Executive Chef

About the role

Welcome to The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, a legendary property in the Pyramid Global Hospitality portfolio located in the heart of Riverside, California. Featuring 238 guest rooms and over 160,000 sq ft of meeting and event space, this AAA Four-Diamond, National Historic Landmark spans an entire city block and offers a truly unique and dynamic environment for hospitality professionals.

Responsibilities

• Culinary Leadership
• Lead and oversee all culinary operations across multiple restaurants, bars, banquets, catering, room service, and special events.
• Develop innovative seasonal menus that reflect current culinary trends while honoring the hotel's historic character.
• Ensure consistent excellence in food quality, presentation, taste, and portion standards.
• Create and implement menus for weddings, conferences, holiday events, and large-scale banquets.
• Partner with local farms, vendors, and suppliers to source high-quality seasonal ingredients.
• Operations Management
• Maintain food cost targets through effective purchasing, inventory management, recipe costing, and waste reduction.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels.
• Establish inventory procedures and maintain appropriate food and equipment stock levels.
• Ensure all kitchen equipment is properly maintained and operational.
• Team Leadership
• Recruit, train, mentor, and develop culinary staff.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability, creativity, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching and professional development.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and labor standards.
• Promote a positive and respectful work environment.
• Financial Management
• Develop and manage annual culinary budgets.
• Monitor departmental financial performance and implement strategies to improve profitability.
• Analyze food costs, labor costs, purchasing trends, and operational efficiencies.
• Collaborate with purchasing to secure the highest quality products at competitive pricing.
• Quality & Compliance
• Maintain strict compliance with all health department regulations, sanitation standards, and food safety requirements.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP principles and food handling procedures.
• Maintain exceptional cleanliness and organization throughout all kitchen facilities.
• Prepare for and successfully complete health inspections and internal audits.
• Collaboration
• Work closely with Sales, Catering, Banquets, Marketing, and Hotel Operations to execute exceptional guest experiences.
• Support culinary programming for festivals, wine dinners, holiday celebrations, and promotional events.
• Interact with guests to ensure satisfaction and promptly resolve concerns.
• Represent the hotel within the local culinary community and industry organizations.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional culinary training preferred.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive culinary management experience.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience as an Executive Chef in a luxury hotel, resort, or multi-outlet hospitality environment.
• Proven experience managing multiple restaurant concepts, banquet operations, and high-volume catering.
• Strong knowledge of menu development, food costing, purchasing, inventory control, and budgeting.
• Excellent leadership, communication, coaching, and organizational skills.
• Thorough understanding of food safety, sanitation regulations, and health department requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and restaurant management systems.
• Valid California Food Manager Certification (or ability to obtain upon hire).

Preferred Qualifications

• Luxury hotel or AAA Four Diamond/Five Diamond experience.
• Experience overseeing multiple restaurant concepts simultaneously.
• Strong banquet and wedding production experience.
• Wine, beverage, and food pairing knowledge.
• Passion for seasonal, locally sourced cuisine and culinary innovation.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in hot kitchen environments.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours as business demands.

Benefits

At Pyramid Global Hospitality, we believe in offering competitive benefits to support our team members' well-being. While specific details can vary by location, we typically offer:

• Health insurance coverage
• Paid time off
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement savings plans
• Employee assistance programs
• Professional development opportunities

Pay

$120,000 - $150,000 annually

Schedule

Full-time position with flexible scheduling to accommodate the needs of the hotel and the team member.