About our property:

At the La Quinta Resort and Club we pride ourselves on being the best employer in the area. What sets us apart? Our culture, full benefit plans, including 401k with a company match and our lucrative bonus programs, to name a few. We are looking for talented people who have a genuine passion for service. Our Core Values involve personal development, people, and a desire for wanting them to succeed. We believe each member of our team has a key part to play in our delivery of outstanding service and memorable experiences for each guest. We want a Resort that people want to come to, not through. Find out today what a career with Pyramid Hotel Group at the La Quinta Resort and Club can mean for you!

What you will have an opportunity to do:

We are seeking an experienced and passionate culinary leader to join our team as a Banquet Chef. This individual will play a key role in leading banquet culinary operations and ensuring the successful preparation, production, and presentation of food for meetings, weddings, conferences, social events, and other large-scale functions.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience working in a high-volume professional kitchen, preferably within a hotel, resort, convention center, or large banquet operation. This individual must be creative, organized, motivated, and capable of providing hands-on leadership in a fast-paced environment.

Successful candidates will have a proven track record of executing high-quality banquet menus, managing multiple events simultaneously, and maintaining consistency across events of varying sizes. The Banquet Chef will work closely with the Executive Chef, Banquet Operations, Catering, Conference Services, and Stewarding teams to ensure all culinary requirements and guest expectations are met.

The Banquet Chef will oversee the planning and execution of daily banquet food production, preparation, and presentation. Responsibilities include reviewing banquet event orders, coordinating production schedules, managing food and labor costs, maintaining appropriate inventory levels, and ensuring all food is prepared according to established recipes, presentation standards, and event timelines.

This position is responsible for maintaining a safe, sanitary, and organized work environment that complies with all health, safety, and food-handling regulations. The Banquet Chef will also recruit, train, coach, and develop culinary team members while promoting teamwork, accountability, and professional growth.

The successful candidate will respond professionally and courteously to guests and team members and will take pride in creating memorable culinary experiences. This individual should enjoy teaching the culinary arts and supporting team members in their personal and professional development.

If you are passionate about banquet culinary operations and are looking to join a team where you can develop your skills, strengthen the talents of others, and build a rewarding hospitality career, we want to hear from you.

What are we looking for?
Your Role:
As the Banquet Chef, you will provide hands-on leadership for the banquet culinary operation and ensure the successful preparation, production, and presentation of food for meetings, weddings, conferences, social gatherings, and other hotel events.
You will:

• Attract, retain, train, and motivate high-performing culinary talent.
• Lead the daily preparation and execution of banquet food production in accordance with Banquet Event Orders, established recipes, presentation standards, and event timelines.
• Review Banquet Event Orders and function sheets to confirm menus, guest counts, dietary requirements, service times, room locations, and special requests.
• Communicate event details, production assignments, and operational priorities to the culinary team through daily pre-shift meetings.
• Coordinate closely with the Executive Chef, Catering, Conference Services, Banquets, Purchasing, and Stewarding teams to ensure seamless event execution.
• Assist with daily food ordering using established par levels, anticipated banquet business, event guarantees, and operational needs.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing waste, spoilage, and unnecessary food costs.
• Oversee the preparation of banquet prep sheets, production schedules, pull sheets, and event timelines, ensuring they are accurate and used consistently.
• Assign culinary team members to appropriate stations and production responsibilities based on business volume and event requirements.
• Inspect banquet food prior to service to ensure quality, taste, temperature, portioning, presentation, and consistency meet established standards.
• Manage multiple events simultaneously while maintaining quality and meeting established service deadlines.
• Provide hands-on support and perform culinary or stewarding duties when necessary to support the operation.
• Conduct daily walkthroughs of banquet kitchens, storage areas, refrigerators, freezers, and preparation areas.
• Identify and address concerns related to cleanliness, organization, equipment, maintenance, food storage, safety, and sanitation.
• Guide the daily and nightly cleaning of all banquet kitchen areas and follow up with the Stewarding team to ensure workspaces and equipment are clean, organized, and prepared for the following day's events.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of food allergies and dietary restrictions and respond to allergy-related requests with accuracy and urgency.
• Ensure the culinary team follows proper procedures to prevent allergen cross-contact and foodborne illness.
• Maintain compliance with all applicable health codes, food-safety standards, sanitation requirements, and company policies.
• Assist the Executive Chef with the creation, testing, costing, and implementation of banquet menus, seasonal offerings, themed events, and customized special-event menus.
• Monitor banquet food and labor costs, analyze operating results, manage expenses, and support departmental budget objectives.
• Assist with scheduling culinary team members according to event volume, production requirements, and approved labor guidelines.
• Attend Banquet Event Order meetings, Food and Beverage meetings, leadership meetings, safety meetings, and other operational meetings as required.
• Represent the banquet culinary team professionally and communicate relevant information to team members and hotel leadership.
• Coach, train, and develop culinary team members in preparation techniques, presentation standards, sanitation practices, safety procedures, and event execution.
• Serve as a positive example of professionalism, teamwork, accountability, organization, and culinary excellence.
• Assume additional culinary leadership responsibilities in the absence of the Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef, as assigned.

Qualifications

The ideal Banquet Chef candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Culinary degree, certificate, or equivalent professional culinary training is preferred.
• A minimum of three years of progressive culinary experience in a high-volume professional kitchen is required.
• Previous banquet culinary experience in a hotel, resort, convention center, catering operation, or large-event venue is strongly preferred.
• Previous supervisory or culinary leadership experience is preferred.
• Experience executing food production for high-volume meetings, weddings, conferences, buffets, plated dinners, and special events.
• Knowledge of basic and advanced cooking methods, culinary techniques, food preparation, and kitchen equipment.
• Ability to read, understand, and execute Banquet Event Orders, recipes, production sheets, and event timelines.
• Strong knowledge of proper cooking temperatures, cooling procedures, food storage, sanitation, and safe food-handling practices.
• Working knowledge of food allergens, dietary restrictions, allergen cross-contact prevention, and appropriate guest accommodations.
• Knowledge of applicable state and local health codes, company food-safety standards, and third-party food-safety audit requirements.
• Current food-handler certification or food-protection manager certification, as required by local regulations.
• Ability to develop and execute consistent recipes, portion standards, and banquet presentations.
• Basic knowledge of menu costing, inventory management, food-cost controls, labor management, and waste reduction.
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to remain composed, organized, and solutions-focused during high-volume events and changing operational conditions.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively with culinary, banquet, catering, stewarding, and hotel leadership teams.
• Ability to prioritize multiple events, production deadlines, and operational responsibilities simultaneously.
• Must provide and maintain the culinary tools required to perform the position, including appropriate cutting tools and a calibrated food-grade thermometer, when required by company policy.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours based on banquet and business demands.
• Must meet all legal and company requirements associated with the position.
• A genuine passion for culinary excellence, team development, guest satisfaction, and exceeding expectations.

Compensation:
$90,000

$95,000