THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OPPORTUNITY AT THE MORY’S ASSOCIATION
The Mory’s Association (Mory’s) is searching for a hands-on leader who is passionate about the culinary arts and developing an exceptional team and is focused on providing members with flavorful, consistent and creative cuisine. This is a unique opportunity to work for an active city club that is an integral part of the Yale community. The club is focused on fellowship, food, fun and traditions while competing with a burgeoning New Haven restaurant scene. This position also offers an exceptional quality of work and quality of life as well as the opportunity to work with a professional and collaborative team of managers and associates.
Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity.
MORY’S AND YALE UNIVERSITY
For over 150 years, Mory’s and the Yale University community have shared a history of fellowship and storied traditions. The original tavern in downtown New Haven was discovered by a group of Yale oarsmen and quickly became a favorite watering hole of students, owing to the hospitality of tavern-keepers Frank and Jane Moriarty (hence the name, Mory’s). In those days Mory’s was run in the style of a homey English pub, offering pints of ale and simple fare. In 1898, Louis Linder became the proprietor, bringing new life and music to what was then known as the Temple Bar. With the help of a group of Yale alumni, Louis moved the establishment in 1912 to its present site at 306 York Street. At the same time, Mory’s transitioned from a public house to a private club catering exclusively to the Yale community.
Mory’s continues to grow with the University and it has become a beloved part of its history. Mory’s York Street home (built circa 1817) was beautifully renovated in 2010 and looks much as it did when Louie moved in—with the addition of the contemporary Temple Bar and outdoor patio.
The 15,000 diverse members of Mory’s include Yale students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni. The club serves as a faculty club, student center and alumni gathering place and offers a wide variety of dining and member events including lectures by University and visiting professors and dignitaries, wine and spirits dinners, regular visits by the nation’s oldest collegiate a cappella group, the Whiffenpoofs, and very competitive weekly Trivia Nights!
THE NEW HAVEN COMMUNITY
New Haven is a coastal city located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, and is part of the New York metropolitan area. The city is home to Yale University, New Haven’s largest employer and an integral part of the city’s economy.
MORY’S BY THE NUMBERS:
- Over 15,000 members (membership is open to the Yale community – students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni)
- $1.3M annual F&B revenue
- 39 total number of employees
- 11 kitchen employees
- 1 kitchen
FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS
The two-story clubhouse provides multiple dining rooms for a la carte and private dining. Lunch and dinner are served Monday through Saturday in the main dining room, located on the first floor, which seats 110. The menu is a combination of traditional club favorites such as Welsh rarebit and Baker Soup as well as more contemporary fare that can compete with the local restaurant scene.
The Temple Bar is also open for lunch and dinner. It is located on the first floor and can extend its seating to the outdoor patio when weather permits. Together, the Temple Bar and outdoor patio can accommodate up to 55 for dining and 150 for receptions. The Temple Bar offers traditional bar food and small plates. The main dining room and the Temple Bar may be used for private gatherings.
Louis’ Lounge, a private dining and reception space, is also located on the first floor and offers an intimate bar setting facing York Street. This room is used for small cocktail parties or gatherings of up to 15 people. It can be used in conjunction with the adjoining Shaw and Ingham Rooms for receptions for up to 40 people.
The club has five private dining rooms located on the second floor including the Cup Room, the Library, the Presidents’ Room, the Captain’s Room and the Governor’s Room. Each room has unique artifacts and a warm, cozy atmosphere that is steeped in University history. The members in the private dining rooms can order from the a la carte menu or preorder from an extensive banquet menu.
The Cup Room proudly displays the silver cups that form an important part of Mory’s communal traditions and chandeliers that used to hang in the club’s original location on Temple Street. This room hosts an oval table that can accommodate up to 14 people.
The Library offers a traditional setting that celebrates both Yale and Mory’s history. Yearbooks and other bound volumes fill the bookcases and a stained-glass window features the Yale University seal. The Library is a perfect setting for parties of up to 20 people.
