Chef Placed

Executive Chef, The Springs Club, Rancho Mirage, CA

Executive Chef, The Springs Club, Rancho Mirage, CA

“A distinctive private club nestled at the center of Rancho Mirage, the Springs Club offers a timeless welcome with manicured grounds, abundant amenities and outstanding service.”

The first club in the Coachella Valley was established just outside of Palm Springs in the late 1950s populated by giants of industry like Bill Ford. Into the 1960s more clubs would take root with former United States Presidents and entertainers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bob Hope as members.

In the early 1970s Palm Desert Joint Ventures and Equitable Life Insurance formed a venture that would take advantage of this heightened market in the master planned community of The Springs. This partnership endeavored to create a community that would appeal to well-traveled and discerning buyers.

The Springs clubhouse was created with timeless appeal and to be large enough to entertain its membership with ease.  The tennis park was to be hailed as one of the best in California. The golf course was designed by one of the most noteworthy golf course architects and the first golf pro would be a Masters Champion no less.

The Springs Community Association acquired all of the Club assets on Nov. 1, 2019.   Today it remains one of the original private clubs of the Coachella Valley.

Position Specific: The Club is looking for an upgrade to its a la carte restaurant operations and menu offerings, as well as improved culinary operational systems. The new Executive Chef will evaluate current operations and staffing and will provide recommendations for enhanced systems and controls leading to efficiencies and improved accountability in all areas. Expertise in finances is a must and “front of the house” management experience is a definite plus.

The new Executive Chef will be passionate about food; will keep up with the latest food trends and will have a strong understanding of, and be responsive to, organic, gluten free and other possible member requests. The new Executive Chef must be respectful of traditions and personnel while being forward-thinking with the right pace in getting there.

The Executive Chef will always look for improvements and programming while continuing to maintain the highest standards of excellence.

Job Requirements:

  • Self-motivated with the ability to lead, communicate, inspire and mentor individuals throughout the organization, with presence.
  • He/she is passionate for food; up-to-date with the latest food trends and products; creative in all types of cuisine from casual to contemporary.
  • Develop written recipes, standards and techniques for food preparation and presentation, and ensure the staff is trained to maintain and elevate a consistently high-quality product.
  • The chef is a key individual in working closely with the Club Management team in developing the annual zero-based budget.
  • Competent in organizational and time management skills. The ability to demonstrate good judgment, problem solving and decision-making skills.
  • The Executive Chef will attend all Executive Staff meetings and is expected to maintain a professional relationship with all staff.
  • Ensure that the highest standards of sanitation, cleanliness, and safety are maintained throughout all food service areas at all times.

Initial Priorities:

  1. Team Building/Training – Hire, train, motivate and develop a high performing team. Serve as coach and mentor and lead by example in all ways.
  2. Presentation/Menu Engineering – Evaluate menus and develop the culinary program with evolving menu programing. Willingly provide members with Club favorites and interject fresh ideas and products.
  3. Cost Control – The new EC is expected to evaluate current operations and staffing and provide recommendations for enhanced systems, controls, product and services in all areas.
  4. Member Facing Activities – The new Executive Chef will actively engage with the membership through email communications, interactive cooking classes, walking the dining rooms, and more. Food and beverage events, suggested and led by the new EC, will be embraced by the membership.

Additional Information:

  • Annual food sales $1MM; Total F&B Sales $1.2MM.
  • The Club currently maintains a 45% food cost. Sales are a mix of 75% a la carte and 25% banquet. (The Food Cost Goal is 40%)
  • There are 17 culinary employees supported by a $530,000 labor budget.
  • The Club maintains two (2) kitchens: Main Kitchen and Snack Bar Kitchen. The Club has a replacement and capital improvement plan in place.
  • The Club has one (1) Sous Chef and a Pastry Chef. The Executive Chef is responsible for the department’s purchasing requirements.
  • The Clubhouse is 48,000 sq. ft. and is supported by 885 members whose average age is early 70s.
  • The Club operates 12 months annually and closes June – August with limited facilities available.
  • The Executive Chef reports to the General Manager and works with the Clubhouse Manager, Catering Manager, Communications Manager and Membership Manager.
  • The previous Chef was employed by the Club for three (3) years, with one (1) year as the Executive Chef.

A la Carte Dining:

Main Dining Room – Casual to Formal with 150 seats, serving Lunch & Dinner five/six days per week.

Terrace Dining – A highly anticipated New Outdoor Dining Terrace is in the final construction phase and expected to open early 2021.

The Oasis – Casual with 56 seats, serves Lunch seven days per week.

A compensation package that will include a respectful base salary and performance bonus. Excellent benefits including medical & dental insurance, 401K, vacation, ACF dues & conference and dining allowance. Interested individuals should send resumes, a well-conceived cover letter, and supporting information (a digital Portfolio is encouraged) in strict confidence.  Click Here to upload your information:

Work with DMA, a team of proven culinary professionals to help advance your career.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.