David Clark

Experience

• 

  Restaurant du Village

  Sept 1997 - May 2000

  Executive Sous Chef

  • Collaborated with Executive Chef on menu selection and oversaw food production and presentation, ensuring highest possible quality while consistently keeping food cost below 20%. Contributed to restaurant achieving a 29/30 Zagat rating and to its consistent recognition as one of the best French restaurants in the state as voted by residents and industry influencers.

• 

  Sodexo Services

  Jan 2000 - May 2004

  Responsibilities included supporting new and established client accounts. • Contributed to daily set up and production of breakfast and lunch for corporate campus of 2500 people by planning menus, purchasing goods, and managing staff.

  • Chef Manager / Relief Team

    Jan 2003 - May 2004

  • Sous Chef

    Jan 2000 - Jan 2003
• 

  Sodexo

  May 2004 - now

  • Oversee the development, opening, and initial operations of a new state of the art dining facility on a university campus to offer students and staff a full service modern cafeteria dining experience and multiple branded retail concepts. Facility opened in February, 2016.• Review and evaluate existing inventory tracking and ordering systems, identifying areas needing improvement and implementing changes and updates to meet ordering standards and streamline ordering process. • Supervise facility operations by purchasing and receiving food and supplies, maintaining food production records, leading daily food production (including planning and controls), developing menus, and managing inventory. Simultaneously oversee quality assurance programs to guarantee that company standards for food quality and recipe compliance are met or exceeded and that clients are continuously satisfied with products and services.• Execute budget management and implement cost controls to increase profitability.• Train and develop culinary team, ensuring each member is prepared to perform to quality standards. Review staff performance, identifying areas and recommending changes for improvement. Ability to build and lead effective teams has led to increases in client satisfaction. Show less • Hired to improve the quality of food and overall dining experience for residents/guests of a premier retirement and assisted living facility. Successfully restructured entire menu to focus on nutrition and farm-to-table options with assistance from the Resident Food Committee and in-house dietitian, hosting weekly meetings to discuss dietary restrictions and special requests.• Enhanced staff morale, skill levels, accountability, and efficiency by implementing structural changes, making necessary hires, training team in culinary foundations, and heading a personal mentoring program. Led to improved relations between residents and kitchen/dining staff.• Established catering/event program that included customized menus for each private function. Success of program illustrated by 20% increase in requests for private catered events.• Developed a computer based tracking system for menu costing that tracked production volume, waste, and HACCP record keeping. Oversaw goods and supplies ordering, negotiated prices, and implemented budget. Enhanced ordering and inventory systems led to cost savings for client.• Participated in community outreach programs, preparing and serving meals to area shelters. Efforts spread awareness of company and its connection to the community. Show less • Headed daily culinary operations at a high volume corporate and manufacturing campus, including production of breakfast, lunch, vending, specialty catering, and corporate events. • Oversaw program finances to optimize financial performance, completing duties including, but not limited to, setting budgets, balancing daily accounts, managing profit and loss (P/L), sales forecasting, tracking sales, and implementing cost-effective menu changes. Consistently met or remained under budget and reached 100% performance in accounts receivable for catering and dining services. Resulted in higher client satisfaction in both food quality and subsidy levels.• Continuously improved efficiency by restructuring food preparation and production processes. For example, led inventory management and food production efforts, controlling spending and implementing stringent quality control measures. Reduced waste by 10% and always achieved between 98-100% during state health inspections over a ten-year period.• Hired, trained, supervised, and evaluated employees to enhance team productivity and performance. Effective employee programs led to a 100% staff retention record and continuous client satisfaction with dining/kitchen staff and management. • Attended monthly district meetings to evaluate performance, promote menu changes, implement new menu rollouts, discuss customer needs, set production goals, and develop ideas for increased client satisfaction. Maintained organization of program and its efforts and led to streamlined achievement of quality, productivity, and profitability goals.• Negotiated contracts with clients planning special catered events or needing expanded dining services to ensure cost effectiveness of menu and define client expectations. Show less • Ran production and distribution of breakfast, lunch, and catering services for corporate campus and three satellite locations by directing production, ordering goods, balancing accounts, forecasting budgets, managing P/L, and leading staff. Achieved 100% accounts receivable.• Grew revenue by streamlining production, minimizing waste, and better managing inventory.• Promoted menu rollouts directly to the client. Led to dining services expansion, enhanced customer satisfaction, and increased profits.• Hired, trained, supervised, and evaluated staff, achieving 100% employee retention. Show less

  • Production Manager

    Oct 2015 - now

  • Executive Chef

    Aug 2012 - Oct 2015

  • General Manager/Executive Chef

    Jul 2005 - Jul 2012

  • Executive Chef

    May 2004 - Jul 2005
• 

  Center for Culinary Arts

  Sept 2004 - May 2005

  Chef Instructor

  • Taught the Advanced Skills Module to students, helping each reach their full culinary potential.