Pastry Sous Chef

Queen Miami Beach•Miami Beach, FL

21h

About The Position

COMPANY BACKGROUND Mr. Hospitality is a fully integrated hospitality management group that conceptualizes, owns and operates restaurants and nightlife destinations. With 20 years of combined experience in the food and beverage industry, Mr. Hospitality has brought dining, art, fashion and entertainment to a new level of sophistication by fully understanding the U.S market. Position Summary Hands-on pastry production & service – 35% Execute mise en place for tasting menus, Event menu and à la carte desserts, ensuring every component is scaled, labeled, and organized for seamless fine dining service. Prepare intricate elements (e.g., multiple-texture entremets, delicate tuiles, micro garnishes, gel inserts, quenelles) with exact weights and techniques to achieve repeatable results. Plate desserts to Michelin-level standards, following detailed plating diagrams and photos, with exact placement, height, and negative space on the plate. Coordinate dessert firing with the chef de cuisine and front-of-house team to synchronize courses, tasting menu progressions, and chef’s table experiences. Adapt pacing and portioning of desserts during service based on real-time guest flow, tasting menu durations, and VIP or chef’s counter requests. Verify flavor balance, temperature contrast, and textural interplay (crunch, creaminess, acidity, sweetness, bitterness) on each dessert before sending. Accommodate dietary and allergen requests (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan) with elegant alternatives that match the restaurant’s style and standard Maintain an impeccably clean and organized section during service, ensuring tools, molds, and specialty equipment are in perfect working order and correctly set up for each service. Conduct end-of-service checks on remaining mise en place, documenting par levels, quality, and required adjustments for the following shift to support consistent Chocolatier-confiseur production – 20% Temper couverture chocolate using appropriate methods (tabling, seeding, or machine) to achieve perfect shine, snap, and texture for all chocolate work. Produce refined molded bonbons and pralines with precise shell thickness, clean edges, and balanced ganache, praline, or layered fillings. Create decorative chocolate elements (e.g., shards, curls, cigarettes, textures, sprays, velvets) for plated desserts, petit fours, and showpieces in line with the restaurant’s visual style. Develop and produce seasonal chocolate collections and mignardises to accompany coffee service, tasting menus, and VIP amenities. Cook sugar for caramels, pâte de fruit, nougat, marshmallows, brittles, and other confiserie to exact temperatures and textures suitable for fine dining service. Balance flavors in chocolates and confections (sweetness, bitterness, acidity, salt, spice, alcohol) to create complex, contemporary profiles aligned with the restaurant concept. Standardize recipes and processes for all chocolate and confiserie items, documenting precise weights, cooking curves, cooling protocols, and storage guidelines. Design and execute elegant packaging or presentation formats for chocolates and confections used for VIPs, special events, and collaborations. Train and supervise junior pastry staff in safe handling of hot sugar and chocolate, correct tempering, molding, and finishing techniques. Coordinate production schedules for chocolates and confiserie in line with service demands, events, and lead times required for crystallization and setting. Monitor and maintain specialized equipment (chocolate melters, enrobers, airbrush/spray guns, molds) ensuring they are clean, calibrated, and service-ready at all times Team supervision, training & leadership – 20% Lead the pastry brigade during mise en place and service, assigning tasks and sections to chefs de partie, demi chefs, commis, and interns. Brief the team before service on menus, specials, changes to desserts, allergen notes, and VIP or chef’s table requirements. Demonstrate advanced pastry and chocolatier techniques on the bench, setting the technical and aesthetic standard for the team to follow. Coach junior chefs through complex preparations and plating, giving clear, constructive feedback to improve speed, accuracy, and finesse. Monitor individual performance and organization on each workstation, intervening early to correct issues with timing, hygiene, or consistency. Enforce kitchen discipline, punctuality, grooming, and professional behavior in line with the restaurant’s fine dining standards. Conduct on-the-job training sessions and mini refreshers on new desserts, SOPs, and plating guides to ensure everyone is aligned. Support the Executive Pastry Chef in onboarding new team members, explaining expectations, workflow, and station responsibilities. Encourage a culture of respect, collaboration, and calm, especially during high-pressure services, modeling composure and problem-solving. Address conflicts or communication breakdowns within the pastry team promptly and discreetly, escalating to senior chefs or management when necessary. Participate in or lead daily debriefs after service, reviewing what went well and what needs improvement in preparation, timing, or teamwork. Identify training needs and propose focused development plans (e.g., chocolate work, entremets, service organization) for team members. Ensure that all team members follow HACCP, safety, and hygiene protocols, correcting non-compliance and reinforcing best practices. Coordinate with the main kitchen and front-of-house leadership to align staffing, rota, and service support for special events and menu changes. Recognize and encourage talent and strong performance, helping to build a motivated team proud of delivering Michelin-level pastry work. Menu development, standards & quality control – 15% Collaborate with the Executive Pastry Chef and Head Chef to conceptualize new desserts, chocolate elements, and petit fours aligned with the restaurant’s identity, seasonality, and tasting menus. Develop and test recipes through structured tastings, adjusting techniques, textures, flavor balance, and visual presentation based on feedback from the culinary leadership team. Translate finalized creations into detailed, standardized recipes with precise weights, methods, cooking/setting times, and plating diagrams for the team to follow. Create and maintain visual plating guides and SOPs for each dessert, mignardise, and amenity, ensuring that every chef can reproduce the dish to the same standard. Conduct regular line checks before and during service to verify taste, texture, temperature, and presentation of all mise en place and plated desserts. Support basic cost analysis for new desserts and chocolate items, checking that portion sizes and ingredients align with target food-cost percentages before items go live. Adjust recipes and garnishes when raw materials, seasons, or supply constraints change, while preserving the core identity and standard of each dessert. Verify that allergens are correctly documented for all pastry and chocolate items and that plating and mise en place prevent cross-contamination. Periodically rotate mignardises, pre-desserts, and seasonal features to keep the menu evolving while maintaining a coherent style and identity. Inventory, ordering & cost control – 10% Monitor daily usage and par levels for chocolate, dairy, fruit, dry goods, molds, and packaging in the pastry and chocolate sections to anticipate ordering needs. Prepare or validate requisitions and orders for specialty ingredients, couverture, and confiserie supplies, ensuring quantities match menu demands and upcoming event Track production yields for key items (entremets, petit fours, chocolates) and adjust batch sizes to minimize overproduction and spoilage. Support recipe costing by verifying realistic portion sizes, ingredient weights, and loss factors so that costing sheets reflect actual practice. Identify items with high waste or low turnover and flag them during debriefs, proposing adjustments to recipes, portions, or menu placement as needed. Ensure correct storage conditions for chocolate and confections (temperature, humidity, light) to maintain quality and extend shelf life, reducing write-offs Work with Head chef and purchasing and suppliers to source premium chocolate, dairy, fruits, and specialty ingredients that support the creative direction and quality standards of the menu. Position Details: Hands-on pastry production & service – 35% Tasks: leading all day-to-day pastry production and dessert service at a fine dining, Michelin-style level, ensuring every plate that leaves the pass reflects the restaurant’s standard of precision, flavor balance, and visual artistry. It means the Pastry Sous Chef is the operational engine of the pastry section during mise en place and service, translating the menu and recipes into flawless execution for every guest, every service Skills/Expertise Required: Advanced pastry techniques Fine dining plating skills with strong aesthetic sense, precision, and speed Service organization and time management Flavor and texture understanding Attention to detail and consistency Communication and coordination Hygiene and food safety discipline Importance: These skills are essential to Mr Hospitality’s reputation and success. Desserts are the final impression of the meal; flawless pastry execution reinforces the brand’s image of refined, curated, high-touch hospitality and directly impacts reviews, word-of-mouth, and repeat business. Michelin-style pastry, executed at a high level every day, becomes a signature element that differentiates Mr Hospitality properties from competitors and supports positioning as a destination for gastronomy, not just dining.

