Executive Chef opportunity with Indian Hills Country Club – Mission Hills, KS

History: In 1919, founding fathers brought forth a club they called the Country Club District Community Golf Association. These 50 like-minded golf enthusiasts initially began playing nine holes on land rented to them from the J.C. Nichols Company; however, these visionaries dreamed of owning their own golf course and so they began setting aside an annual real estate fund to turn their dream into reality. In 1922, the Club temporarily moved to what is now home of The Kansas City Country Club, where members continued golfing on this rented property. In 1926, the Club founders’ dream was realized and enough money was accumulated, without assessing the membership, to finance a new golf course on the 130 acres of picturesque ground we still enjoy today.

Legendary golf course designer, A.W. Tillinghast of New York City, was retained to design the new course. As one of the leading golf architects in the United States, Tillinghast had to his credit the design of some of the country’s finest golf courses, including Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New York, and Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey. After spending ten days on the grounds developing detailed plans for the course, Tillinghast enthusiastically pronounced it, “One of the greatest opportunities I have ever had for creating a notable golf course. Natural beauties abound, a stream, hills, valleys and wooded sections, that provide a most unusual design opportunity.”

Summary: Indian Hills Country Club is open to co-creating new and innovative ideas that drive member satisfaction. Drastic change is not needed in the operation. Members are looking for more experience-based visits. The question is, “how can we influence the members experience beyond just a great menu.”

Position Specific: Indian Hills CC is looking for a high-quality leader who can hold staff accountable and also develop his/her team to a higher level of performance through mentorship. This individual must be highly trustworthy, have humility and be easy to work with across all departments. A business acumen with great creativity and vision is also desirable. Must be highly organized and always planning ahead for service while still being able to deliver in the moment. He/she is a great communicator and maintains the, “We are only as good as our last service mentality.”

There are no major issues at IHCC. The retiring Chef is well-liked, and member food & beverage satisfaction is high. The new Executive Chef should fit- in, observe and become a part of the team before making any substantive changes. The departing Chef was employed by the Club for 19 years.

Initial Focus:

1. Staff Review – Take time to understand the culture of the Club and get acquainted with the existing staff. Work alongside staff to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Grow staff out of the organization through development.
2. Review Menus, Programs & Pricing Strategies – Review of ingredients and recipes. The new Executive Chef will bring creativity to the menus and maintain the quality and variety of the food already in place. Increasing a la carte revenue would be a desirable outcome.
3. Review all Vendors & Contracts – The new Executive Chef is expected to evaluate current operations and vendors and provide recommendations for enhanced systems, controls, cost and quality of product and services in all areas.

NOTE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER – Indian Hills Country Club, a Distinguished Club with Exceptional status, is an inviting family Club with a rich history in the Kansas City metro. Our leadership team has 400 years of professional experience at 44 different Clubs. Of that, we have 204 years of combined experience at Indian Hills Country Club with multiple Directors having 20 plus years of tenure which speaks to our tremendous membership, facilities, and culture. Our goal is to make each visit to Indian Hills Country Club the best part of our members and staff’s day. Our membership consists of multi-generational families as well as many self-made members who are extremely humble and approachable. Our Club has great energy in the membership with a five-year plus wait-list and great cross utilization of our many amenities. Nearly 400 dependents under the age of 18 call Indian Hills Country Club home. The Club is extremely generous and cares deeply about its members and staff. The Club has a great sense of pride in their membership with Indian Hills and our staff shares a similar sentiment. Our staff preaches the “5 E’s of Hospitality” and they work hard to maintain our Midwest values where everyone is easy to work with. We believe the next Executive Chef at Indian Hills Country Club will inherit a gem of an operation and we hope to enjoy a long and prosperous working relationship with the right candidate.

Candidate Qualifications:

• The position requires an engaged leader with a strong culinary vision who will drive dining offerings and ensure quality control and consistency of menu items.
• The Executive Chef should have management and administrative skills with the ability to communicate with staff and Department Heads.
• The Executive Chef is expected to produce budget assumptions each year for revenues and expenses and a zero-based payroll budget.
• The new Executive Chef is passionate about all things culinary, and keeps current with the latest trends and equipment, and is able to produce new house-made items, creative buffet presentations and evolving menus.
• The Executive Chef is expected to maintain visibility by walking around the dining rooms and the clubhouse interacting with the members. The Chef authors a newsletter article and during Club Social functions, the Chef is in front of the membership or working at a table/carving station, etc.

Additional Information:

• Annual food sales $2MM; Total F&B Sales $4MM. In the most recent FY, the Club subsidized F&B ($600,000)
• The Club currently has a 39% food cost and the food cost budget at 39% with a sales mix of 50% A La Carte and 50% Banquet.
• There are approximately 20 culinary staff plus stewards supported by a $1MM labor budget.
• There are four (4) Sous Chefs, Banquet Sous, Chef de Cuisine, A.M. Sous, P.M. Sous. There is also a Pastry Chef and Chief Steward. The Chef handles the purchasing.
• Indian Hills supports two (2) Kitchens which include the Main Clubhouse and Pool Snack Bar. Management rates the condition as a 5 out of 5. (The Kitchen was built brand new in 2009 and has updated equipment through the years. High ceilings, great lighting, everything on casters, extremely comfortable and functional space).
• The club has a 60,000 sq. ft. clubhouse with 650 members whose average age is 56.
• The Club operates (12) months annually and closes the first two weeks of January for routine maintenance and cleaning. The busiest months are April-October.
• The Executive Chef reports to the General Manager/COO and works closely with the Director of Events, Director of Maintenance, Director of Communications & Digital Media, Director of Clubhouse Operations, Chief Financial Officer and Banquet Manager.

Dining: (A La Carte Outlets)

• The Pub – Casual with 45 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday.
• Grill – Casual with 50 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday.
• The Patio – Casual with 100 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday.
• Shawnee – Formal with 30 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday.
• Men’s Lockerroom/Ladies Lockerroom – Casual with 60 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Tuesday – Sunday.
• Tilly’s 19/Snack Bar (Pool) – Casual with 40 seats, serving Lunch and Dinner, Monday – Sunday (seasonally).
• Private Parties – The Club has five (5) private rooms seating up to 300. The largest sit-down event the Club can accommodate is 400 members/guests.

The Club offers a competitive base salary, performance bonus and benefits package including a 401k and 457 plan, health, life & dental insurance, ACF Dues and Conference and Dining allowance. Relocation is negotiable. A CEC is preferred. Interested individuals should send resumes, a well-conceived cover letter, and supporting information (a digital Portfolio is encouraged)