Silver Dollar City Resort - Sous Chef [EXE]

All Career • Branson West, MO

2d

About The Position

The Sous Chef supports kitchen operations at Silver Dollar City Resort by overseeing culinary staff, food production, quality, safety, and equipment. The role assists the Executive Chef and/or Executive Sous Chef with staffing, scheduling, human resource functions, food inventories, and ordering food and kitchen supplies. It works with the purchasing agent to ensure products are set up and organized in Crunchtime.

The Sous Chef demonstrates and teaches cooking methods, supervises food production to menu specifications and required quantities, and assists cooks with daily preparation across kitchen stations and banquet operations. The position checks ingredient quality, tastes menu items, reviews plating and presentation, and maintains cleanliness and food safety practices. It also monitors food safety logs and equipment, reports equipment deficiencies, supports ongoing audits, and performs back-of-house duties as needed.

The role requires culinary knowledge that includes butchery and fabrication, classical and modern plating, batch cooking, scratch preparation, and basic sous vide and saucier techniques. The job involves working in kitchens, food preparation areas, banquet spaces, and other resort locations, with physical demands including extended standing and walking and lifting up to 50 pounds. Work schedules may include overtime, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Basic computer skills.
• At least 3–5 years of experience working as a sous chef or in a very similar role in restaurant or banquet operations.
• At least two years of supervisory experience.
• Must successfully complete a pre-employment background check and drug screening.
• Must demonstrate and live out the Herschend Family Company’s Lead with Love qualities: patience, kindness, humility, respect, selflessness, forgiveness, honesty, and commitment.
• Able to make a friendly impression when communicating with guests, vendors, and employees; be genuinely friendly and caring; and take pride in work.
• Self-motivated and disciplined, able to prioritize tasks and complete assignments on time, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Must maintain confidentiality and sound judgment regarding privileged information.
• Must maintain a professional appearance and good personal hygiene.
• Able to promote a team environment by cooperating with and helping coworkers, and to work productively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Must maintain dependable attendance and flexibility with assigned schedules, including required overtime, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Sensitive to guest needs and empowered to act within company guidelines to meet those needs.
• Effective communication, problem-solving, conflict-management, and interpersonal skills; able to appreciate others and resolve workplace problems and conflicts.
• Able to comprehend instructions and retain information, adapt to frequent changes in priorities, and perform duties that support a safe and secure environment for hosts and guests.
• Able to add, subtract, multiply, and divide accurately.
• Able to read, write, and communicate verbally in English as needed to perform essential duties.
• Able to perform food preparation and presentation tasks and use kitchen equipment and utensils.
• Able to travel between assigned work locations and access an employee shuttle when required.
• If driving is an essential job duty, must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and meet company vehicle-operation requirements.
• Able to stand and walk for extended periods; frequently bend, stoop, reach, twist, and crouch; and lift, carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Able to safely work in wet or slippery areas and varying temperatures, including hot kitchens, walk-in refrigerators, and freezers.

Nice To Haves

• Culinary degree or ACF certification preferred.
• Knowledge of butchery and fabrication techniques for beef, chicken, and fish.
• Knowledge of modern and classical plating techniques.
• Ability to execute recipe standards for batch cooking and plate specifications.
• Scratch-cooking skills, including sauces, soups, dressings, vinaigrettes, doughs, vegetables, proteins, and garnishes.
• Basic knowledge of sous vide cooking and saucier responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist periodically with conducting food inventories.
• Manage kitchen staff within their culinary responsibilities and follow scheduling procedures to maintain appropriate and productive staffing levels.
• Assist the Executive Chef and/or Executive Sous Chef with departmental human resource functions.
• Assist with ordering food and kitchen supplies, working with the purchasing agent to set up and organize products in Crunchtime.
• Demonstrate and teach proper cooking methods to produce excellent food for guests and hosts.
• Ensure safety training is completed according to company policy.
• Supervise and coordinate food production according to menu specifications and required quantities.
• Assist cooks with daily cuisine preparation, including hot prep, cold prep, saucier station, brick-oven-fired cuisine where applicable, banquet production, and staff meals.
• Ensure ingredient inventory meets quality specifications; correct unacceptable items and inform the Executive Chef.
• Taste menu elements regularly and check flavor profiles, plating, and appearance.
• Check cleanliness of operations and ensure staff use clean-as-you-go techniques, sanitizer properly, and follow health regulations.
• Maintain equipment in proper working order; inspect ovens, ranges, fryers, faucets, refrigerators, and washing machines.
• Report equipment deficiencies in HotSOS to Engineering and verbally to the Food and Beverage Team.
• Maintain food safety standards in kitchens and banquet areas, ensuring time and temperature logs are used and monitored for food stations, cooling and hot-holding equipment, and dish machines.
• Support continuous improvement through audits, including health inspections, Steritech, REI, and internal audits.
• Perform all back-of-house duties as needed.
• Ensure proper handling of food products by receivers and culinary staff.
• Educate and instruct hosts on spoilage and food-cost controls.
• Travel between assigned work locations and access an employee shuttle when required.

Benefits

• Free admission to Silver Dollar City Attractions and discounted admission to Herschend Enterprises attractions and resorts for employees and dependents.
• Complimentary tickets and discounts on season passes for loved ones.
• Food and merchandise discounts across Silver Dollar City Attractions.
• 401(k) and profit-sharing retirement plan available after three months of employment.
• Affordable health plan options, including co-pay, HSA, and FSA options, for full-time seasonal and year-round employees.
• Employee health center offering basic office visits, X-rays, and lab work for a co-pay, whether insured or not.
• 100% free tuition starting on the first day of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED