Executive Catering & Events Chef

EXECUTIVE CATERING & EVENTS CHEF

Department: Catering & Events – Culinary Operations
Reports To: Catering & Events Operations Manager
FLSA Status: Exempt (Salary)

About Larkin's Restaurants

Larkin's Restaurants is a family of chef-driven restaurants, catering operations, and hospitality venues committed to delivering exceptional experiences through outstanding food, genuine hospitality, and passionate people.

Our Catering & Events division executes weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, galas, and large-scale functions across a variety of venues and service environments. Success requires more than exceptional culinary ability—it requires disciplined production planning, logistics, organization, leadership, and the ability to reproduce restaurant-quality food consistently at significant volume.

The Executive Catering & Events Chef is the senior culinary leader responsible for making that happen.

Position Summary

The Executive Catering & Events Chef provides strategic and operational leadership for all catering and event culinary operations. This is a high-volume production leadership position requiring extensive experience planning, producing, transporting, and executing food for large-scale events while maintaining exceptional standards for quality, presentation, food safety, and consistency.

This position is responsible for the complete culinary lifecycle of an event—from menu development, recipe scaling, purchasing, production planning, staffing, and prep through transportation, on-site execution, service, and post-event evaluation.

The Executive Catering & Events Chef must be capable of looking at an upcoming event calendar and translating hundreds or thousands of individual guest meals across multiple events into a coordinated production plan.

This role requires an experienced culinary leader who understands that catering production is fundamentally different from restaurant line production. Success depends on planning days and weeks ahead, anticipating constraints, creating repeatable systems, coordinating multiple teams and locations, and delivering exceptional food regardless of volume or venue.

Core Competencies

Successful Executive Catering & Events Chefs consistently demonstrate excellence in:

• Large-Scale Culinary Production

• Production Planning & Forecasting

• Culinary Leadership

• Logistics & Event Execution

• Organization & Systems Thinking

• Culinary Excellence

• Team Development

• Financial Acumen

• Labor Planning

• Purchasing & Inventory Management

• Recipe Scaling & Standardization

• Quality Control

• Food Safety

• Communication

• Emotional Intelligence

• Decision Making

• Problem Solving

• Adaptability

• Composure Under Pressure

• Accountability

• Professionalism

• Hospitality Mindset

Essential Functions

Large-Scale Production Leadership

• Lead all culinary production for catering, weddings, corporate functions, private events, galas, and other large-scale events.

• Develop detailed production plans based on event schedules, menus, guest counts, dietary requirements, service styles, venues, and execution timelines.

• Translate event orders and banquet event information into actionable prep lists, production schedules, staffing plans, and purchasing requirements.

• Scale recipes accurately for high-volume production while maintaining flavor, texture, yield, portioning, and presentation standards.

• Coordinate production for multiple simultaneous or consecutive events.

• Establish production timelines that ensure work is completed efficiently without compromising freshness or quality.

• Anticipate production bottlenecks and develop contingency plans before they affect event execution.

• Maintain adequate production capacity during periods of significant event volume.

• Develop systems that allow the culinary operation to scale as catering volume grows.

Event Culinary Execution

• Oversee culinary execution from initial production through final guest service.

• Determine appropriate production, cooking, cooling, holding, transportation, reheating, finishing, and plating methods for each menu and venue.

• Ensure food arrives at event locations safely, on time, properly organized, and ready for successful execution.

• Coordinate load-out and culinary equipment requirements for off-site events.

• Establish on-site kitchen and finishing procedures when operating in temporary or nontraditional kitchen environments.

• Lead culinary execution for high-profile and complex events as necessary.

• Maintain quality and presentation standards regardless of event size, location, or service style.

• Develop contingency plans for weather, equipment limitations, transportation issues, staffing challenges, and venue constraints.

Culinary Excellence

• Ensure consistent execution of recipes, portions, flavor profiles, and presentation standards.

• Establish standardized recipes and production procedures appropriate for high-volume catering.

• Maintain exceptional food quality throughout production, transportation, holding, finishing, and service.

• Evaluate menu items for scalability, execution feasibility, cost, and guest experience.

• Collaborate on menu development, seasonal offerings, event packages, and custom menus.

• Continuously improve recipes and production methods based on execution results and guest feedback.

• Protect the culinary reputation of Larkin's Restaurants at every event.

Production Systems & Organization

• Develop and maintain production calendars, prep systems, pull sheets, packing lists, and event execution checklists.

• Establish clear production responsibilities and deadlines for the culinary team.

• Coordinate purchasing and receiving around the event calendar.

• Maintain organized walk-ins, freezers, dry storage, production areas, and event equipment.

• Develop systems for labeling, staging, storage, transportation, and event-specific organization.

• Ensure ingredients, equipment, smallwares, disposables, and service items are accounted for before event departure.

• Conduct post-event reviews to identify opportunities to improve future execution.

Leadership & Team Development

• Recruit, interview, hire, train, coach, and retain a strong catering culinary team.

• Determine appropriate staffing levels based on production requirements and event complexity.

• Direct Sous Chefs, Lead Cooks, Prep Cooks, Event Cooks, and other culinary team members.

• Establish clear expectations for quality, productivity, professionalism, cleanliness, and teamwork.

• Develop culinary leaders capable of independently managing production and event execution.

• Conduct coaching conversations and performance evaluations.

• Create cross-training systems that increase flexibility and production capacity.

• Build a professional kitchen culture centered on respect, accountability, urgency, and teamwork.

• Maintain composure and provide clear leadership during high-pressure production and event situations.

Event & Department Collaboration

• Work closely with Catering Operations, Event Sales, Banquet Leadership, and restaurant leadership to ensure successful event execution.

• Review upcoming events proactively and identify culinary requirements, challenges, and special considerations.

• Participate in event planning meetings for complex or high-profile functions.

• Communicate menu limitations, production requirements, equipment needs, and operational considerations before commitments are made.

• Coordinate timing between culinary production, transportation, event setup, and guest service.

• Ensure dietary restrictions, allergies, and special meal requirements are clearly communicated and executed.

Financial Leadership

• Manage food cost within established targets.

• Develop accurate recipe costs and production yields.

• Control culinary labor through effective forecasting, scheduling, and productivity management.

• Manage purchasing based on confirmed event volume and production requirements.

• Maintain accurate inventory and appropriate par levels.

• Reduce waste, overproduction, spoilage, and unnecessary purchasing.

• Analyze event culinary performance and identify opportunities to improve profitability.

• Balance exceptional food quality with responsible financial management.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Maintain rigorous food safety standards throughout production, transportation, holding, and event service.

• Ensure proper time and temperature controls for off-site catering.

• Establish procedures for cooling, storage, transportation, reheating, hot holding, and cold holding.

• Maintain sanitation and cleanliness standards throughout culinary facilities and temporary event kitchens.

• Ensure compliance with applicable health department regulations.

• Maintain all required certifications.

• Train culinary employees in proper food handling and sanitation procedures.

• Ensure allergen and dietary accommodation procedures are followed consistently.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated using culinary, production, financial, operational, leadership, and event-execution metrics including, but not limited to:

Large-Scale Production

• Production completed accurately and on schedule

• Successful execution of simultaneous and high-volume events

• Accuracy of production forecasting

• Product availability

• Production efficiency

• Reduction in emergency or last-minute production issues

Event Execution

• On-time culinary readiness

• Packing and load-out accuracy

• Food quality at point of service

• Event execution accuracy

• Successful off-site kitchen operations

• Client and guest feedback

• Reduction in event-related culinary errors

Culinary Excellence

• Food quality and consistency

• Recipe execution

• Portion accuracy

• Presentation standards

• Menu scalability

• Guest satisfaction

Financial Performance

• Food cost

• Culinary labor cost

• Purchasing accuracy

• Inventory accuracy

• Waste and overproduction

• Event profitability

Leadership

• Culinary team retention

• Staffing stability

• Leadership development

• Training completion

• Employee performance and productivity

• Workplace professionalism and culture

Operational Excellence

• Production organization

• Prep completion

• Inventory organization

• Equipment readiness

• Production-system effectiveness

• Communication between culinary, operations, and event teams

Compliance

• Food safety performance

• Temperature-control compliance

• Sanitation standards

• Health inspection results

• Required certifications

• Documentation accuracy

Decision-Making Authority

The Executive Catering & Events Chef is expected to exercise significant independent judgment in managing catering culinary operations.

This position has authority to:

• Direct all catering culinary production and event execution.

• Establish production schedules and culinary workflows.

• Determine culinary staffing and labor deployment.

• Assign production and event responsibilities.

• Hire and develop culinary employees within company procedures.

• Coach and discipline culinary employees in accordance with company policy.

• Manage food purchasing and inventory within approved budgets and guidelines.

• Establish production pars and purchasing requirements.

• Develop and improve production systems.

• Determine appropriate culinary execution methods for off-site events.

