skilled at performing financial analysis, troubleshooting operations and recommending effective cost controls.
Experience
Professional Experience
HEAD CHEF, July 2005 – present
Paradise Bar & Grill , Grand Cayman
Full service, eclectic cuisine fine dine in restaurant with 1.5 million dollars in gross annual sales, serving an average of 450-600 covers daily. Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner and banquets.
Oversee all kitchen operations in high volume. Setting, including quality, execution and financial responsibility. Supervise 15 member team and managing, recruiting, training, scheduling, purchasing, inventory, sanitation, menu research and development, seasonal promotions, price structuring and food and labor costs. Full P&L responsibility with a budget of $400K.
Key Contributions
• Credited by senior management for building and winning, mutually respectful environment between front & back of the house operations, leading to improved productivity, customer services and staff retention.
• Achieved optimum food service operating costs for the corporation at critical juncture
? Kept restaurant food cost at 26% Vs Industry standards of 33% & owners goal of 30%
? Maintained labour coasts at 27% Vs Industry standard at 30%
• Streamlined the kitchen operations that provided the necessary structure for the corporation to run as profitability and fueled its future growth
• Changing the menus on yearly basis and adding flair to the existing cuisine
• Supervised catering events accommodating upto 200 people
• Conducting budgeting, marketing and financial and cost analysis
• Successfully opened a new restaurant “CHEERS” from the same owners by designing kitchen, menu planning including food and wine list.
HEAD CHEF, March 2004 – 2005
Palm Beach Restaurant, Grand Cayman
A brand new Italian fine dines restaurant 150 covers, lunch, dinner and banquets.
Key Responsibilities
• Designed the kitchen to match effective food service.
• Menu Planning, Dinner specials, purchasing, inventory, cost control and quality control.
• Oversee the kitchen operations and liaison between the front and back of the house.
SOUS CHEF, Feb 2003 – 2004
Smugglers Cove , Grand Cayman
An eclectic 80 cover restaurant. Full service lunch and dinner services. Rated Best restaurant by www.fodors.com
Key Responsibility
• Worked in sauté and grill sections
• In charge of kitchen in absence of head chef
• Assisting the chef in menu planning, inventory and training new staffs
CHEF, Aug 2002 – Jan 2003
Havana Vieja , Grand Cayman
Key responsibility
• Worked with executive chef in creating a new menu redesigning the kitchen
• In charge of kitchen in absence of head chef
• Assisting the chef in menu planning, inventory and training new staffs
CHEF de Partie, Dec 1997 – Aug 2002
Carnival Cruise lines , Miami,Florida.
Carnival Cruise lines is one of the worlds biggest cruise lines.
Joined Carnival as a line cook and worked my way up to CDP in two years. Worked in four new ships.
Major responsibilities are
• In charge of main galley where 3500 meals are prepared a day
• Responsible for directing, supervising, assisting in the preparations of all food preparations in the main galley
• Responsible for quality, quantity, attractiveness and correctness of all food items served from the galley and ensuring standard recipe is followed
• Directing responsible for implementing and executing food handling and cleaning procedures in accordance with the USPH procedures
• Maintenance for all the HACCP procedures
• Directing, supervising and training all cooks in main galley
• Preparing daily requisition for exec sous chef for all items in stores
• Maintaining high level of productivity cleanliness and sanitation throughout the galley
• Setting the micros and running hotline during service time
• Giving the proper food count to the sections
• Directly reporting to executive chef and executive sous chef
Demi Chef de Partie, Jun 1996 – Dec 1997
Park Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Chennai, India
Park Sheraton is a five star deluxe hotel with 275 rooms. Selected as DEMI CHEF DE PARTIE Trainee through campus interview. Only candidate to be selected from a private college other than IHM students.
• Underwent 3 months extensive induction programme to understand the basic operations of five star hotels.
• Trained in various kitchens to understand the basic operations of the star hotel kitchen.
• Worked in Towers kitchen as DCDP handling a crew of 8 people to cover the operations. This is a fine dine 70 cover restaurant handling breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Training, scheduling and supervising the commis.
• Directly reporting to Executive Sous chef
Education
EDUCATION, AFFILIATIONS & SKILLS
Bachelors of Science in Catering and Hotel Management
Gold Medalist, 1993-1996
Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore
Coordinator of Cat-a-Fest, Food Festival, 1996
Masters in Business Management
Specialization in Systems & Sales, Jan 2009.
Amity Unversity , Noida
Certification
Kitchen Management Course
JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY, Miami, Florida.
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Skils
EXPERTISE
Superior leadership, coaching and team building g skills, frequently appreciated by senior management. Committed to create memorable dining experience for all guests.
• Multi cuisine high volume operations
• Budgeting / P&L Management
• Creative menu development
• Fine dine in/ banquet / ala carte servicing
• Price structuring and cost containment
• Team building and training
• Special event planning
• Safety and sanitation ( USPH & HACCP procedures)
• Profit enhancement
• Wine & Spirits Management
• Inventory & Purchasing
• Nutritional Cooking
• Guest Relations
• Product Development
ACHIEVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS
• Awarded two times Best Employee Award in Carnival CruiseLines in five years, 1998-2003
• Awarded GOLD Medal, for Bharathiyar university topper in Bachelors of Catering management, 1996