Chef de Cuisine - Hotel MOHI

LEAL VINEYARDS•Morgan Hill, CA

21h•$75,000 - $90,000

About The Position

Set to open in mid-2026, The MOHI by Appellation will redefine luxury hospitality and culinary innovation in Morgan Hill. The project was created by Frank Léal, visionary entrepreneur and founder of the Léal Hospitality Group, in partnership with Appellation, the culinary-first hospitality brand co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer and hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger. Designed to celebrate the region’s rich agricultural heritage and vibrant food culture, the 76-room boutique hotel will feature a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar, a terrace pool, a modern spa and fitness club, and extensive event spaces, including a ballroom and an additional dedicated function space. Guests and locals alike will enjoy a dynamic mix of offerings, from a marketplace and flower shop lounge to a café that transitions into a cocktail and wine bar by night, creating a seamless blend of community, cuisine, and contemporary luxury. Guests and locals alike will enjoy a dynamic mix of experiences—from a marketplace and flower shop lounge to a café that transitions into a cocktail and wine bar by night—creating a seamless blend of community, cuisine, and contemporary luxury to gather and celebrate life’s every day and once-in-a-lifetime moments. Inspired by the natural beauty of California’s Central Coast, the Léal Hospitality Group is a one-of-a-kind collection of carefully curated urban and rural properties located in Morgan Hill and Hollister, encompassing restaurants, wineries, event venues, and soon a full-service boutique hotel dedicated to creating unique and memorable guest experiences. Born from the elegant merger of the culinary and hospitality worlds, Appellation is much more than a typical hotel company. Inspired by its name, this new hotel brand brings together the best of local elements in a new way: a hotel collection powered by people, connected by food, and defined by place - all designed to celebrate the culture, community, and craftsmanship of its destinations. Developed by visionary co-founders Charlie Palmer, one of America’s most celebrated, award-winning chefs and a pioneer of the modern hotel-restaurant model, and Christopher Hunsberger, a 30-year veteran of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and former President of North Americas, Appellation is taking root within the Léal Hospitality Group. Join Appellation as its future hotels and resorts take root in Morgan Hill in mid-2026. The Léal Hospitality Group, in partnership with Appellation, is looking for an experienced, results-driven Chef de Cuisine to play a key role in advancing our portfolio to the next level. The Chef de Cuisine position is responsible for food production, including catering, restaurant, and bakery divisions within the Léal hospitality portfolio. Assist with the development of menus, food purchase specifications, and recipes. Hire, train, mentor, develop, and supervise culinary team members. Develop and monitor the food and labor budgets for the department. Maintain the highest professional food quality and sanitation standards.

Requirements

Minimum of 7 years of equivalent combination of culinary education and/or experience, preferably in a fast-paced, high-end establishment
Minimum of 5 years of culinary management experience with previous leadership experience in the culinary field and a continuous desire to lead and mentor your culinary team
Excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills required. Communicate professionally in person and on the phone
Extended experience and knowledge of banquet service.
Off-premise catering experience preferred
Proven track record of cost control, including food equipment, labor, and waste management.
Experience in fiscal planning and knowledge of profit and loss reporting
Strong technology skills- including, but not limited to, MS Word, Excel, Open Table, Toast, Paycom, etc.
Possess and maintain a current ServSafe Food Protection Managers Certificate
Maintain a current California Driver's License with a satisfactory and safe driving record
Will be required to travel to other locations within the portfolio on a frequent basis, including starting your shift at different properties.
Maintain a neat, well-groomed professional appearance in compliance with the dress code
Able to work under pressure and remain calm to resolve problems using good judgment
Must be available to work varied schedules to include evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours of business
Ability to work cohesively with co-workers as part of a team

Responsibilities

Direct the total back-of-house restaurant operation, supervising the staff, oversee the preparation and service of food.
Cooks or directly supervises the cooking of items that require skillful preparation.
Interview, select, develop, train, supervise, coach, counsel, and discipline all employees in the department.
Partners with all culinary team members to plan menus for all food outlets in the Léal portfolio
Schedules and coordinates the work of cooks and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct and within budgeted labor cost goals.
Establishes controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft.
Responsible for ordering products and other necessary food supplies.
Ensures that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness, and safety are consistently maintained throughout all kitchen areas.
Ensure a safe working environment and attitude on the part of all employees in areas of responsibility.
Safeguards all food preparation by implementing employee training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident prevention principles.
Develop standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation, which help to assure consistently high quality and to minimize food costs; exercises portion control for all items served, and assists in establishing menu selling prices.
Prepares necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; projects annual food, labor, and other costs and monitors actual financial results; takes corrective action as necessary to help assure that financial goals are met.
Attend food and beverage staff and management meetings and consult with venue and event managers about food production aspects of special events being planned.
Establish a culture of hospitality, respect, and accountability in the kitchen.
Develop and monitor kitchen operating procedures for consistency and efficiency.
Ensures proper staffing for maximum productivity and high standards of quality; controls food and payroll costs to achieve maximum profitability.
Interacts with food and beverage management to ensure that food production consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests.
In conjunction with the F&B management team, assist in maintaining a high level of service principles in accordance with established standards.
Evaluates products to ensure that quality, price, and related goods are consistently met.
Develops policies and procedures to enhance and measure quality; continually updates written policies and procedures to reflect state-of-the-art techniques, equipment, and terminology.
Establishes and maintains a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule for all kitchen areas and equipment.
Ensures that representatives from the kitchen attend service lineups and meetings
Ability to interact positively with supervisor, management, coworkers, members, and the public to promote a team effort and maintain a positive and professional approach.
Ability to produce a high volume of work in a timely manner, which is accurate, complete, and of high quality.
Ability to come to work regularly and on time, to follow directions, to take criticism, to get along with co-workers and supervisors, to treat co-workers, supervisors, and members/guests with respect and courtesy, and to refrain from abusive, insubordinate, and/or violent behavior.
Must be available to represent the brand at special events, PR activities, and other catering locations.
All other tasks as required by management.