Photo of Cheeca Lodge and Spa, Islamorada, FL

Sous Chef

Cheeca Lodge and Spa

81801 Overseas Highway
Islamorada, FL 33036

214 Room Hotel
Managed By Northwood Hospitality
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Compensation: n/a, Full-Time

Job Description

Sous Chef at Cheeca Lodge & Spa: Elevate Culinary Excellence

Join Our Culinary Team: Cheeca Lodge & Spa, a premier resort in Islamorada, FL, seeks a talented Sous Chef to plan, organize, control, and direct kitchen operations. This role involves ensuring superior food quality, controlling costs, managing inventory, and creating memorable dining experiences for our guests.

Key Responsibilities:

Guest Management:

  • Ensure guest delight with the quality and presentation of all menu items.
  • Assess guest satisfaction through daily interactions and review of guest comments.
  • Train wait staff on menu details and conduct/attend team briefings.

Culinary Management/Production:

  • Deputize in the Executive Chef's absence.
  • Ensure team members understand daily requirements and maintain necessary stock levels.
  • Uphold fair discipline and respectful treatment of all staff.
  • Adhere strictly to Health and Safety regulations.
  • Report and follow up on maintenance issues.
  • Facilitate smooth communication between the restaurant and kitchen.
  • Check each dish for quality, quantity, presentation, and correct temperature.
  • Conduct regular on-the-job training for staff.

Culinary:

  • Exhibit excellent knowledge of modern buffet presentations and large-scale food production.
  • Create personalized and creative food amenities.
  • Incorporate current food trends into operations and utilize up-to-date cooking techniques.

Financial Management:

  • Control labor and operating expenses through effective scheduling, budgeting, purchasing, and inventory control.
  • Maintain systems to ensure quality and portion consistency.
  • Train staff on economic impacts of portion control and proper food preparation.

Requirements:

  • Experience in a 5-star/5-diamond establishment.
  • Strong leadership experience preferred.
  • Proficiency in people management, communication, relationship development, and decision-making.
  • Expertise in business management, service excellence, quality improvement, and employee satisfaction.

Benefits Include:

  • 401(k) with employer matching.
  • Employer Paid Short Term And Long Term Disability Insurance
  • AD&D insurance.
  • Dental, health, and vision insurance.
  • Employee discounts.
  • Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
  • Life insurance.
  • Paid time off.

Why Join Cheeca Lodge & Spa: As a Sous Chef, you will play a pivotal role in maintaining and elevating our culinary standards. Join a team dedicated to excellence in a breathtaking setting, where your creativity and leadership will flourish. Apply today to be part of a prestigious kitchen that prides itself on delivering exceptional dining experiences.

Posted June 20, 2024

Cheeca Lodge and Spa

WELCOME TO CHEECA

A Legendary Tropical Hideaway

Since 1946 the historic Cheeca Lodge & Spa has enchanted guests with world-class fishing, exceptional accommodations, and gracious hospitality. Come experience this lush oceanfront retreat, considered the premier luxury resort in the Florida Keys.

The Legend of Our Grand Florida Keys Hotel Resort

You've found it...the crown jewel of Islamorada Florida Keys hotels. 

Hardy Keys pioneers called Conchs chose this very beach to carve out a tenacious living in the isolated beauty of the undiscovered Florida Keys. Here, they formed a Methodist congregation and built a two-room school house and a cemetery. Cheeca has preserved this Pioneer Cemetery, where members of the founding families of Islamorada are buried. You can explore it today; it is a designated historical site. The Angel with the Broken Wing watches over the grave of Etta Pinder, who died in 1914. Here lies the first footprint of Islamorada – "Purple Isle" in Spanish.

The early 1940's brought electricity and fresh water. Mrs. Clara Mae Downey from Olney, Maryland, opened the Olney Inn in 1946. She described this early bellwether of Cheeca as "different – rather comparable to the tropical estate of a gifted host." Clara's first guest was President Harry Truman, who cherished his time loafing around the pool and wondering amidst the resort's 22 quaint bungalows. 

Fast horses, high society and a healthy dose of Keys vivacity marked the reign of the Twitchell Family in the 1960's. Cynthia, better known as "Chee," was an heiress to the A&P grocery chain and owner of a top thoroughbred racing farm. "We took my nickname, combined it with my husband Carl's, and came up with "Cheeca," she recalled. The Twitchells completely refurbished the property, adding the main lodge, the oceanfront villas, tennis courts, golf course and Cheeca's trademark wooden fishing pier. Chee raised miniature tarpon and her beloved seahorses in the aquariums throughout the resort. "Suzy the Seahorse" became Cheeca's mascot and logo, gracing the resort's menus, brochures, towels and linens.

Avid outdoorsman and Coca Cola magnate Carl Navarre purchased Cheeca Lodge in 1976, hosting his Fortune 500 friends in for sunny days of sportfishing and golf. Celebrities flocked to the hotel and famous guests were reeling in giant bonefish right off the resort's pier. The "Sportfishing Capital of the World" was born, seducing wealthy adventurers from around the world.

In 2005, Cheeca Lodge underwent over $30 million dollars in renovations, restoring the property and its surrounding grounds to their original grandeur, ensuring that we will be a cherished destination for generations to come. Following a fire on New Year's Eve 2008, the Main Lodge was completely rebuilt once again, with a fabulous open-air lobby, a spectacular oceanfront banquet room with panoramic views, and an exclusive indoor / outdoor lounge area for club members.

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