The Presidents’ Room was newly renovated in 2012 and features photos of Mory’s past Presidents. It can accommodate 12 people and is ideal for meetings or small gatherings with family and friends.
The Captains’ Room honors captains from Yale’s early athletic teams, with portraits dating from 1898 through 1912. It is a warm and inviting space for parties of up to 33 people.
The Governors’ Room features a fireplace and carved into the wood above the mantle are the names of Mory’s veterans who served the country between 1917 and 1975. This room can accommodate parties of up to 20 people.
Mory’s is open year-round but closes to members the first two weeks of July as well as the last week in December and the first week in January. The club is also closed on Sundays (except for Graduation Weekend in May). The club is busiest from February to June and from October through December. The club is closed on most of the major U.S. holidays.
Mory’s hosts a variety of member events throughout the year, the largest of which are Graduation Weekend in May (serving 1,500 covers in a four-day period), the Yale-Harvard and Yale-Princeton Football Weekends in November (serving 1,400 covers in a two-day period), and the Yale College Class Reunions for two weekends following graduation.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Mory’s operates under the General Manager organizational structure. The Executive Chef reports directly to the General Manager. The kitchen staff currently totals 11 team members including a sous chef.
MORY’S WEB SITE: www.morys1849.org
EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB DESCRIPTION
The Executive Chef (EC) at Mory’s will be responsible for managing all aspects of the kitchen as well as overseeing the day to day dining operations. The individual must have a successful track record of recruiting, training and evaluating staff as well as continuing to challenge team members. Developing and motivating are necessary skills. Fostering our culture of camaraderie is extremely important to the management team and staff, board of governors, and members.
The EC is a hands-on chef that leads by example. He or she is responsible for all food and beverage back-of-the-house (BOH) operations while working closely with front-of-the-house (FOH) staff to ensure the delivery of quality and consistency in traditional and innovative services, products and offerings to members and their guests.
The EC is responsible for ensuring that all food is consistently outstanding – from traditional Mory’s favorites to innovative offerings and special events throughout all dining venues. The EC understands that quality and consistency in producing and delivering the Mory’s Signature Burger is just as important to the member experience as producing a five-course wine dinner and other memorable special events.
Consistency is imperative at Mory’s and the EC should have standards and processes in place that ensure consistency in every meal that is served, both in a la carte and banquet operations. Processes, planning, efficiencies and training should also ensure that ticket times are kept to a minimum. The EC develops and documents recipes and controls to ensure consistency.
Creativity and innovation, not just variety, is essential in planning menus and events for the members of Mory’s. Creativity in presentation is also important at Mory’s – plate presentation as well as how food is presented on buffets. The EC creates and updates menus seasonally, incorporating daily specials as well.
The EC is responsive to club and team member requests and strives to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests. The EC should also be flexible and adaptable to making changes as needed, even if it is last minute.
The EC must be a successful team builder who mentors staff and develops a pipeline of talented and creative individuals by building a reputation as an excellent learning and training ground for up and coming culinarians. The club fully supports ongoing education for its EC. The EC also treats all employees with respect and, in return, requires that of his or her team. Mory’s wants to deliver a positive experience for Club staff, to keep them engaged and encourage personal growth.
The EC leads the BOH initiative relative to accident prevention, sanitation and safety standards. The EC pays sharp attention to detail, enforces the highest standards of sanitation and safety, and ensures that all BOH staff approach those standards with the same level of focus.
The EC is responsible for leading the product knowledge training for FOH personnel through daily pre-meal meetings and special food knowledge training programs.
The EC works as a strategic and operational partner with the managers and staff of Mory’s to develop information sharing, good communication, superior internal and external customer relationships and high-performance teamwork in order to achieve club objectives.
The EC has a proven track record of controlling food and labor costs. He or she is adept at creating and managing a budget and provides food purchase specifications to control food quality and costs. He or she also keeps a close watch on minimizing waste. The EC pays close attention and takes corrective action as needed to assure that financial goals are met.
