Line Cook

Position Overview: 

A hands-on working position that supports the mission of a profitable and efficient kitchen operation.   Strive to ensure product standards and quality. 

Essential Functions 

• Work in food preparation or banquet area. Prepare and cook food to recipe standards.
• Demonstrate proper kitchen set up, stocking, prep, cleanup, and proper tear down procedures.
• Display professional attitude, demeanor and cooperation toward peers, management and guests.
• Handle food product, kitchen supplies and equipment to achieve property food cost and food expense guidelines.

Workplace Attitude, Behavior:

Uphold and abide by the policies in the Associate Handbook, for your position. Follow these policies, rules and regulations for the safe and effective overall operation. Must have commitment to company values.  

Maintain a positive approach to working with and supporting your fellow associates. Be a good role model and actively seek opportunities to help maintain a positive work environment. Do your part to promote cooperation and teamwork within your department. Be proactive, and do your part, to assure your property has a “harassment free” work environment.  Report any harassing behavior immediately. 

Work schedule prescribed by the Chef. Work on the restaurant line or when requested, prep area or banquet kitchen. Work overtime when requested and approved. 

Professionally represent the hotel and property when in contact with community and industry organizations at events held at hotel.

Proper uniform is required and maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance per policy. Must comply with department appearance guidelines.

Display a professional attitude, demeanor, conduct, and cooperation effort toward guests, peers and management. Must be excellent team player with all departments of the hotel.

Regular attendance in conformance with the schedule is essential to the successful performance of this position.  

Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, employees may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the food and beverage operation. Please see your department or scheduling manager. 

Attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required.

Channel comments regarding other staff or unsatisfactory performance to the Kitchen Manager on duty. 

Communicate shift/daily operations information, business needs, repair and equipment needs to Management Team. 

Notify your manager within 24 hours in the event you may have been injured on the job. Complete injury forms as required. 

Workplace Duties: (See Training Guide for Reference)

Learn and demonstrate product preparation.  Weigh, measure and mix ingredients according to recipe.  Prepare all food for line/banquet cooking recipes.  Maintain quality standards for recipes and assigned kitchen area.

Learn and properly demonstrate different cooking techniques such as baking, roasting, broiling, steaming, or sauté for meats, fish, vegetables and other foods. Learn and demonstrate use of convection ovens, steamers, fryers, grills, broilers, etc.  

Learn your assigned station of the kitchen line. Learn recipes, cooking procedures, plate presentations, cooking equipment and set up/close duties. Actively participate, learn and cooperate with the training process.  

Learn other line stations as your competency and skill levels increase.  Become cross-trained and a valuable team member.

Learn and practice all kitchen safety procedures such as: how to move on the line, work with hot pans and ovens, proper knife handling, broken glass/dishware handling, etc.

Actively work, shift to shift, to control food cost/waste by assuring that recipe production and portioning are followed.

Process assigned duties accurately and effectively. Keep work areas clean and organized. Complete other duties and projects assigned from Supervisor or Sous Chef. 

Carry out all shift set up, closing and cleaning duties, as assigned. Demonstrate cleaning, sanitation and maintenance for the general kitchen, equipment, walk-ins, coolers and storerooms. 

Follow par and prep sheets, shift to shift, for restaurant menu line set up and production.

Properly handle all kitchen cooking equipment, supplies and other non-food products properly to prevent breakage, waste and unnecessary expense.

Assist Chef/Sous Chef prepare banquet or special event menus, preparing and portioning foods, utilizing food surpluses and leftovers. 

Assist Chef/Sous Chef to assure all food products and kitchen supply deliveries are safely received, stored and rotated.

Learn Health Department standards and codes. Learn basic food safety and sanitation practices. Label, date and rotate all product and follow food storage guidelines. Do your part to achieve a minimum Health Department score of 90%. 

Qualifications: 

The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills and abilities.

Education: High School Diploma or GED preferred.

Experience: Six months past line cooking experience necessary. 

One-year cooking school education certificate preferred, but not necessary.

Specific job knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Ability to read, write and speak basic English in order to read recipes, process information and communicate with other staff.
• Good inter-personal and group social skills, perform as a team member.  
• Good organizational and multi-tasking skills.
• Exercise good judgment and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of food recipes, menus, preparation and presentation.
• Follow detailed instructions with minimal supervision at times.  
• Possess basic knife handling skills and experience. 
• Basic skill and experience with kitchen equipment, such as stovetops, ovens, steamers, slicers, mixers, broilers, grills and dish machines.
• Possess basic computational ability.   

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to stand, sit, walk, climb, bend, crouch/stoop, twist and reach for extended periods of time.
• Able to be upright, on feet, up to eight hours at a time.  Able to work the cooking line for up to five hours at a time. 
• Have moderate to high level of energy and physical stamina.
• Exert well-paced ability to reach other departments of the restaurant, kitchen and banquet rooms on a timely basis. 
• Most work tasks are performed indoors.  Temperature is moderate to high, and are somewhat controlled by kitchen environmental systems. Kitchen temperatures can be extremely hot at times. 
• Noise level, in the kitchen, may be moderate at times.  Must have good hearing ability. 
• Must have good vision to be able to read recipes and par lists.
• Lift up to 50 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis.

Appearance Guidelines: 

Hotel Department uniform is required. See Kitchen Department dress and appearance guidelines. Also, one must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance.