Resort / VIP Head Chef

Graton Resort & Casino; Rohnert Park (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Graton Resort & Casino is seeking a Head Chef to oversee In-Room Dining, VIP Suites, and Pool Service, delivering consistent food quality and guest experience in a 24/7 operation. The role leads the culinary team to ensure food maintains quality, temperature, texture, and presentation from prep to delivery.

You will drive culinary execution, develop menus, manage labor and food costs, and uphold Graton culinary standards, safety, and service pacing while building internal talent for succession

Qualifications

• 3--5 years of progressive culinary-management experience, preferably as an Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef.
• Culinary Arts degree or equivalent professional culinary experience preferred.
• Knowledge of menu development, recipe costing, production planning, and kitchen scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary execution for breakfast, all-day, overnight, VIP amenity, Pool and Cabana Service menus.
• Develop, test, cost, and implement menu items balancing guest expectations and food-cost objectives.
• Establish standards for In-Room Dining transport including temperature, texture, packaging, and delivery integrity.
• Oversee VIP dining requests, suite amenities, and dietary accommodations.
• Conduct routine culinary quality audits and evaluate products against quality specs.
• Manage food cost, production pars, waste, purchasing, and inventory controls.
• Create staffing schedules using occupancy forecasts and ordering patterns.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity and reduce waste while preserving quality.

Skills

Culinary management

Menu development

Food cost management

Kitchen scheduling

Team development

Food safety

Communication skills

Education

Culinary Arts degree

Tools

Inventory control systems

Job description

The Head Chef -- In-Room Dining, VIP & Pool Service provides culinary leadership and operational oversight for In-Room Dining, VIP Suites and Amenities, Pool/Cabanas, and Pre-Function Green Room Service. The position leads the culinary team in delivering consistent food quality, presentation, timing, food safety, and guest service across a 24/7 operation. This role combines refined culinary execution with disciplined operational management, ensuring food maintains its quality, temperature, texture, and presentation throughout preparation, transport, and delivery. The Head Chef is accountable for menu execution, Graton culinary standards, labor and food-cost management, team development, equipment stewardship, and continuous improvement of the guest dining experience.

Essential Functions:

• Lead culinary execution for breakfast, all-day, overnight, VIP amenity, Pool and Cabana Service menus.
• Develop, test, cost, and implement menu items that balance guest expectations, operational execution, and food-cost objectives.
• Establish standards specifically designed for In-Room Dining transport, including temperature, texture, presentation, packaging, and delivery integrity.
• Oversee customized VIP dining requests, suite amenities, and dietary accommodations.
• Conduct routine culinary quality audits and evaluate products against established quality specifications.
• Manage food cost, production pars, waste, purchasing, and inventory controls in support of departmental financial goals.
• Conduct monthly inventories and maintain effective FIFO rotation and ordering practices.
• Use occupancy forecasts, arrival/departure patterns, and anticipated ordering volumes to develop efficient culinary staffing schedules.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity and reduce waste while preserving food quality and guest experience.
• Develop culinary skills through structured training in areas such as knife skills, line execution, allergen awareness, food safety, and service pacing.
• Build internal talent and succession readiness by creating meaningful development opportunities for culinary team members.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate effectively with Guests, Team Members, and Management in both written and verbal form.
• 3--5 years of progressive culinary-management experience, preferably as an Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef, within a hotel, resort, casino, or comparable high-volume operation.
• Culinary Arts degree or equivalent professional culinary experience preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of menu development, recipe costing, production planning, food-cost management, and kitchen scheduling.