Leann Maka
Richland,MI
Summary
Meticulous and creative Sous Chef, eager to create unique and delicious dishes. Strong communication and interpersonal skills with good understanding of recipe development and working with large numbers of dietary needs and issues on a daily basis. Innovated and dedicated to staying up-to-date with food trends.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sous Chef
Skywood Recovery
09.2018 - Current
- Supervised and worked on food preparation in demanding, quickly changing environments
- Trained kitchen team on culinary techniques
- Monitored food products, driving quality, freshness and integrity
- Cleaned and sanitized kitchen equipment, utensils, and work stations; created logs to monitor overtime
- Completed orders when executive chef was off or away
- Created new menu items and supervised / worked with kitchen teammates to ensure adherence to standards
- Created and made specialty dishes and meals to satisfy patient requests and cater to various dietary needs
- Helped coordinate and execute menu planning, recipe development, and daily operations
Head Chef
Green Dot Stables
02.2018 - 09.2018
- Renovated and reopened entire restaurant / kitchen, post-flood
- Ordered all food and supplies for restaurant
- Worked on menu development and implementation
- Created and successfully executed our notorious weekly “mystery meat” slider and “mystery dessert”
- Created par lists, order guides, and other organizational tools in order to maintain a successful, consistent, and efficient kitchen
- Trained staff, and in charge of employment, team building, and retention; created and oversaw all back of house employee schedules
- Maintained a safe and sanitary kitchen at all times; created daily and weekly cleaning lists to enforce sanitation standards
- Interacted with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.
Sous Chef
Michigan State University
07.2013 - 08.2017
- Ordered products and ingredients, and monitored inventory of all food storage coolers / areas
- Ensured use of leftover products by utilizing creativity to incorporate into new products / recipes / dishes
- Part of the team that reopened Akers Hall and prepared everything for re-opening, post-gutting / -renovation
- Trained staff on new kitchen equipment (industrial smoker, tandoori ovens, etc.) and tools, after the renovation
- Ensured cleanliness of kitchen and trained staff on the best sanitation practices
- Worked with staff to improve cooking processes, forecasting numbers, techniques, recipes, ordering, safety, sanitation, etc.
- Worked with students / guests and their special dietary needs and requests
- Ensured that all food being prepared was done according to Culinary Services standards, while following proper sanitation and safety guidelines
- Ensured that prepared food is cooked and held according to health department safety standards, and served in a timely manner at proper temperature, while tasting great and looking beautiful
- Communicated with students, cooks, culinary platform attendants, co-managers, and all other employees to run as effectively and efficiently (cost, staffing, and otherwise) as possible
Education
Bachelor of Science - Foodservice Administration
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI04.2013
Associate of Science - Culinary Arts
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
Charlotte, NC05.2010
Skills
- BOH Operations
- Dietary Requirements
- Safe Work Practices
- Servsafe Certified
- Food Preparation and Safety
- Create Recipes
- Menu Planning
- Staff Training
- Organization and Prioritization
- Menu and Recipe Testing
Certification
ServSafe Food Manager Certified
ServSafe Allergen Certified
Timeline
Sous Chef
Skywood Recovery
09.2018 - Current
Head Chef
Green Dot Stables
02.2018 - 09.2018
Sous Chef
Michigan State University
07.2013 - 08.2017
Bachelor of Science - Foodservice Administration
Western Michigan University
Associate of Science - Culinary Arts
Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte
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