The EC is responsible for providing quality and healthy employee meals, including healthy options, for a team of approximately 10 for lunch and 15-18 for dinner.
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The Executive Chef of Mory’s is an important and positive face of culinary operations. He or she is an integral part of the overall success of the operation. Leading this facet of the organization from a passionate, creative, supportive, progressive and team-focused perspective is of critical to long-term success.
INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE CHEF
- Deliver consistency and high quality in a la carte, buffet and banquet operations.
- Evaluate and continue to develop, train and mentor culinary staff and implement processes to ensure quality, consistency and efficiency in all facets of kitchen operations.
- Evaluate and update menus to continue traditional club fare while incorporating new, creative cuisine that appeals to a variety of tastes and competes with other popular New Haven restaurants. The club is eager to have more innovative dining options with a focus on simple, farm-to-fork offerings that highlight the local farms and seafood that are in abundance in the area. The executive chef offers menu options that are relevant and appeal to tenured members as well as younger members; Mory’s members range from 18 years of age to 98!
- Listen to staff and members and learn members’ names and culinary and dining requirements (allergies, etc.) and preferences.
- Provide creative plate, buffet and action station presentations as well as value to the membership.
- Evaluate and set appropriate and necessary standards of operation, execution and delivery within the culinary operation, taking ownership for the entire experience from production to final delivery of the end product, while working closely and positively with the FOH team.
- Meet budgeted food and labor cost goals by proactively monitoring and controlling food and labor costs.
CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate:
- Is a strong and passionate hands-on leader and culinary professional with a proven track record of providing high-level services with a personality that is commensurately appropriate to Mory’s. Previous private club experience is desirable but not required.
- Has successfully led dynamic culinary operations – both a la carte and banquet.
- Has the ability to consistently define and achieve goals and objectives. This includes proven and verifiable leadership qualities with the demonstrated ability to direct, coordinate and control all facets of an active food and beverage operation.
- Takes tremendous pride in making members happy and exceeding their expectations.
- Has strong management skills with verifiable strengths in inspirational leadership, financial performance, and people skills.
- Is a confident, proactive team builder with a history of attracting, developing and engaging high performing staff.
- Must possess strong written and oral communications skills.
- Is organized as well as flexible. He or she can proactively lead a la carte and banquet operations simultaneously and is also able to execute pop-up member events successfully. The number of covers fluctuates depending on the night and event so the executive chef must be flexible, organized and a good planner.
- Must have computer skills including but not limited to Microsoft Excel, Outlook and Word. He or she should also have experience with POS software. Experience with ClubEssential software is a plus.
- Is devoted to work as necessary to execute the job and its responsibilities effectively.
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EDUCATIONAL & CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS
- Has a Culinary Arts degree from an accredited school or apprenticeship program or equivalent experience.
- Has a minimum of four years’ prior management experience as an executive chef and at least eight years of diversified kitchen and hospitality industry experience including a la carte, buffet and banquet operations. An executive sous chef at a larger club who is ready for their first executive chef opportunity will also be considered.
- Certification by the American Culinary Federation is preferred.
- Must be certified in food safety.
SALARY & BENEFITS
Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent compensation package.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY
Please upload your resume and cover letter (in that order) using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to be attached when prompted for them during the online application process.
Your letter should be addressed to the Mory’s Search Committee, and should clearly articulate why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career and why Mory’s and the New Haven, Connecticut area will likely be a “fit” for you, your family and the club if selected.
IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: “Last Name, First Name Resume” & “Last Name, First Name Cover Letter Mory’s Association” (These documents should be in Word or PDF format)
Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you are not able to go back in and add additional documents.
To apply for this position and upload your resume and cover letter click here.
If you have any questions, please email Nan Fisher: nan@kkandw.com
LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVE:
Lisa Carroll lisa@kkandw.com 561-596-1123