Company Description:
Dinner Lab is a membership based social dining experience that brings together up and coming chefs cooking foods that tell a story with diners that are looking to experience a restaurant experience removed of the trappings of the traditional. Our members come together in different locations, regardless of class, age, or social status, and tend to be some of the most creative, trend-setting, and eclectic group of individuals in a city.
We don’t dictate what our chefs cook, discriminate on who a member should be, and believe that good people, good food, and good drink is all you need.
Our organization is growing at a quick pace and we are actively searching to find team members that will grow with us to provide unique dining experiences and offer great customer service for our guests.. Please submit your resume and a cover letter with Chef de Cuisine – Dinner Lab included in Subject Line. (Only candidates with both cover letter and resume will be reviewed)
Minimum Qualifications:
Experience in restaurant industry at top-tier restaurants
Don’t mind long or odd hours – events are on nights & weekends. (Not much different from the typical restaurant industry gig)
Self-starter
Not afraid to make mistakes (you overcome them)
Thrive in high pressure situations
You are your own toughest critic. You are always thinking “How can I do better?”
Organized and able to multitask
Creative and flexible. You will be working around chefs’ schedules, but don’t be afraid to bust some skulls and show them who is boss–it’s your kitchen!
Able to work and communicate with a variety of personalities. Some chefs are humble, others consider themselves celebrity chefs. You need to adapt to each individual for the common cause of putting out bad-ass food
Love being around and cooking food
You MUST communicate effectively by email, phone, or face to face, telegraph, carrier pigeon, whatever you prefer to get your message across
A little OCD about details. Do you like alphabetizing your spices or color coding equipment?
A strong leader and a problem solving ninja: no two events will be exactly the same, nor will you be working with the same people
Not above any job! You will get your hands dirty: you’re responsible for everything from the largest to the smallest details
The Job
Are you are obsessed with food and thrive in the kitchen? Look no further.
This is a unique position that combines all kitchen positions, from culinary researcher to manager to sous chef. The candidate should feel comfortable in a kitchen environment, have the ability to manage guest chefs, chef de parties, and communicate well with Market Manager. Communications and hospitality skills are a must! This job is nothing but a great experience: you will constantly meeting new chefs and being exposed to new experiences you would never have imagined. You’ll be learning from all these talented chefs with different backgrounds and techniques they learned from their mothers as children all the way to their travels across the world.
We have high standards for food and customer service and you should too.
Here’s a breakdown of your key responsibilities:
Menu Development
Work with guest chefs to develop menus that our members have ever experienced before. We are always thinking of inventive ways for diners to interact with the food (open flame, snake blood, you name it)
Be financially savvy and think outside the box to stay under the budget
Counting! Keep track of pantry and kitchen inventory in Dinner Lab’s IT system
Preparation
Prep with guest chef and chef de parties prior to event
Make friends with guest chefs, chef de parties, and purveyors. In other words, get some cold brews and “work”
Kitchen Logistics
Health- and safety- conscious about both the Dinner Lab kitchen and event spaces. THIS IS A MUST. Most spaces you will be working in will not have a kitchen, so get creative and find a set-up that functions.
Communicate with Market Manager and Guest Chef to make sure all equipment needs are met. You are responsible for the setup and breakdown of kitchen space for each event.
Maintain a clean and orderly kitchen — you might as well treat it like your home (because you’ll probably spend more time here than at home, no joke)
Keep all kitchen equipment in great condition and treat your equipment like a baby. If you are not into babies, treat it like your pet.
Develop relationships with purveyors and keep track of kitchen inventory
Administration
Work with the Guest Chef during the event and execute to Dinner Lab standards
Communicate with Event Curator and act as liaison between FOH and BOH
Staff Management (BOH)
Hire, train, and develop BOH kitchen staff in the ways of Dinner Lab.
Hire and train staff for post-event clean up (remove ASAP). Guest chefs may need our kitchens the day following an event. You wouldn’t want to walk into a half dirty/unorganized kitchen: first impressions can set the tone.
Communication
Communicate with the Culinary Director who oversees all markets
Constant communication with the local Market Manager. ESP preferred, but not necessary
Be present for weekly conference calls and report any changes immediately
Manage the guest chefs and your staff: they are here to work for you