Banquet Chef

About the role

We seek the “best of the best” culinary professionals who are passionate about exceptional food, elevated service, and creating memorable guest experiences. Recess Hotel & Club is seeking a highly driven and attentive Banquet Chef to lead the planning, preparation, and execution of all banquet and catered culinary operations. 

The ideal candidate is an organized and hands-on leader with a passion for excellence, a strong attention to detail, and the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams. This role is responsible for ensuring exceptional culinary execution, maintaining brand standards, driving operational efficiency, and delivering outstanding experiences for guests, members, and event clients. Working closely with culinary, banquet, sales, and hotel leadership teams, the Banquet Chef plays a critical role in the success of meetings, weddings, social events, and club programming. 

What you'll do

• Direct and oversee all banquet culinary operations, ensuring exceptional food quality, consistency, presentation, and execution for every event. 

• Lead banquet kitchen operations from planning through execution, ensuring readiness for all meetings, weddings, social events, member functions, and special programming. 

• Maintain and uphold the culinary and brand standards of Recess Hotel & Club across all banquet and catered experiences. 

• Collaborate with the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team to execute menus, seasonal offerings, and special event programming. 

• Manage banquet food preparation, production schedules, inventory levels, purchasing, and food cost controls. 

• Assist in monitoring labor costs and staffing levels to ensure efficient and productive operations. 

• Partner with Banquets, Sales, and Brand teams to review event details, anticipate guest needs, and ensure seamless event execution. 

• Conduct pre-event planning meetings and communicate culinary requirements to the kitchen team. 

• Lead, mentor, train, and develop banquet culinary team members while fostering a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. 

• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance management initiatives within the banquet culinary team. 

• Ensure all culinary team members adhere to established recipes, portion standards, presentation guidelines, and operating procedures. 

• Monitor food quality, presentation, taste, and temperature throughout all stages of production and service. 

• Ensure compliance with all sanitation, food safety, HACCP, and local health department regulations. 

• Conduct regular inspections of banquet kitchen areas, equipment, and storage spaces to maintain cleanliness and operational excellence. 

• Assist with completing daily, weekly, and monthly administrative responsibilities, including scheduling, inventory management, food cost reporting, and operational documentation. 

• Support culinary leadership in educating front-of-house teams on menu offerings, ingredients, allergens, and event-specific culinary details. 

• Respond professionally and effectively to guest feedback and operational challenges, implementing solutions that enhance the guest experience. 

• Foster strong cross-departmental relationships and serve as a collaborative partner to all operational teams. 

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Chef.  

Qualifications

• Passion for culinary excellence, hospitality, and creating memorable guest experiences. 

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive culinary leadership experience in banquet, hotel, resort, club, or high-volume event operations. 

• Strong knowledge of banquet production, event execution, food costing, purchasing, inventory management, and labor management. 

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop culinary teams while maintaining high standards of performance and accountability. 

• Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation standards, and health department regulations. 

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and execute large-scale events in a fast-paced environment. 

• Strong organizational, planning, and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to collaborate effectively with culinary, banquet, sales, and hotel leadership teams. 

• Track record of delivering exceptional guest experiences while maintaining operational and financial performance goals. 

Why Recess?

Build something from the beginning.

• Join the opening team behind one of Savannah's most anticipated lifestyle hotels and help shape the guest experience from day one.

Take care of yourself.

• Medical, dental, vision, and wellness benefits for eligible full-time team members
• Company-matched 401(k) with fast vesting
• Up to 20 days of paid time off, paid holidays, and a paid birthday
• Complimentary daily team member meal

Experience the brand.

• Complimentary two-night stay at Hotel Recess & Club Savannah
• Team member discounts on dining, Saltgrass Spa treatments, retail, and The Cooking School at Saint Bibiana 
• Complimentary fitness classes

Travel farther.

• Employee rates at select Leading Hotels of the World properties
• Discounts at Highgate hotels worldwide

Grow with Left Lane.

• Referral incentives and guest recognition programs
• Career development opportunities across a growing hospitality portfolio
• The opportunity to help shape one of hospitality's most exciting lifestyle brands