Perry Harmon

Experience

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  Way North Foods/Perry's Creations Personal Chef

  Jan 1996 - Apr 2012

  Chef/Owner

  Way North Foods, LLC was a gourmet specialty foods company that was located in located in Traverse City, Michigan. I developed recipes for products that were produced in my professional kitchen and sold to retailers and customers throughout Michigan and across the United States. Several national accounts were interested in my biscotti and both my biscotti and beer brittle were written up in regional and national publications.Perry's Creations allowed me to be extremely creative while operating as a personal chef and caterer. I prepared family meals in homes and mansions in Ohio and Michigan. I was hired to cook a gourmet riverside meal for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Antonin Scalia on the bank of the Manistee River. I prepared a lunch that went on one of our Air Force Ones with then Vice President Dick Cheney while he was on a cross country journey meeting with heads of some of the United States biggest privately held companies. Show less

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  Chateau Grand Traverse Winery

  Aug 2004 - May 2008

  Executive Chef

  I worked with the winery as a contract chef and developed and executed menus for various dinners and events held at the winery. I also filmed a segment of television station 7 & 4 called The Peninsula Kitchen with Chef Perry that featured original recipes I created and prepared on camera that focused on local ingredients and products.

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  Traverse City Film Festival

  Jan 2009 - Sept 2010

  Concessions Manager

  I oversaw all aspects of the concessions for the festival from procuring bids, ordering to supplying each venue. I was responsible for getting funds raised and the purchase of popcorn machines for each venue at the festival.

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  Fun Fine Dining & Tours

  May 2011 - Dec 2011

  Partner

  Chef's Pete Peterson, of Restaurant Tapawingo & Perry Harmon offered intimate personal fine dining experiences in client's homes. We catered upscale dinners around Northern Michigan for both locals as well as clients from out of state.

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  Chateau Chantal Winery and B&B

  May 2011 - Apr 2013

  Chef

  As the chef at Chateau Chantal Winery I developed and implemented new menus based on my original recipes using local ingredients paired with the Chateau's wines to help steadily increase traffic to the dinners over the past three years. I also created menus and taught the cooking classes at the winery selling out each class as well as creating and executing menus for special events.

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  Grand Traverse Distillery

  Apr 2012 - Feb 2016

  Spirits Ambassador/OperationsManager

  I was the "Spirits Ambassador" for the distillery covering industry trade shows and events in the mid-west. I was responsible for all social media - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.I helped develop and implement the CMS for the distillery's website as well as playing a key roll in the hiring and design/idea phase. I did outside cold calling on new and existing accounts in the Grand Traverse region to increase brand appeal and customer retention.I was promoted to Retail Sales/Operations Manager in April of 2013 and hired/trained all staff for 4 of 5 tasting rooms operated by GTD. I was in charge of researching, contacting vendors to set up business relationships, and the ordering of all non-spirits merchandise for the tasting rooms. I developed and implemented drink menus, created all alcoholic mixers such as Kahlua, Creme de Menthe, infusions and liqueurs, created the distillery's Chipotle Vodka as well as their Orange Bitters. Researched, purchased, trained on, and rolled out new software programs ( BaseCamp, Zozi, 7Shifts, etc. ) to increase efficiency, reduce operating costs, waste and redundancy in business operations. I also was the point person and contact for hiring an artist to design new labels as well as working directly with O-I and other glass suppliers to find the perfect bottles for our spirits. I also was instrumental in working with a graphic design company to print labels directly on our glass and eliminate labels altogether. Show less

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  Chateau Grand Traverse

  May 2016 - now

  Executive Chef

  I worked together with management from the tasting room, our owner and our media manager to develop and roll out a menu for our patio and a "bites" menu to go with our flights of wine for our Wine Down Wednesday Live Music Nights during the summer months. In 2018 I changed up the bites menu to focus on dishes prepared on our commercial gas grill on our patio. I took over all culinary duties at the Inn to give customers a more european style upscale breakfast experience that reflects the character and feel of the winery. I have developed a new Inn dinner menu to sell packages to future guests with a local upnorth focus. I worked in tandem with other staff to come up with a menu to promote Holiday Party Catering sales for this and in future seasons. My winter wine dinners with a menu that changes every year continue to sell out and have repeat guests year after year. I am constantly looking for opportunities to expand our food offerings at Chateau Grand Traverse. Show less