David Avila

As Marriott's premier brand and one of two Marquis hotels globally, JW Marriott Marquis boasts AAA 4-Diamond status, with a total of 313 rooms and suites. This property includes Hotel Beaux Art, an Autograph Collection hotel situated on the 39th floor. With a food and beverage budget of 12 million dollars and 80,000 square feet of meeting space, this property is able to provide banquets for well over 1,000 guests at a time. In 2024, the JW Marriott Marquis ended a successful year as number one in food quality and event satisfaction in the JW brand for North America and Canada. As the banquet chef, I:

• Organized and updated banquet event orders for timely distribution.
• Utilized Microsoft Excel and Adaco for efficient data management.
• Assisted executive chef with payroll, bookkeeping, non-food orders and meeting food cost.
• Created custom menus for hotel ownership and VIP clientele.
• Scheduled culinary staff based on business needs, optimizing overtime budgets.
• Managed stewarding staff schedules, including contract labor and supply orders.
• Participated in labor and department meetings to align operational goals.

This iconic South Beach oceanfront resort is a AAA 4-Diamond rated powerhouse with 790 rooms and 7 signature outlets: Preston's, Bar Collins, Nautilus Bar and Grill, Miami Joe's, Lure Fish Bar, 24/7 room service, and a large banquet kitchen. With a $45 million food and beverage budget and 65,000 square feet of banquet space, this resort can accommodate well over 1,000 guests at a time. As the Restaurant Sous Chef for Lure Fish Bar:

• Oversaw food ordering, preparation, production, and presentation to meet chef standards.
• Supervised 12 employees in a fine dining environment, ensuring compliance with sanitation regulations.
• Led daily pre-shift meetings and prepared executive summaries for management review.
• Spearheaded culinary execution of banquet event orders to exceed guest expectations.
• Crafted daily specials to enhance menu offerings and drive customer satisfaction.

• Developed and managed kitchen staff to uphold hotel policies and ensure high performance.
• Supervised culinary team to maintain productivity and quality of food output.
• Shadowed chefs to understand managerial responsibilities, including purchase order processes.
• Conducted private pizza classes for children to enhance culinary skills.
• Operated grill, sauté, garde manger, fryer, and lobby pizza bar stations effectively.