Culinary Area Manager - Dollywood Theme Park - Exempt

All Career•Pigeon Forge, TN

14h•Onsite

About The Position

At Dollywood Parks & Resorts, we create memories worth repeating. We do this every day across all properties; all located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Ask anyone who has visited Dollywood Parks & Resorts, and they will tell you this place is different. It’s not a difference that you can touch or see - it’s a difference you can feel. We are seeking a Culinary Area Manager who will embody the heart and soul of our mission of creating memories worth repeating while bringing families closer together and caring deeply about our brand. This person also brings a spirit of fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity and genuine hospitality to the lives of our guests. We want to work alongside someone who acts as an extension of our mission, values, and culture. This individual is driven to create meaningful experiences for our hosts, guests, and community while ensuring the success and profitability of our unique offerings. The right Culinary Area Manager checklist will include equal parts curious learner, innovator, administrator, detail driver, mentor, and motivator. The Culinary Area Manager is responsible for the consistent delivery of The Dollywood Company’s food experience, leading a team of up to 100 hosts, achieving financial goals, and advancing the business. Working in conjunction with Foods department leadership, the Foods Area Manager will directly oversee Food and Beverage operations in a manner consistent with the mission, values, operating philosophies and standards of The Dollywood Company. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be able to display and live out Lead with Love qualities, strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture, by being patient, kind, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, dedicated and accountable. Summary of Essential Functions and Responsibilities Product / Guest Excellence Lead the on-ground teams in providing creative leadership in the development, implementation, and monitoring of assigned foods locations, host advocacy, and development Lead & manage service delivery in outlets to ensure excellent service from point of entry to departure (e.g., greeting from hostess, speed of service, fulfillment of special requests, collection of payment and invitation to return) Lead & maintain food quality guidelines, including but not limited to: holding times, following recipes and portion procedures, safe operating of equipment, and ordering, storing, and rotating food properly Able to utilize customer service skills to resolve guest opportunities as they arise, but also to establish procedures to prevent future opportunities from occurring Ensure a high level of guest service at all touch points, exceeding brand standards and expectations resulting in guest loyalty, referrals and repeat business Responsible for creatively engaging guests and capturing demand for revenue growth, profit & contribution Review payroll expenditures to be budgeted and approved based on guidelines. Reviews and reports on daily, weekly, and period payroll expenses. Reports on weekly and period direct expenses Ownership of area of responsibility P&L, business planning, budgeting and forecasting activities. Reviews period P&Ls for the division. Participates in period-end P&L meetings and prepares action plans for improvement as necessary Ensure schedules are completed timely and budgeted labor percentage is achieved Ensure all period-end inventories are completed, accurate and can speak to any and all variances Monitors cash handling procedures to ensure procedures are followed along with addressing all over/shorts and cash variances Health & Safety Lead safety efforts for the Foods Division. Comply with all safety requirements, e.g. representation at safety committee meetings, ensuring leadership completes accurate daily temp logs, adheres to all food handling and storage requirements, reviews monthly safety audits, and ensures safety critical host training compliance Conduct daily safety and sanitation audits to ensure appropriate Dollywood, Start Fresh, Sevier County Health Department, and ServSafe procedures are followed so that we maintain a safe environment for all hosts and guests Ensure compliance with all restaurant policies, standards and procedures. Ensuring adequate staffing to provide appropriate line speed for their unit(s) Training and Developing of Team Lead (s) and Assistant(s) for succession planning purposes Leadership Training and Developing of Area Supervisors, Team Lead (s) and Assistant(s) for succession planning purposes Responsible for assisting the Foods Operations Managers with leading and directing the Company Foods Division, ensuring a high-quality food and beverage experience while achieving budgeted revenue, cost and profit goals and maintaining brand standards Lead direct reports by coaching, empowering, and providing feedback to ensure accountability for individual results Communicate staffing needs and clearance reports in a timely manner. Work directly with staffing coordinators with areas within your span of control based on budgeted labor dollars & percentages Lead the deployment of labor across multiple food and beverage outlets including table service restaurants, buffets, quick service, kiosk, and festivals throughout the year. Ability to react to changes in attendance and adjust labor accordingly Embrace efforts and model’s behavior around Great Place Six (GP6); creates a Great Place to Work for Great People. Ensures a positive work environment for all hosts with high levels of engagement and job satisfaction Coach and praise Hosts effectively and timely Provide honest and timely host evaluations and feedback Assist with developing and updating plans regarding restaurant operations, performance evaluations, job descriptions, management policies, operating practices & procedures, and budgets annually Maintain flexibility in working days, hours, locations, and properties Perform additional duties and make decisions as requested Responsible for completing credit card transactions in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards Develop and execute action plans to address business shortfalls Monitor department and park operations when serving as Person in Charge for the Foods Division Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time

