Phil Ward

Experience

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  Black Cat Natural Foods

  Feb 2005 - Jun 2022

  Owner/Executive Chef

  Having served as a Chef at Black Cat Natural Foods, I delivered wholesale natural deli items to co-ops and local businesses with a primary focus on independent catering, such as box lunches, business luncheons, and weddings. I also operated a prepared foods booth at the Mill City Farmers Market. I took pride in serving on the MCFM Vendor Board and supporting market management in improving vendor relations as part of the approval process for new vendors. I trained employees and developed kitchen protocols and crafted menus and recipes sourcing necessary ingredients. Additionally, I preserved commercial kitchen equipment and catering truck maintaining cleanliness, sanitation, and day-to-day upkeep.Examples of my primary accomplishments in this role include:• Worked with local farmers to create an 85% sustainable menu and product mix by buying directly from MCFM vendors.• Maintained consistent food costs of 26-28% by minimizing distributors and working directly with farmers.• Increased farmers market revenue by 25% annually as the business and the market grew. Show less

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  OTG Management

  Feb 2020 - Jun 2022

  Executive Chef

  In my Executive Chef role, I maintained five high-volume, multi-unit dining concepts made up of full-service, QSR, self-serve, and commissary kitchen segments. I supervised a staff of approximately 75 employees including scheduling. My duties included insuring NSF compliance, passing of all health department inspections, and ServSafe certification of all staff. Additionally, I coordinated culinary planning, quality control, cost management, and budgeting processes in conjunction with onsite managers.A few examples of my key results are as follows:• Decreased hourly labor by 15% through production-minded scheduling and limiting overtime.• Facilitated a 20% cut in purchasing by maintaining accurate inventory and overhauling existing ordering procedures and par levels.• Boosted sales by 8% through a targeted training strategy and maximizing kitchen efficiency. Show less

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  Victoria burrow, Oakdale Burrow, The Fair on 4

  Jul 2021 - Jun 2022

  Culinary Director

  As the Culinary Director at The Burrow, I facilitated operations of three full-service restaurants, along with three unique markets with individualized sales plans and menus. Also, I managed menu rollouts and seasonal menu changes, in addition to inventory and ordering software. Establishing relationships with vendors allowed me to secure the best pricing of ingredients. I executed a continuity plan across all restaurants specific to event menus and catering. In addition, I engaged new and existing kitchen staff members through a continuous education plan to advance knowledge and skillsets.Specific examples of the value I delivered in this role include the following:• Opened the flagship restaurant generating $6M in first year revenue with $1.2M in food sales.• Designed the opening menu and maximized profits keeping food costs under 32%• Generated a strong rapport with vendors to achieve a 10% reduction on wholesale pricing. Show less

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  Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op

  May 2022 - May 2023

  Deli & Food Service Director

  In my role as Deli & Food Service Director, I direct the full operation of three store delis, as well as coordinate commissary kitchen and bakery supplies, inclusive of a variety of programming, planning, and pricing activities. I assess industry trends to determine pricing and workflow opportunities to maximize value to customers. My value lies in tracking and monitoring KPIs to ensure sales growth and consistent inventory turns. The company appreciates my ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance consistency across all locations. My responsibilities include overseeing targeted budgets to meet margin and labor goals, administering sanitary, production, and transfer processes, and Developing and implementing effective marketing strategies with promotional period, social media, and other marketing platform components to drive sales. Additionally, I observe and adhere to all licensing, HACCP, and safe food handling, and labeling requirements.Examples of my key accomplishments in this role include:• Increased transfers from the central kitchen to the deli by 20% by tailoring order guide and par level procedures and maximizing production kitchen efficiency.• Reengineered deli pricing and menu resulting in a 10% rise in profit margin.• Successfully reduced labor from 58% to 43% target margin through a keen focus in increasing sales, targeting scheduling, and limiting overtime. Show less

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  Lee Canyon

  Jun 2023 - now

  Director of Food And Beverage