BRENT HODGE

Executive Chef and Culinary Professional

Japanese | Northern Italian | Creole | Thai | American Contemporary3428 14th Ave. West Seattle, WA | 312-848-5359 | bdhodge32@gmail.com

Energetic, resultsdriven culinary professional offering quality services and first class dedication to your business or establishment. I have over 20 yrs experience cooking and running kitchens and MOD position. I have 7 yrs experience as a manager. I have cooked and been trained in northern Italian, Thai, Creole, and American Contemporary. After 2 years in management I moved on into upper and senior management. I have experience with many industryleading American restaurants, as well as small business and Mom & Pop type concepts. I have had a lifetime of trade jobs here and there including painting houses, carpentry and woodworking. I am also a professional photographer and wood carver.

Experience:

August 2016 to PresentSous Chef

Five Spot Restaurant || Queen Anne Ave. || Seattle, WA

(206) 2857768

I am currently employed at the 5 Spot as the pm sous chef. I bring to this neighborhood joint my expertise and training I received from both corporate and the small highend seafood restaurant I started out in.

Responsibilities include inventory, ordering and par adjustments on daily basis, BOH staff development, hiring, firing and screening/interviews for new positions. I have created and implemented 3 new systems to help minimize waste, lower food cost and improve cooks recipe retention with a twice daily food review program. Worked to develop the pm team into an efficient team which resulted in comp percentage trending down on evening shifts.

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October 2012 to august 2013Executive Chef

Hard Rock Café || Chicago, IL

(312) 9432252

I oversaw all culinary operations including BOH financials, inventory, purveyor andproduct ordering on a daily basis. I designed a catering menu to clients specifications and tastes. I personally took and cooked allergensensitive orders which often required me doing table visits, research and cooking in a designated sauté pan on a designated prep table. I oversaw and managed twentyfive plus staff members including schedules, staff development and career path mapping, DOK skill audits and workshops for new menu rollouts. I worked as a FOH manager and had a minimum of one MOD shift a week which involved me doing all staff preshift meetings, making 4 drawers a day for retail and bartenders, three safe counts a day and labor planning to minimize overtime. I was also responsible for closing out bartenders and waitstaff's financials.

April 2009 to October 2013Senior Kitchen Manager

Cheesecake Factory || Chicago, IL

(312) 3371101

Managing all culinary operations in a busy $19M kitchen with a 400+ floor seating plan.

Developed cooks and dishwashers, prep cooks, cleaners and napkin folders. I wroteschedules for all work groups on a rotating basis. I wrote prep list in according to market trends, a product trend report or (PMix) and seasonal influx of cliental to minimize waste and achieve maximum product yield. I conducted weekly inventory, I enforced strict sanitation practices to ensure the highest food quality standards in the industry. I organized food workshops to improve staff DOK skills, create phase plans to maximize profit and achieve higher productivity shifts. I was known to recognize when stations need bailing before they’re impacted and expedite between servers and cooks to stay ahead of the pop and be proactive as opposed to bailing a station after they have gone down. I was often told I was a favorite manager among staff BOH & FOH.

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January 2007 to April 2009Sous Chef

Thai Spice Restaurant || Chicago, IL 60660

(773) 9730504

Managed a small Thai kitchen under chef Vasanna.

I worked on weekly inventory, made schedules and upheld proper sanitation practices. I often worked solo with two woks, a 6 burner stove and a 2 well fryer. At the peak of business me and the Chef held down the kitchen with one dishwasher that often needed bailing. I was paid little,but the recipes and Chef’s techniques were more valuable than the pay. I became good friends with the chef/owners and still stay in touch to this day.

March 2004 to December 2005Sous Chef

Nuvolari's Restaurant || Mandeville, LA

(773) 9730504

As the sous chef at this neighborhood Northern Italian Restaurant, I helped create a fresh daily specials menu while utilizing local produce and seafood. I would meet with the Chef and pair wine, create menus around wine dinners and cater private events during normal business hours. menus for private wine pairings.

I worked all stations from pastry to broiler to sauté.

Special Skills:

I have worked 18 years in the industry from small 4 star Italian steakhouse to a 12 and19M restaurants. I have done personal Cheffing, event catering , menu development and allergyspecific menu conception.

I enjoy the menu conception, personal chefing and working in culinary consulting positions the best.

Interests: Woodworking, photography, drawing, playing piano and guitar, learning about new cultures and exploring our world and cooking for loved ones

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