Greenwhich, Connecticut
Posted: 13-Nov-23
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Type: Full Time
Categories:
Interested in Hiring ACF Certified:
EXECUTIVE CHEF PROFILE:
WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
RICHMOND, VA
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
A special opportunity exists for candidates with a successful track record of leadership and high-quality operations management at experience-centric club operations or high-end establishments in the hospitality industry. We are conducting the Executive Chef search for the Willow Oaks Country Club (WOCC). The candidate will be an integral part of a high-performing team for one of the most prominent clubs in Richmond VA.
The Executive Chef role at WOCC is one best suited to a confident leader who genuinely enjoys being a “hands-on” leader of the Club, being highly engaged, visible, and interactive with department heads as well as members, and epitomizes the “selfless leader” so appropriate to a high performing hospitality environment. This is an opportunity for a qualified manager to make a long-term ‘home,’ being appreciated for providing consistent, confident culinary offerings and service.
Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.
WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
Nestled in the serene landscape and on the banks of the James River in Richmond, Virginia, Willow Oaks Country Club offers a haven of beauty, recreation, and timeless charm. Embracing its rich history, the updated clubhouse was built around “the old house” dating back to the 1700s and showcasing picturesque views of the land and the James River from the clubhouse patio.
Golf enthusiasts enjoy the exceptional 7,100-yard, par-72 golf course, recently renovated by renowned golf course architect Lester George. With Bermuda fairways and bent grass tees and greens, the course ensures an enjoyable experience year-round. The practice facility provides ample opportunities for members to perfect their swing.
Tennis lovers will find their match with eight outdoor courts (six Har-Tru and two asphalt sport-deco) along with four newly installed Deco Turf II indoor courts. An observation lounge acts as a gathering place to watch members compete during tournaments and social mixers. Keeping health and wellness in focus, the Fitness Center boasts state-of-the-art equipment and offers a diverse range of group exercise classes, personal training, and sport-specific training. Nutrition counseling and massage therapies add to the Club’s holistic approach to well-being. With the Fitness Center exercise rooms encompassing the second floor, the first floor opens out to their picturesque pool deck and contains locker rooms, showers, a steam bath, massage therapy rooms, Kids’ Club and Wave Lounge game room for “tweens,” and a full-service café.
Summertime invites families to the pool area, featuring a 6600 square-foot main pool with a 25-meter, 8-lane raceway, and a wading pool for children. The patio provides the perfect spot for sunbathing, socializing, and enjoying poolside events and parties throughout the season. The Club's professional staff offers private swimming lessons, and at least one lane is always dedicated to lap swimming.
Beyond sports and fitness, Willow Oaks hosts an array of social events, including wine dinners, comedy nights, cooking classes, and holiday dinners. The Oak Grille and Oak Lounge cater to diverse dining preferences, offering ever-changing seasonal menus and themed special events. Members and guests enjoy the views of the river while dining at the Oak Grill and The Rocks.
WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB BY THE NUMBERS
- Approximate Gross volume: 11.5 million
- Approximate Annual Dues Volume: 5 million
- Club employees: 180 FTE
- POS System: Jonas
- Average age of members: 53
- Number of resident memberships: 920
- $2 M Total F&B Revenues
- $1.5 M Food revenue
- $500k Beverage revenue
- 50% a la carte 50% banquets
- 15-20 Annual Weddings
- 14-16 kitchen employees
- 170 Daily Covers (L-D)
- 2 Kitchens (Clubhouse & Pool)
- 39-42 % food cost - budgeted
- 45 % labor Cost
- $2-2.5 M Kitchen renovation to begin in late 2025
- The club is typically closed for the 1st week of January
WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB WEBSITE: www.willowoakscc.org
WILLOW OAKS COUNTRY CLUB FOOD & BEVERAGE:
The Oak Grill: 100 max occ. Open for Lunch and Dinner 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Oak Grill is the main dining area for Members to enjoy casual all-day dining, broken up into cozy sections, a bar area, and an outdoor patio all of which have stunning views of the golf course and James River.
The Rocks: 60 max occ. Open for Lunch and Dinner 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. This adult-only area is located next to the Oak Grill, with indoor and outdoor seating and a bar.
The Wave: Seasonal pool operation for lunch and dinner. Can serve as many as 300/day when open from 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. The Wave has two pick-up windows, one for golfers and one for Members enjoying the pool area. Future plans for The Wave include pop-up action stations and a desire to provide some limited table/poolside service. There is also a bar located on the pool deck which has the potential to also offer grab-and-go offerings for golfers.
