Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Timeline
Generic

KENNETH WEIS

PHOENIX,AZ

Summary

Innovative culinary professional with experience in numerous cuisines and restaurant concepts. Possesses an insatiable appetite for constant improvement in all aspects of business. Career accomplishments include, consecutive successful sales building Limited Time Offers, new menu additions to national core menus; leading, training and mentoring professional culinary teams in culinary arts and restaurant management. Excel at building and leading top performing teams. Over 75 NRO's and Brand Rollouts. Equipped with a passion for exceptional guest experiences. I offer any organization a modern, relevant, and grounded viewpoint to the Hospitality and Food Service industry.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

REGIONAL CULINARY DIRECTOR/CULINARY FIELD OPERATIONS

RED LOBSTER
07.2023 - Current
  • Regional Culinary Director for Arizona / New Mexico / Nevada / Texas / 36 Red Lobster Locations
  • Responsible for Monthly QSC Audits, Ecosure Audit Compliance, Market tours conducting Site Audits
  • Conducted Bi-Weekly Regional Culinary Teams Meetings, focus on building a Culinary culture, reducing waste, improving Cost of Goods, Food Safety, Food Quality and Clean cooking environments
  • Improved Regions Cost of Goods by 1.2%, BBI Food Quality ratings Improved .5%, Overall Ratings improved by .8%
  • Coached, Developed and Trained Culinary Managers
  • Managed $135MM annual Sales
  • Supported quarterly promotional menu events
  • Role of Culinary Standard Bearer, supporting and assisting District Operations Leaders.

CULINARY OPERATIONS TRAINING MANAGER

REEF NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHENS
05.2021 - 07.2023
  • Regional Culinary Training Manager responsible for Phoenix, Los Angeles, Portland & Denver Markets
  • Focus on Implementing, training, and rollouts of Ghost brand portfolio, expansion, enterprise, virtual, internal brands and NKO's
  • Go Live support
  • Organize and execute the brand rollouts and training sessions
  • Facilitates all operational market training
  • Responsible for the full menu training of the Production Kitchen staff and Execution Kitchen Staff
  • Subject matter expert
  • Market Lead for Cascade training of Certified Market Trainers and Skills Validations.

CORPORATE CHEF / DIRECTOR OF CULINARY

HARKINS THEATERS
10.2015 - 10.2020
  • Innovative sales building menu development in partnership with key stakeholders, include the addition of a fresh angus burger program, fried chicken sandwich, small plates and made to order Flatbreads to theater concession menus
  • Sales increase of $5M annually
  • Managed annual sales of $125MM
  • Elevated concession sales by improving offerings with high quality ingredients and elevated menu items
  • Partnered with Supply Chain for vendor relationships, sales analysis, trend identification and cutting-edge new products and equipment solutions
  • Conducted new menu rollouts and provided cross-functional leadership, support and training to the Theater Operations team, Marketing, Supply Chain and Sales departments
  • Enriched overall concessions experience through menu strategy, operational standards & systems implementation and building relationships with operations teams
  • Culinary / Food Safety and Sanitation standard bearer
  • Proven problem solver
  • Partnered with culinary consultants to develop menus for new concepts - Harkins Family Entertainment Centers (Backlot) and Harkins Dine-In Theaters through strong vendor relationships nurtured throughout my career
  • Worked jointly with Architectural / Construction teams designing the Test Kitchen, FEC Kitchen, Dine-In Theater Kitchen and New Harkins Theater Prototype Kitchen including all kitchen equipment
  • Designed concession stand remodels for Expanded Menu Platforms
  • Gatekeeper of the nutritional/allergen data for all menu offerings and retail products with Genesis Nutritional Software
  • Provided technical expertise at commercial photography sessions
  • Developed flavors for Harkins Retail Brand Popcorn and Premium Popcorn programs
  • Possess a rich knowledge of manufacturing procedures and food industry protocols.

CORPORATE CULINARY MANAGER / RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

P. F. CHANG'S CHINA BISTRO / PEI WEI ASIAN DINER
02.2007 - 12.2012
  • Conducted culinary training sessions, market operations evaluations and Conceptualized culinary initiatives of multiple prototypes for both brands that delivered on concept, strategy, operational feasibility, and cost parameters, while maintaining brand quality, consistent execution, and crave-able flavors
  • Facilitated project management of pipeline development and culinary prototype tests to market
  • Provided cross-functional leadership and support to Hospitality/Culinary Training, Marketing, Supply Chain and Finance departments
  • Provided technical expertise at commercial photography sessions
  • Developed improvements to culinary operational procedures, strengthened core menu by improving flavors and implementing gold standard formulas
  • Improved accuracy of the nutritional/allergen data for fast casual concept
  • Created a culture of creativity, informed learning, and innovation
  • Teamed with senior leadership and held Brainstorming Ideation and performed culinary tastings on a per project basis with key stakeholders
  • Instrumental in improving the standardization of recipes, kitchen operations and current product inventory through joint departmental sponsored projects
  • Developed strong vendor supported regional chefs with national menu rollouts, new product tests and Limited Time Offer training sessions
  • Role of culinary standard bearer
  • Worked jointly with Supply Chain Management testing and implementing new product inventory.

Education

Associates Applied Sciences/Culinary Arts -

Schenectady County Community College

Culinary Institute of America - Napa Valley - 4 years -

WORLD OF FLAVORS CONFERENCE

Skills

  • MULTI UNIT / BRAND LAUNCHES / SERVANT LEADER / PROBLEM SOLVER / SERVSAFE PROCTOR / PRODUCT LAUNCHES / FOOD SAFETY / OPERATIONS EXCELLENCE / FAST CASUAL / UPSCALE CASUAL / QUICK SERVE / FINE DINING / CULINARY TRAINER / BUDGET MANAGEMENT / VENDOR RELATIONS / MENU ENGINEERING / MENU STRATEGY / CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT / RELATIONSHIP BUILDER

Certification

  • ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certified/ServSafe Allergens/ServSafe Proctor/Instructor
  • Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance - State of Arizona Department of Public Safety
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Genesis Nutrition Software
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Concur
  • PowerPoint & Excel
  • P&L Experience
  • Food Cost / Inventory Control
  • Menu Development / Recipe Development
  • Food Safety Management

Timeline

REGIONAL CULINARY DIRECTOR/CULINARY FIELD OPERATIONS

RED LOBSTER
07.2023 - Current

CULINARY OPERATIONS TRAINING MANAGER

REEF NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHENS
05.2021 - 07.2023

CORPORATE CHEF / DIRECTOR OF CULINARY

HARKINS THEATERS
10.2015 - 10.2020

CORPORATE CULINARY MANAGER / RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

P. F. CHANG'S CHINA BISTRO / PEI WEI ASIAN DINER
02.2007 - 12.2012

Associates Applied Sciences/Culinary Arts -

Schenectady County Community College

Culinary Institute of America - Napa Valley - 4 years -

WORLD OF FLAVORS CONFERENCE

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