Requirements

Must be 18 years of age or older
High school diploma or equivalent
Minimum 2 years’ Multi Unit Full-Service Restaurant Management experience
A proven track record of advancement to higher levels of management required with experience in the theme park, tourism, hospitality or entertainment industry preferred
Strong business acumen and a proven track record of strong financial growth
Previous experience leading large multi-dimensional food and beverage organizations
Must be skilled in Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office, Outlook, etc.
ServSafe Certified
Must successfully complete a post-employment offer background check and drug screen
Driver's license and acceptable driving record required
Able to make a friendly impression when speaking to or corresponding with guests, vendors, and other employees
Must have a working knowledge of outlook, word, excel, power point & other basic office programs
Must have a deep understanding of crunchtime & kitchen sync
Must have a deep understanding of oracle & micros
Must have experience working with Monday.com, Teams, Dine Time, Sharepoint, & Google Docs
Must reflect Dollywood’s image by being genuinely friendly and caring and by taking pride in work
Must be self-motivated and disciplined
Must be able to prioritize and complete work assignments on a timely basis
Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information
Must be committed to continuous improvement
Must have professional appearance with good personal hygiene
Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating and helping co-workers
Must be productive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Must maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays
Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines
Must be able to utilize effective communication, problem solving, conflict management and interpersonal skills
Must show appreciation of others
Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts
Able to comprehend instructions and retain information
Able to perform duties consistent with creating a safe and secure environment for hosts and guests
Able to be flexible and handle frequent changes in priorities
Able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with accuracy
Able to communicate effectively using standard English grammar and punctuation
Able to tolerate various temperatures while working indoors and outdoors
Able to operate/drive a company vehicle with valid driver’s license and insurance
Able to meet the physical demands of the job
Able to work outdoors
Able to wear all PPE as required
Able to endure all chemicals/detergents utilized in the area
Able to be subjected to periodic random drug screening as outlined by company policy
Must be able to lift 30 pounds with or without 2-person lift. 30+ pounds require a 2 person lift
Must take Start Fresh training, as well as implement all safety aspects of Start Fresh training
Must be able to work and endure temperatures ranging from 0 to 120 degrees
Must comply with all Health Dept., Serv Safe, and Company regulations pertaining to Food Safety Handling Procedures
Able to maintain good personal hygiene
Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts
Able to work cooperatively with others
Able to move about and react quickly in emergency situations

Nice To Haves

Culinary School Diploma or Degree in Food Service Management or related field highly preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the on-ground teams in providing creative leadership in the development, implementation, and monitoring of assigned foods locations, host advocacy, and development
Lead & manage service delivery in outlets to ensure excellent service from point of entry to departure
Lead & maintain food quality guidelines
Utilize customer service skills to resolve guest opportunities
Ensure a high level of guest service at all touch points
Responsible for creatively engaging guests and capturing demand for revenue growth, profit & contribution
Review payroll expenditures
Ownership of area of responsibility P&L, business planning, budgeting and forecasting activities
Ensure schedules are completed timely and budgeted labor percentage is achieved
Ensure all period-end inventories are completed, accurate and can speak to any and all variances
Monitors cash handling procedures to ensure procedures are followed along with addressing all over/shorts and cash variances
Lead safety efforts for the Foods Division
Conduct daily safety and sanitation audits
Ensure compliance with all restaurant policies, standards and procedures
Training and Developing of Team Lead (s) and Assistant(s) for succession planning purposes
Responsible for assisting the Foods Operations Managers with leading and directing the Company Foods Division
Lead direct reports by coaching, empowering, and providing feedback to ensure accountability for individual results
Communicate staffing needs and clearance reports in a timely manner
Lead the deployment of labor across multiple food and beverage outlets
Embrace efforts and model’s behavior around Great Place Six (GP6)
Coach and praise Hosts effectively and timely
Provide honest and timely host evaluations and feedback
Assist with developing and updating plans regarding restaurant operations, performance evaluations, job descriptions, management policies, operating practices & procedures, and budgets annually
Maintain flexibility in working days, hours, locations, and properties
Perform additional duties and make decisions as requested
Responsible for completing credit card transactions in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards
Develop and execute action plans to address business shortfalls
Monitor department and park operations when serving as Person in Charge for the Foods Division