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

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Phoenicia Diner seeks a Chef to add to and grow our bustling, high-volume, quality-driven operation, someone eager to maintain the strong day-to-day operation we have built in the last 12 years and help us define the next chapter of our expansion.

You must have a dedication and love for our format -- historic 60’s Diner re-thought as a place to illuminate local bounty -- and create new dishes within the parameters of our current menu format from local and seasonal sources. You are someone who embraces the challenges of managing a kitchen, working service, leading a kitchen staff, and have the skills to establish systems and scale them for growth.

This is a unique opportunity for a loyal, yet ambitious culinary professional to grow with our company. We are looking to invest in someone with a deep team mentality and experience who is eager to invest their time and energy in us as well.

We are located in Catskill Mountains/Ulster County area.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide culinary vision and practicality to menu planning and recipe development.
• Expand on current menu and program, create and implement breakfast, lunch, catering, and special events menus including house-made bread and cured meats that promise high standards for variety, seasonality, nutrition, presentation and consistency. Continually update and improve the menu as tastes and seasons change.
• Oversee kitchen operations; create and manage a kitchen production schedule.
• Develop and oversee food safety/sanitation practices, training and ongoing compliance.
• Work with upper management and operations team to 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, fun, and admirable leader. You will be in charge of 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.
  Inspire open dialogue and cohesive team communication.
• Foster relationships with existing and new vendors and suppliers, focusing on local food producers, artisan food-makers and sustainable/ecological supplies and equipment.
• Provide input on kitchen buildouts including equipment, station diagrams, flow, storage, etc.
• Supervise and coordinate special event logistics & profitability with operations managerial team.
• Autonomous maintenance of digital tools for kitchen operations including Microsoft Office, Basecamp, Sling, POS, and Margin Edge.

REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS

• Minimum of 4 years kitchen experience.
• Relative experience cooking and expediting during a high-volume service is a must.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

BENEFITS

• 2-weeks paid vacation (some blackout dates apply)
• 1 additional week paid vacation the 2nd week of December.
• NY Paid Family Leave
• Approved Education Reimbursement

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $70,000.00 - $90,000.00

Application instructions

Deadline

January 01, 2025