The Round Hill Club (RHC) is a premier, traditional, very private Club established in 1922 that has consistently earned the distinction of being a Platinum Club of America. The Club is located in the prestigious community of Greenwich, Connecticut where the population is approximately 62,000 and is home to many hedge fund, Fortune 100 and financial services companies. Members of this exceptional family club are all residents of this affluent community and reflect clearly the top in the world’s business and social communities. Greenwich is also home to 12 other successful private clubs and enjoys a highly competitive dining environment in both public and private venues.
The Club features a Walter Travis design golf course with practice facility; annual rounds are approximately 12,000. Additional amenities include: a traditional pool facility with a seasonal dining venue, eight outdoor Har-Tru tennis courts and pro shop, two indoor tennis courts, single and doubles squash facilities and a 2,500 square foot fitness center, which includes personal training and massage therapy. The Club also offers an extensive winter shooting program and has four platform tennis courts with warming hut. Extensive youth and adult activities are offered in golf, squash, tennis, platform tennis, shooting and swimming.
The quintessential New England stone Clubhouse features dining on the seasonal terrace, the traditional Elm Room and the recently introduced and highly popular Travis Bar. There are also several private event spaces although the majority of revenues is received in à la carte dining activities. The Club is open year-round with a three-and-one-half week closure of the Clubhouse in March for routine maintenance.
Position Specific: The Club is seeking an Executive Chef who has the knowledge, expertise and passion to lead a sophisticated culinary program and will embrace the goal of constant improvement.
The RHC is a very member-centric food operation which has limited event capacity and permits very few outside functions – Monday golf outings are generally not allowed. Large member private parties and Club functions require occasional closing of the à la carte operation allowing the entire culinary team to focus on these important events. Providing exceptional member-based food services in a variety of dining formats is the focus of the RHC culinary program.
Overall, the food program is in good condition. Buffet/food station presentations, speed of service and food consistency on the à la carte line are areas on which to focus.
Refined culinary skills and creativity are required. The Club has employed two Executive Chefs in the past 32 years and is well known as a training ground for culinarians. There are many well-established chefs in the area that have served as sous chefs at Round Hill during their careers.
Job Requirements:
- The Executive Chef position is hands-on and cooks or directly supervises the cooking of items that require skillful preparation.
- Organized and detail-oriented without an ego driven approach.
- The ability to compassionately lead, motivate and mentor a dedicated and well-functioning staff.
- Is a good communicator, appears at specialty dinners and during regular à la carte service to provide conversation and food commentary.
- A positive “can-do” type of individual supported by a calm and professional demeanor.
- Extremely competent in organization and time management skills.
- Develops recipes, standards and techniques for food preparation and presentation that will assure a consistently high-quality product.
- Knowledge of food and wine pairing is required.
Initial Priorities:
- Learn and embrace member dining preferences and continue to develop and improve the already well-regarded culinary program.
- He/she will focus on à la carte and member function menu development and planning. Learn member functions and traditions.
- Staff relations and team building are important aspects of the position. The EC is expected to interface with and establish positive member and staff relationships.
- Understand the financial aspects of the operation. Should have knowledge of budget analysis, kitchen accounting and controls.
- RHC is embarking on a major pool/snack bar project opening in May 2020. The new Chef will be involved in the building of a new modern snack bar kitchen to accommodate a variety of poolside dining experiences. A significant increase in existing snack bar revenues is anticipated.
Key Expectations and Goals:
- The role of the Executive Chef is complete responsibility for the culinary program and to make adjustments/improvements in response to everchanging culinary trends and member desires.
- The Chef serves as role model and sets the standard for culinary employees to maintain high quality and consistent member services. Advanced knowledge of industry “best practices” is required.
- The successful candidate will be a motivator committed to professionalism and staff development through hands-on training, coaching and counseling.
- The Executive Chef interacts enthusiastically with, and is visible to, the membership and is available for consultation on menus for private events, member function meal planning and tastings. Contributes articles to the Club newsletter.
- The Executive Chef will participate in House and Entertainment Committee meetings as they pertain to food production.
- Directly responsible for the kitchen labor budget and submitting annual capital budget equipment requests.
- Ensures that the highest standards of sanitation, cleanliness and safety are maintained throughout all food service areas at all times.
Additional Information:
- Annual food sales at $1.7M; total F&B sales $2.5M.
- The food cost is 36% with a sales mix of 56% à la carte, 26% Club functions and 18% private events.
- During the most recent fiscal year, F&B was subsidized by ($579,480).
- In season, there are 16 other culinary employees paring down to 11 during the off-season. They are supported by a $825,000 labor budget.
- The Club maintains two kitchens; main kitchen and snack bar. There is a well-funded capital improvement plan in place.
- The main kitchen is in excellent condition and was re-designed in 2015 with many equipment upgrades.
- The Executive Chef is supported by an accomplished Sous Chef who executes the à la carte food production and shares purchasing duties with the Executive Chef.
- The Clubhouse is 40,000 sq. ft. with 625 members whose average age is 59.
- The Executive Chef reports to the Assistant General Manager and works directly with the Clubhouse Manager, Facilities Manager, Front Desk Manager and General Manager.
Dining Facilities: (Two à la Carte Outlets): Lunch is served six days a week for six months of the year and the Clubhouse is closed on Monday and Tuesday from October through March. Dinner is served five nights per week year-round.
Travis Room – Casual dining room and bar with a 70-seat capacity.
Elm Room – Business casual dining room with 80-seat capacity.
Terrace – Seasonal operated, business casual outdoor dining setting with 115 seats.
The Snack Bar – Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, lunches daily and dinner several nights per week.
Private Member and Club Events – The Club offers three private party rooms and can serve up to 380 guests. The Club typically hosts only 2-3 wedding or “gala” private events per year.
The Club offers a very attractive compensation plan including a competitive base salary, based on experience and skill, plus a performance bonus based upon achieving pre-discussed goals. Industry dues and Convention, dining allowance, health & life insurance, 401(k) with matching contribution and other standard perks. Three-week vacation after the first year. A (CEC) is preferred. Interested individuals should send a personal-portfolio, a well-conceived cover letter and supporting information, which will be held in strict confidence. Click Here to upload your professional information:
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