Events: The Club has multiple event rooms and holds several large events a year, the most notable being the river party hosted on the banks of the James River.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Executive Chef (EC) reports to the Clubhouse Manager and has approximately 14-16 kitchen team members, all reporting directly to them—the culinary team leadership consists of three Sous Chefs and a Banquet Chef. The chef will regularly interact with the House and Entertainment Committees. The Chef is responsible for all purchasing of products for the culinary team.
EXECUTIVE CHEF – POSITION OVERVIEW
The EC is a key leader on an experienced food and beverage team who is responsible for the execution of cuisine to the well-traveled club membership. This role demands seamless and consistent standards for the culinary excellence the club is known for.
Leadership
- Be a collaborative team player who is willing to work with and train the team each day doing whatever it takes to deliver the best Member experience.
- Empower the culinary team and delegate appropriately, so they can focus on growth; be confident that the operation can run well in EC’s absence.
- Be an active recruiter of team members who inherently enjoys developing and building his/her team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
- Have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training all food service personnel, working, as necessary, with the staff and directly responsible for operations.
- Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
- Maintain existing operating standards for personnel in areas of responsibility and consistently evaluate knowledge, understanding, and execution to these high standards.
- Work closely with the front-of-house food and beverage managers to ensure a cohesive experience that continually exceeds the expectations of Members and guests.
- Engage with, observe, learn, and listen to the Members and staff. Earn Member trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, visibility, and consistency.
- Remain current and continue education regarding diverse and new culinary trends and cuisines.
- Maintain physical presence during times of high business volume.
- Create a welcoming, approachable, and inclusive kitchen atmosphere for all club staff based on mutual respect.
Operations
- Maintain existing standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent high-quality food.
- Evaluate food products to ensure that quality standards are always attained.
- Maintain opening and closing cleaning checklists for each area/station within the kitchen and develop a weekly/monthly cleaning checklist.
- Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles.
- Maintain safety training programs; manage OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintain MSDSs in an easily accessible location.
Financial
- Plan menus for all food outlets in the club and special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct, and within budgeted labor cost goals.
- Consistently monitoring payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals, the club has a strong finance department that provides monthly and bimonthly updates to the EC.
- Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation.
- Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor, and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met.
- Review and approve product purchase specifications.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate:
- 5+ years of Executive Chef or Exec Sous Chef in an operation that has both a la carte and banquet experience.
- Exposure to a private club or 4-star hotel/resort experience is preferred.
- Is a strong and enthusiastic leader and culinary professional with a proven track record of providing high-level services. The EC must be passionate about their craft and inspire those around him or her with that energy and passion.
- The EC is a lifelong learner and instills that characteristic into his or her team.
- Is extremely organized to successfully manage and lead multiple a la carte and banquet venues simultaneously as well as prepare for and execute successful banquet events.
- Has a successful track record of controlling costs, standardizing recipes, and planning budgets, and has the skills necessary to perform all kitchen tasks and train others to properly execute those tasks. The EC leads by example.
- Is a visionary and trendsetter yet understands and respects the club’s long-standing culinary traditions and can balance both in creating menus, specials, and banquet offerings.
- Is a well-respected member of the leadership team and community team and can generate thoughts and ideas that result in increased sales and improved membership satisfaction.
EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS
- A culinary arts degree from an accredited school is preferred.
- Certified Executive Chef (ACF) or Pro Chef (CIA) certification is preferred.
- Certification in food safety is mandatory.
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package including association membership.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.
Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mr. Christopher Welles, GM/COO, and clearly articulate your alignment with this role why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why WOCC and the Richmond area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.
You must apply for this role as soon as possible but no later than Monday, December 11th, 2023. Candidate selections will occur in late December with the first Interviews expected in mid-January and the second interviews a brief time later. The new candidate should assume his/her role in mid-March.
IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner:
“Last Name, First Name - Resume”
“Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Willow Oaks”
(These documents should be in Word or PDF format)
Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.
Click here to upload your resume and cover letter.
If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor: at bethany@kkandw.com
LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES
Annette Whittley, Search Executive
561-827-1945 (M)
annette@kkandw.com
Lawrence McFadden, CMC, Search Executive
239-963-6888 (M)
lawrence@kkandw.com