• Recommend menu changes based on quality, scalability, execution, and profitability.

• Implement operational improvements.

The Executive Catering & Events Chef partners with the Catering Operations Manager and appropriate company leadership regarding:

• Compensation recommendations

• Management promotions

• Management terminations

• Capital expenditures

• Annual budgets

• Significant equipment purchases

• Major menu and catering package changes

• Significant operational changes

• Expansion of production capacity

Required Qualifications

This is a senior culinary production position. Candidates must demonstrate substantial experience successfully executing food at significant scale.

• Minimum seven (7) years of progressive culinary experience.

• Minimum three (3) years in an Executive Chef, Executive Banquet Chef, Executive Catering Chef, Banquet Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or comparable senior culinary leadership position.

• Extensive hands-on experience with high-volume catering, banquet, hotel, convention, institutional, commissary, or other large-scale culinary production.

• Demonstrated experience planning and executing food production for events involving hundreds of guests.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple events and production deadlines simultaneously.

• Strong understanding of large-batch cooking, recipe scaling, yields, portion control, and production sequencing.

• Experience developing detailed production schedules and prep plans.

• Experience managing off-site culinary execution and food transportation.

• Demonstrated success building, scheduling, and leading large culinary teams.

• Strong financial management experience including food cost, labor, purchasing, inventory, and waste control.

• Advanced knowledge of food safety requirements applicable to large-scale and off-site food production.

• Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

• Ability to remain composed, decisive, and solutions-focused during high-pressure events and production periods.

• Strong working knowledge of commercial culinary equipment and high-volume production techniques.

Traditional restaurant-only Executive Chef experience without meaningful large-scale production experience will not, by itself, meet the requirements of this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Executive Catering Chef or Executive Banquet Chef experience with a recognized catering company, hotel, resort, convention center, large event venue, or comparable high-volume operation.

• Experience executing weddings, galas, corporate functions, plated banquets, buffets, stations, and large-format events.

• Experience producing simultaneous events across multiple locations.

• Experience with events of 500+ guests.

• Experience managing commissary or centralized production kitchen operations.

• Experience developing production systems for a growing catering organization.

• Experience with MarginEdge or similar inventory, purchasing, recipe, and food-cost management systems.

• Experience working with event-management or catering software.

• Culinary degree or formal culinary training preferred but not required.

Required Certifications

The following certification is required and must be obtained within thirty (30) days of employment if not already current:

• ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification

Employees are responsible for maintaining all required certifications throughout employment.

Schedule Requirements

Catering and event operations require significant scheduling flexibility.

• Minimum expected workweek of fifty (50) hours.

• Full availability including early mornings, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and special events.

• Ability to adjust schedules based on production demands and event calendars.

• Ability to work extended hours during major events and peak catering periods.

• Ability to travel to event venues and off-site locations as required.

Physical Requirements

The Executive Catering & Events Chef must be able to:

• Stand and walk for extended periods.

• Lift and carry up to fifty (50) pounds.

• Bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push, pull, and reach frequently.

• Work safely in hot, cold, wet, and fast-paced production environments.

• Work in permanent kitchens as well as temporary and off-site event environments.

• Operate commercial kitchen and high-volume production equipment safely.

• Assist with loading, unloading, staging, and movement of culinary equipment and products as operational needs require.

Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities consistent with applicable law.

Benefits

Eligible employees may have access to company-sponsored benefits, subject to plan terms and eligibility requirements, including:

• Competitive salary

• Performance-based bonus opportunity tied to profitability

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Medical Insurance Options

• Prisma Health Direct Primary Care provided at no cost

• Phone stipend

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Paid Sick Leave

• Short-Term Disability Insurance

• Life Insurance

• Employee dining privileges

• Professional development and continuing education

• Advancement opportunities within Larkin's Restaurants

Hiring & Compliance

Candidates selected to continue in the hiring process are required to complete company-designated pre-employment assessments through Criteria. Completion of all required assessments is a condition of continued consideration for employment.

Because large-scale culinary production is an essential function of this position, candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples of event volume, guest counts, production systems, staffing levels, timelines, logistics, food-cost management, and their personal responsibility for execution during the interview process.

Employment offers may be contingent upon successful completion of reference verification, background screening, employment eligibility verification (Form I-9), and any position-specific certification requirements, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Employment with Larkin's Restaurants is at-will. Nothing contained within this Position Description creates a contract of employment or alters the at-will employment relationship.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Larkin's Restaurants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, consistent with applicable law.