The Club: “To create a welcoming Club community where friends and families build lifelong relationships and enjoy memorable experiences.” Willow Oaks is a vibrant, full-service country club situated on the south side of the James River in Richmond, VA. With over 1,000 full family memberships, there is something for everyone. 18 holes of golf, 8 outdoor and 4 indoor tennis courts, fitness center, swimming pool and youth facilities keep the members engaged on a daily basis.
The Clubhouse was renovated in 2018 and is the social hub of the Club. The Oak Grill is the family friendly restaurant with a menu that appeals to all ages. The Rocks is the 21 and up oriented space perfect for a drink and a snack after a round of golf or the place to enjoy a cocktail before dinner. The patio is a serene spot with unparallel views.
Willow Oaks is a welcoming community that is looking for a Chef who is in touch with the popular dining scene and can take trends in the culinary world and personalize them for the Club to enjoy. Richmond’s craft-brewing and distilling scene are constantly evolving with new flavors, tastes and pairings and the ideal Chef is enthusiastic about the combination of food and drink.
Position Specific: Willow Oaks Country Club is seeking an Executive Chef who is well-balanced between culinary talent, staff leadership, and member interaction. Specifically the Club would most like the Executive Chef to work on the professional development of the staff. In addition, a focus on systems, controls and sanitation are the keys to success. The Executive Chef is responsible for all food production including that used for restaurants, banquet functions, and other outlets.
Leadership is important and the Executive Chef sets the direction of the Culinary Team and holds both him/herself and the team to high standards. He/she needs to understand the importance of facetime with the members and can confidently and competently manage ordering, budgeted food and labor costs and other administrative duties to keep the program moving forward.
Initial Priorities:
- Interacting with the Team – Reignite the team and build a strong culinary culture driving the culinary operation to excellence with a sense of urgency. Serve as coach and mentor and lead by example.
- Hiring and Developing Staff – Is able to work in a team environment and relate well to other department heads. The club needs a strong chef to lead the staff to hold them accountable for their work.
- Assisting Poolside Kitchen – The new Executive Chef will provide extra attention to the Wave poolside restaurant. This a la carte restaurant needs consistency with the product it delivers.
- Consistent Systems – The Executive Chef will strive daily to enhance the member dining experience through delivering a quality product delivered on a consistent basis. He/she will work to improve systems, procedures and controls.
- Having Fun – Willow Oaks is strong community that cares about the success and happiness of the team. The new Executive Chef will aspire to this philosophy and encourage staff to work with dedication all while having fun.
Job Requirements & Desired Traits:
- The new Executive Chef needs to be competent in organizational and time management skills and has the ability to demonstrate good judgment, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
- Display exceptional leadership by providing a positive work environment, hire and retain staff, counsel employees as appropriate and demonstrate a professional approach to management.
- The position requires an engaged leader with a strong culinary vision who will drive dining offerings and consistency in a la carte dining ensuring members know that the Club is the “Go To” place for dining in Richmond.
- The Executive Chef will work with the Clubhouse Manager to provide input on projected revenues, payroll and capital expenses. Chef is responsible to develop the annual payroll budget and partner with the leadership team to develop the overall operations budget for the hospitality areas of the Club.
- The Executive Chef takes part in the House Committee Meeting and does menu samplings and receives member feedback.
- The new Executive Chef is passionate about all things culinary. He/she keeps up with the lasted trends and equipment.
- The Executive Chef is visible to the membership and provides occasional cooking classes, appearances at special events and meeting with members suggesting menus for Club and private events.
Additional Information:
- Annual food sales $1.6MM; Total F&B Sales $2,250MM.
- Actual food cost 41% with a sales mix of 50% a la carte and 50% banquet. (Food Cost Goal 40%)
- There is a total of 18 kitchen employees supported by a $550,000 labor budget.
- The Club maintains two (2) Kitchens; management rates the kitchens a 3 out of 5 and there is capital plan in process that includes a kitchen renovation.
- The Club has three (3) Sous Chefs, i.e., Executive Sous and 2 Sous and the Chef does the purchasing.
- The Club has one (1) 28,000 sq. ft. clubhouse supported by 2,800 members with an average age of 54 years.
- The Club is open 12 months annually; busiest months April-July and November-December. (Closed for one week in January)
- The Executive Chef reports to the Clubhouse Manager and works closely with the Catering Director, Controller, Communications and Marketing Manager and Facilities Manager.
- The previous Chef was with the Club 7 years.
A la Carte Dining:
Oak Grille/Lounge – Featuring current Club fare and Southern foods. Upscale Casual with 200 seats w/patio, serving Dinner Tuesday – Sunday.
Rock’s Lounge – Casual dining with 90 seats, serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Tuesday – Sunday.
Private Events – “Willow Oaks Country Club takes special pride in creating celebrations that become memories”. The banquet spaces include three large rooms which can be combined for events up to 350 or partitioned for events occurring simultaneously. The “Old House” rooms are perfect for private meetings or small dinners. Creative and original ideas combine for a calendar of approximately 50 member events annually that range in size from 25 to 600.
A compensation package that will include a respectful base salary. Excellent benefits including medical & dental insurance, 401K, vacation, ACF dues & conference and dining allowance. Relocation allowance available. 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:
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