Requirements

Formal diploma or certificate in pastry arts from an accredited culinary school or equivalent professional apprenticeship.
Formal diploma or certificate in Chocolatier-Confiseur
4+ years of progressive pastry experience in high-end or fine dining environments, including at least 1–2 years in a chef de partie or junior sous role.
Proven experience in Michelin-style, tasting-menu, or luxury hotel/restaurant pastry operations, with exposure to both plated desserts and production
Strong service organization skills: structuring mise en place, prioritizing tasks, and running a pastry station or section during busy services.
Proven ability to coordinate dessert firing and pacing with the main kitchen and front-of-house in a tasting-menu or multi-course setting.
Experience contributing to dessert and mignardise creation in line with a defined brand, cuisine concept, and seasonality
Experience with stock rotation, par levels, ordering, and basic food-cost awareness specific to pastry and chocolate.
Proficiency in using various CRM and hospitality management systems (such as Toast, Craftable, Paycor, and Birchstreet) to support decision-making and menu engineering.
Ability to read and understand recipe costing sheets, food-cost targets, and basic financial KPIs for the pastry department.
Competence in tracking production, yields, waste, and breakage, and using this information to adjust batch sizes and improve efficiency
References from previous employers attesting to operational competence, financial responsibility, and leadership
Experience supervising and mentoring pastry chefs de partie, demi chefs, commis, and interns
Ability to conduct briefings, tastings, and on-the-job training for new desserts, standards, and SOPs.
Demonstrated capacity to maintain discipline, professionalism, and a calm, solution-focused atmosphere in a high-pressure environment
Strong knowledge of HACCP, food safety, and hygiene standards for high-risk pastry items (cream, egg-based products, chocolate, sugar work).
Proven track record of maintaining an impeccably clean, organized workstation and enforcing cleanliness across the pastry section.
Ability to manage allergen information, cross-contamination risks, and dietary adaptations (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan) at fine-dining level.
Leading a bilingual team, leveraging fluency in French, Spanish and English to bridge communication between headquarters and staff
Proven experience managing and motivating teams composed of diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds, ideally in an international or multicultural hospitality environment.
Skills in mediating and resolving misunderstandings or conflicts that may arise from cultural or language differences, promoting a harmonious and inclusive workplace.