Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Personal Information
Awards
Timeline
Work Preference
Generic

Daniel East

Executive chef
Shirley,NY

Summary

Executive Chef | Culinary Operations Leader | Multi-Unit Hospitality Expert Award-winning Executive Chef with 24+ years of leadership in high-volume, multi-unit culinary operations across luxury hotels, cruise lines, and fine-dining establishments. Proven expertise in P&L management, menu engineering, cost optimization, and large-scale event execution. Adept at leading teams of 350+ staff, managing budgets exceeding $20M, and orchestrating VIP dining experiences for elite clientele.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience

Work History

Executive Chef

Constellation Culinary Group
The Bronx, New York
01.2023 - Current
  • Company Overview: NYBG Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
  • Oversee all culinary operations for multi-unit dining venues at NYBG, including Hudson Garden Grill, Pine Tree Café, and banquet/wedding catering with up to 300 guests per event
  • Manage a $9M annual budget and lead a team of 25+ chefs and staff
  • Increased revenue by 20% through innovative menu engineering and strategic cost optimization
  • Reduced food waste by 25%, saving $1.5M annually through sustainable inventory management
  • Implemented a cost-control strategy, lowering food expenses by 12% without compromising quality
  • Led seasonal menu redesigns, enhancing guest satisfaction scores to 98%+
  • Managed peak service of 5,000+ meals/day, ensuring seamless execution of large-scale catering events
  • NYBG Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY

Executive Chef

Marriott Providence Downtown
Providence, Kentucky
08.2023 - 12.2023
  • Hired to elevate culinary operations, enhance food quality, and revamp banquet and restaurant menus for high-volume events and fine dining experiences
  • Revamped seasonal menus, increasing banquet and wedding bookings by 30%
  • Optimized inventory processes, reducing food waste and cutting costs by 15%
  • Spearheaded HACCP compliance initiatives, ensuring 100% adherence to health & safety regulations
  • Enhanced vendor negotiations, securing fresher, high-quality ingredients at 10% lower costs
  • Managed $3M+ annual revenue with a focus on expanding banquet and catering services

Executive Chef

Landry’s Hospitality
Easthampton, NY
02.2022 - 11.2022
  • Company Overview: The Palm Steakhouse, East Hampton, NY
  • Led culinary operations for a $8M fine dining steakhouse in the historic Hunting Inn
  • Increased kitchen efficiency, reduced labor costs by 1.5% and food waste by 1.2%
  • Launched a new breakfast/brunch menu, driving a 15% increase in customer traffic
  • Reorganized kitchen operations, improving service times and enhancing quality standards
  • Successfully ran peak summer season operations, managing high-volume service without additional leadership support
  • The Palm Steakhouse, East Hampton, NY

Executive Chef

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Miami, FL
10.1997 - 01.2021
  • Oversaw culinary operations across 14 ships, managing teams of 350+ staff and executing 100,000+ meals/day across 26 specialty venues
  • Led $21M+ food procurement operations, reducing costs by 15% through strategic purchasing
  • Developed and launched new menus across multiple fine-dining venues, elevating guest experiences
  • Trained and mentored 5 Executive Sous Chefs & 12 Sous Chefs, improving kitchen efficiency and leadership pipeline
  • Managed banquet and catering events for VIP clients, high-profile weddings, and large-scale cruise events
  • Ensured full compliance with ISO 14001 environmental standards, HACCP, and USPH sanitation protocols

Education

GED -

American Culinary Federation

Serve Safe Certification -

Lake County School Fl

St. John’s Skills Methodist Culinary Training Center -

St. John’s Skills Methodist Culinary Training Center

Skills

  • P&L Management ($10M–$100M)
  • Multi-Unit Culinary Operations
  • Menu Development & Innovation
  • High-Volume Production (100,000 meals/day)
  • Cost Control & Efficiency
  • Luxury & Fine Dining
  • Sustainability & Waste Reduction
  • Inventory management
  • Menu planning
  • Recipes and menu planing
  • Food preparing, plating, and presentation
  • ServSafe certification
  • Menu pricing

Affiliations

  • Member, American Culinary Federation
  • Member, National Restaurant Association Education Foundation
  • Member, Food Safety Professionals (FSP)

Personal Information

Title: Executive Chef

Awards

  • Taste of Canada Cooking Competition, 1996, Top 5 finalist
  • Jamaica Culinary Competition, 1996, Gold, silver & bronze medals
  • Guest Chef, Half Moon Hotel Jamaica, 07/01/24 - 08/31/24, Designed and executed a special 70th-anniversary menu featuring Caribbean and international dishes at Sugar Mill Restaurant, providing a VIP tasting menu paired with local and international wines.
  • Featured by CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Not Provided, View Article


              References 

  • Christopher Curtis

     Regional Executive Chef 

     Elior North America, Constellation Culinary Group

Email. christopher.curtis@constellationculinary.com             


  • Jeffrey Rotz

     Executive Chef, ACF Trainer

     CEC,CCE,AAC 

     Email. chefjeff@chefshelpingchefs.com


  • Mathew Dennis

    Executive Chef ACF Trainer

    CEC.ACE

Emailchefmathewdennis@yahoo.com


Giorgio Rusconi 

Director Of Operation 

Halfmoon Hotel Montego Bay Jamaica

Email. Grusconi@halfmoon.com


https://www.facebook.com/100057105533884/posts/254736406439875/?d=n

Timeline

Executive Chef

Marriott Providence Downtown
08.2023 - 12.2023

Executive Chef

Constellation Culinary Group
01.2023 - Current

Executive Chef

Landry’s Hospitality
02.2022 - 11.2022

Executive Chef

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
10.1997 - 01.2021

GED -

American Culinary Federation

Serve Safe Certification -

Lake County School Fl

St. John’s Skills Methodist Culinary Training Center -

St. John’s Skills Methodist Culinary Training Center

Work Preference

Work Type

Full Time

Important To Me

Flexible work hours

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Daniel EastExecutive chef