David Culbert
Drain,OR
Summary
Dedicated Culinary Manager excelling in food safety compliance and team leadership. Committed to optimizing kitchen workflows and enhancing customer experiences through effective training and proactive communication.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Culinary Manager
Olive Garden
Eugene, Oregon
02.2014 - Current
- Managed kitchen staff and maintained efficient workflow during peak hours.
- Oversaw food safety practices and ensured compliance with health regulations.
- Coordinated inventory management to ensure ingredient availability and reduce waste.
- Trained new employees on cooking techniques and kitchen operations standards.
- Implemented cost control measures to improve food service profitability.
- Fostered a positive team environment through effective communication and leadership skills.
- Streamlined kitchen functions through supply reorganization and communication with front-of-house manager.
- Monitored kitchen staff to ensure compliance with company expectations of taste, speed and presentation.
- Analyzed customer feedback to pinpoint improvement areas for culinary team.
- Created cost-effective strategies to reduce waste while maintaining quality standards.
- Maintained an organized work environment by delegating tasks among staff members.
- Managed a team of chefs, cooks and other kitchen staff; monitored performance and provided feedback for improvement.
- Provided guidance on portion sizes, plate presentation and garnishing techniques.
- Trained new employees on safety protocols, knife skills, recipe preparation techniques and plating design.
- Oversaw daily operations of the kitchen including scheduling, budgeting and inventory control.
- Conducted regular meetings with staff to discuss changes in policies or procedures in the kitchen.
- Ordered supplies such as ingredients, kitchen equipment and cleaning materials.
- Displayed strong leadership skills by motivating employees during busy periods of service.
- Ensured proper food safety and sanitation standards were met throughout the kitchen.
- Consistently maintained high levels of cleanliness, organization, storage and sanitation of food and beverage products to ensure quality.
- Worked in close collaboration with team members to ensure customers received high-quality service.
- Oversaw food preparation, production and presentation according to quality standards.
- Checked with guests to get feedback on food served, resolve issues, bring additional items and refill beverages.
- Resolved problems or concerns to satisfaction of involved parties.
- Reconciled daily transactions, balanced cash registers and deposited restaurant's earnings at bank.
- Inspected dining and serving areas for cleanliness and proper setup.
- Circulated within assigned areas to assess and address customer needs, effectively prioritizing tasks during peak hours.
- Supervised activities of dining room staff to maintain service levels and support guest needs.
General Manager
Johnny Carino's
San Antonio, Texas
09.2002 - 02.2014
- Oversaw financial performance, including budgeting and cost control measures.
- Monitored financial performance and identified areas for improvement in cost savings and revenue generation.
- Led daily restaurant operations to ensure smooth workflow and customer satisfaction.
- Improved service efficiency by streamlining communication between kitchen and front staff.
- Resolved customer complaints quickly while maintaining high quality standards of service delivery.
- Established effective communication channels with staff to streamline operations and improve workflow.
- Administered employee discipline through verbal and written warnings.
- Developed and implemented training programs for new staff members.
- Coordinated training activities for employees to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures.
- Developed team building activities that fostered collaboration and enhanced positive work environment.
- Tracked monthly sales to inform business development planning and identify growth opportunities.
- Built and maintained loyal, long-term customer relationships through effective account management.
- Guided management and supervisory staff to promote smooth operations.
- Managed inventory levels and conducted corrective action planning to minimize long-term costs.
- Delivered exceptional client experiences through hands-on leadership of associates and managers.
- Maintained relationships with vendors to obtain the best pricing on supplies and materials.
- Ensured compliance with local health department regulations regarding food safety standards.
- Provided guidance and support to subordinate managers in order to foster an atmosphere of cooperation throughout the organization.
- Directed safety operations and maintained a clean work environment to adhere to FDA and OSHA requirements.
- Identified areas of improvement in current business practices and collaborated with other departments to develop action plans for implementation.
- Conducted regular meetings with senior management team to review progress against established objectives.
- Maximized time and employee productivity, consolidating data, payroll and accounting programs into centralized systems.
- Implemented employee recognition programs to motivate staff members towards achieving organizational goals.
- Prepared detailed reports for senior leadership outlining key performance metrics related to operational success.
- Delegated work to staff, setting priorities and goals.
- Completed thorough opening, closing, and shift change functions to maintain operational standards each day.
- Reviewed financial statements and sales or activity reports to measure productivity or goal achievement.
- Mitigated business risks by working closely with staff members and assessing performance.
Education
High School Diploma -
Clark
San Antonio, TX05-1997
Skills
- Food safety compliance
- Quality assurance
- Sanitation standards
- Minimizing food waste
- Kitchen operations
- Inventory control
- Food presentation
- Service efficiency
- Staff scheduling
- Employee training
- Team leadership
- Customer management
- Problem solving
- Effective communication
- Conflict resolution
- Goal setting
- Knife skills
Certification
Serve-Safe
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Culinary Manager
Olive Garden
02.2014 - Current
General Manager
Johnny Carino's
09.2002 - 02.2014
High School Diploma -
Clark