Company description

Built in 1962 and moved to the Catskills in the early 80s, the Phoenicia Diner has a long history of serving customers who are drawn to the Catskill’s natural beauty. The prior owners nurtured the Diner and its customers for nearly 30 years. Current owner, Mike Cioffi, continues that tradition by offering residents, weekenders and visitors fresh food sourced from Catskills and Hudson Valley farms when available. Our menu is carefully crafted to offer traditional diner favorites, sometimes with a modern twist, using seasonal and local fresh ingredients.

Job description

The Phoenicia Diner seeks a Sous Chef to help grow our bustling, high‐volume, quality driven operation. This position is ideal for a sous chef or line cook with extensive experience who is ready to step into a management role and someone eager to support the extremely strong day‐to‐day operation we have built in the last 5 years. The new Sous Chef will work in close contact with the Executive Chef to maintain the current menu and concept at the original location, with room to grow as we scale operations to future outposts.

You must have a dedication and love for our format ‐‐ historic 50’s Diner rethought as a place to illuminate local bounty ‐‐ and love helping create new dishes within the parameters of our current menu format from local and seasonal sources. You must embrace the challenges of managing a kitchen, working service, leading a kitchen staff, and have the skills to help maintain as well as improve our established systems.

This is a unique opportunity for a loyal and ambitious culinary professional to take on a high profile position and grow with our company. We are looking to invest in someone with a deep team mentality and is eager to invest their time and energy in us as well. We aim to open additional locations in the coming 1‐5 years, and we are hoping to grow with you and provide opportunity for the advancement of your career goals. With appropriate skills and commitment, a chef de cuisine opportunity can be yours.

We are located in Catskill Mountains/Ulster County area, and the position is available Winter 2017/18. This will be a salaried position. Compensation is dependent on experience and in line with or exceeds comparable positions in NYC and other metropolitan areas. In addition we are open to contributing to relocation costs for the right candidate.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee current daily kitchen operations; manage and contribute to the kitchen production schedule.
• Assist Executive Chef with carrying out culinary vision with regards to menu planning and recipe development.
• Oversee food safety/sanitation practices, training and ongoing compliance.
• Maintain productive relationships with existing vendors and suppliers, focusing on local food producers, artisan food makers and sustainable/ecological supplies and equipment. Seek out and develop new vendor relationships in order to help increase our interconnectedness with Catskills Mountain/Hudson Valley food systems.
• Sustain current inventory and purchasing systems with careful attention to food cost and budget goals in accordance with seasonal revenue fluctuations. Manage budget with strategic purchasing and exemplary efficiency.
• Be an excellent and admirable leader. Assist Executive Chef in recruiting, hiring, training, reviewing, disciplining and making corrective actions for kitchen staff.
• Maintain kitchen, prep and storage areas to health and labor code and beyond.
• Maintain a level of cleanliness that surpasses expectations. Train staff to perform at your level.
• Recognize areas of need and fill gaps in any areas during service. Liaise and troubleshoot between FOH and BOH while maintaining team environment and calm nature. Resolve conflict with customers, vendors, and staff as the face of the restaurant in Executive Chef’s absence.
• Inspire open dialogue and cohesive team communication.
• Provide Executive Chef with input on kitchen operations improvements including equipment upgrades and repairs, station organization, flow of product, storage, etc.
• Liaise with Executive Chef and FOH managerial team to coordinate special event logistics.

REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS

• Minimum of 5 years kitchen experience.
• Relative experience cooking and expediting during a high volume service is a must. Culinary degree is a bonus but not required.
• Passion for traditional “comfort” foods and the creativity to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary using the local bounty of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley as your palette.
• Extremely organized and driven to exceed expectations.
• Effective and positive leadership skills, including ability to clearly set expectations, train individuals and foster teamwork and team‐building skills.
• Curiosity to seek best local and regional ingredients and work within constraints of localism and seasonality. Be inspired by this challenge.
• Deep knowledge of sanitary and health code norms.
• Extensive knife, preparation and cooking skills, and ability to train others.
• Attentive to waste/environmental impact ideas and implementation systems.
• Honest, clear and effective communication skills, oral and written.
• Proficient computer skills (MS word, excel, POS, Google Cal, social media, etc.) a plus.
• Ability to work in a high‐energy, quick‐moving and demanding environment.
• Works well under pressure, can effectively solve problems and communicate challenges.
• Organized, precise, ambitious, and self‐motivated.
• Willing to work long hours while never losing your great sense of humor.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $40,000.00 - $50,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline