Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Additional Information
Timeline
Generic

Craig Vorba

Cedar Rapids,IA

Summary

High-performing Chef offering 20 years of restaurant experience. Excellent communication, leadership and problem-solving skills. Talent for building streamlined, cohesive teams. Thrives on excellence and being one of the best. Always putting the guest first and delivery expertise.

Overview

9
9
years of professional experience

Work History

Executive Chef

Cottage Grove Place
01.2023 - Current
  • Create menus, control the food costs and over see the quality, sanitation, and safety processes.
  • Use fresh, local ingredients to improve dish flavors and limit grocery costs.
  • Deliver excellent food quality and maximize customer s satisfaction by preparing meals according to customer requests.
  • Daily inspections of the kitchen to observe food preparation quality and service, food appearance, and cleanliness of production and service areas.
  • Inventory food, ingredient, and supply stock to prepare and plan vendor orders.
  • Code all invoices and work within the budget.
  • Interaction with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.
  • Attend different resident and board meetings.
  • Oversee scheduling, inventory management, and supply ordering to maintain fully stocked kitchen.
  • Hands on training with new and old staff on a daily basis.
  • Increased revenue quickly within the first three months of Executive Chef.

General Manager

Bagel Brands
06.2021 - 09.2022
  • Annual Sales Volume $2.5 Million, of Three Concept store Jamba Juice, Caribou Coffee, Bruegger's Bagel
  • Busiest Store in the United States
  • Hiring and training of all staff and managers.
  • Lowered food cost and labor by 3 percent first month at location.
  • Developed and implemented strategies to increase sales and profitability.
  • Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations.
  • Maximized efficiency by coaching and mentoring personnel on management principles, industry practices, company procedures, and technology systems.
  • Introduced new methods, practices, and systems to reduce turnaround time.
  • Conducted weekly inventory and budgeting.

General Manager & Chef

Landmark Restaurant
03.2018 - 06.2021
  • Annual Sales Volume: $2.0 Million.
  • Hired in as General Manager/Chef to operate both BOH and FOH operations.
  • Reduced labor from 26% to 21% by managing schedules and reducing OT and cross training staff.
  • Food cost reduced from 38% to 31% following recipes, pricing out recipes and adjusting menu options, cross utilization of raw ingredients. Profits were 20% higher than 2018 by reducing labor costs, menu adjustments and better guest service.
  • Initiated and executed new catering program with new sales in excess of $40,000.
  • Sales were comp positive $27,000 in 2019 vs
  • 2018 in Q4
  • Rolled out new two new menus in 2018 and 2019 as well as daily and weekly chef specials.
  • Participated in Top 6 Chefs in Eastern Iowa (Iowa City) in 2019.
  • Drove year-over-year business growth while leading operations, strategic vision, and long-range planning.
  • Managed budget implementations, employee reviews, training, schedules, and contract negotiations. (Reason for leaving seeking new opportunity).

Executive Chef / Vice President of Culinary Services

Maingredient
09.2014 - 02.2018
  • Provided direction and leadership for 100 plus employees and representatives and independent contractors.
  • Surpassed expectations by achieving unprecedented growth in first year of operation by effectively building high performing teams and using analytics to measure achievable results.
  • Aligned organizational objectives with company mission to increase business growth and integrate work strategies.
  • Building and designing kitchen's for maximum productivity.
  • Training and hiring staff.
  • Trained and mentored new staff members in kitchen safety, sanitation and cooking techniques.
  • Trained and managed kitchen personnel and supervised related culinary activity, this included Chefs.
  • Monitored food production to verify quality and consistency.
  • Developed menus, controlled food costs and oversaw quality, sanitation, and safety processes.
  • Capturing catering business all over Iowa.
  • Over seeing multiple restaurants while consulting for others.

Education

Skills

  • Kitchen Operations Oversight
  • Special Events, Catering
  • Coaching and Mentoring
  • Garnishing and Plating expertise
  • Signature Dish Creation
  • Operations Management
  • Hospitality Service Expertise
  • Payroll and scheduling
  • Forecasting and planning

Accomplishments

Voted Top 10 Best Burgers in the entire state of Iowa 2017 & 2021.

Peoples Choice Top Chef Winner.

Multiple Best New Restaurant Winner.

Multiple Best of the Area Winner.

Winner of Best BBQ Arizona.

Involved in Pro Start, Mentoring High School Students for Culinary.

ServSafe Food Handler Certification.

Additional Information

  • AwardsAwards or Accolades:, Voted Top 10 Best Burgers in the entire state of Iowa 2017 & 2021 Peoples Choice Top Chef Winner Multiple Best New Restaurant Winner Multiple Best of the Area Winner Winner of Best BBQ Arizona Involved in Pro Start Mentor High School Students for Culinary

Timeline

Executive Chef

Cottage Grove Place
01.2023 - Current

General Manager

Bagel Brands
06.2021 - 09.2022

General Manager & Chef

Landmark Restaurant
03.2018 - 06.2021

Executive Chef / Vice President of Culinary Services

Maingredient
09.2014 - 02.2018
Craig Vorba