Chef - Common House

Who we are

Common House is a modern social club with locations in Richmond, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Chattanooga, TN, and New Orleans, LA. More than a membership, the Houses provide inclusive spaces to dine, work, and discover through daily programming, unique amenities, and connection opportunities with other members.

Position & Candidate Description

Common House is seeking an experienced Chef to oversee the culinary program at Common House Charlottesville. The Chef de Cuisine is responsible for creating an approachable but elevated dining offering that is in line with Common House brand standards, with a local New Orleans flair. The Chef de Cuisine will hire, onboard, train, and manage all members of the back of house team, from Sous Chefs to line cooks to dishwashers. The CDC is responsible for ensuring that all proper food safety and environment standards are met, that the food is served in a timely manner and meets quality expectations. The CDC will collaborate with the Programming Manager to ideate and execute on unique F&B programming for Members. The CDC will collaborate with the GM and report regularly on the KPIs of the kitchen, including but not limited to COGS, inventory management, waste, and labor management. 

The Chef de Cuisine is an experienced leader who can balance managing and motivating a team while also staying on top of the administrative requirements of the position. The CDC is a strong communicator, a true hospitality professional who prioritizes the member experience, and will operate a teaching kitchen. Prior to opening, the Chef de Cuisine will work in tandem with the Director of Operations and Corporate team (OpCo) to ensure that the club is set up and ready to operate. This may include but is not limited to recipe development, vendor sourcing and management, and ensuring that the kitchen is ready to pass inspection to receive all necessary permitting, including the health permit to operate.

This position is based in New Orleans, and will require being on-site at the club five days per week, with a schedule that may change week to week based on the needs of the club. There will be some travel to Virginia and/or Tennessee for training at our currently operating clubs.

Responsibilities of the Chef de Cuisine include but are not limited to:

• Menu Development & COGS Management
  • Collaborate with OpCo to write seasonal menus, banquet menus, and specials
  • Ensure all recipes are costed according to budget and inputted into Craftable. No item will be put on a menu and into the POS without the recipe being developed, costed, approved, and inputted into the back-end first
  • Create prep lists, order sheets, and clear prep/yield/waste management protocol for Sous Chefs and line cooks to utilize in executing daily service.
  • Manage monthly inventory
  • Seek out and vet producers to source the highest quality local product while still meeting COGS goals
  • Continually reevaluate local sources to ensure the most optimal arrangement for Common House
• Maintenance & Compliance
  • Schedule and oversee necessary cleaning and preventive maintenance plans 
  • Ensure a daily sanitation plan is in place, and oversee the team in complying with the sanitation protocol
  • Ensure team is aware of and complying with all Health Department protocol
  • Maintain all necessary kitchen-related health records, including tracking health department visits and permit renewals
  • Work with Director of Operations to ensure a HAACP plan is in place as needed. 
• Service, Staffing & People Management
  • Manage hiring, firing, discipline, and performance review for BOH team
  • Oversee scheduling, ensuring the team can execute while keeping labor cost down and to budget
  • Run a teaching kitchen, in line with the Culinary Philosophy of Common House brand guidelines. Train, teach, and mentor BOH staff of all skillsets, creating opportunities for professional and personal development 
  • Curating and maintaining a positive working environment, including:
    • Constructive criticism
    • Positive reinforcement
    • Teaching new techniques
    • Coaching and curating new talent
    • Addressing weak links or sources of negative energy
    • Ensure an excellent experience for all members, prospective members, and guests while in Common House; model and exemplify hospitality excellence at all times
  • Be present in the kitchen, ensuring that service and the team is running smoothly, working shifts as needed. 
• Inter-Department Collaboration
  • Work closely with GM, AGM, and all other department managers ensure a seamless experience for employees and members/guests alike.
  • Partner with Programming Manager and Beverage Manager, working closely with OpCo leadership to ensure all F&B-related elements of Programming are planned for. This may occasionally mean hosting special dinners, teaching classes, etc.
  • Prepare menus ahead of deadline for Brand & Comms team to promote Programming
  • Work closely with Brand & Comms team to market and promote any food-related initiatives and campaigns, including staging photo shoots and other social media content
  • Prepare for weekly BEO meeting, ready to ask questions when needed and ensure everyone across all departments is prepared for any forthcoming Private Events and Programming
  • Monitor ongoing Member feedback (from Membership Surveys, 7Rooms Reviews, direct emails, insight from Membership Director, etc.) and adjust the menu offering accordingly to accommodate broad member preferences
• Reporting
  • Attend weekly all-team, updating agenda with necessary updates, clarifying questions, etc. for the team.
  • Prepare slides for Monthly Review All-Team meetings, reporting on the KPIs and overall health of the culinary program

Experience Requirements

• At least 5+ years of management experience
• Passionate and familiar with sourcing locally and seasonally
• Rely on strong organizational ability
• Positive demeanor, self-motivated, a willingness to learn and adjust
• Teamwork mentality between FOH, BOH and admin team
• Preferred background in high-end regional American cuisine with both a la carte and banquet experience

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift at least 20 pounds
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time
• Must be able to work nights, weekends, and early mornings