Executive Chef

Executive Chef — Main Deck, Penn Yan, NY

About Main Deck

Main Deck is a top regional waterfront restaurant on the shores of Keuka Lake in Penn Yan, in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes wine country. We serve a diverse mix of summer visitors and year-round locals. Our food is approachable and well-priced, and it draws on the region’s farms, producers, and wineries. We’re looking for an Executive Chef to lead our kitchen and help grow the business.

The Role

As Executive Chef, you’ll own the kitchen: the menu, the team, the standards, and the numbers. You’ll create dishes our guests come back for and price them for real value. You’ll also build a kitchen that holds quality, consistency and ticket times steady on our busiest summer nights. You’ll serve on our management team, and your work will directly shape the restaurant’s growth and reputation.

This role suits a chef who is equal parts craftsman, leader, and operator, and who sees great food and a well-run business as the same goal.

What You’ll Do

Menu & Culinary Direction

• Create and own a menu built for both peak-season visitors and off-season regulars with weekly chef specials that highlights your specialty fine dining culinary skills
• Develop dishes that deliver exceptional quality and value for our broad, price-conscious year-round customer base as well as our high-end seasonal clientele
• Design menus and pairing events with local Finger Lakes wineries
• Engineer menus and specials that can be produced quickly and consistently at peak cover volumes
• Build relationships with local farms, producers, and vendors

Quality, Consistency & Speed

• Set and enforce recipe, plating, and portion standards so every plate is right every time
• Set ticket-time targets from order fire to plate delivery, track them, and keep improving them
• Lead the line during service and step in wherever the kitchen needs you

Team Leadership

• Hire, train, schedule, and develop the kitchen team, including the sous chef and line cooks
• Build a professional, accountable kitchen culture where cooks want to stay and grow
• Partner with front-of-house and events-team leadership for seamless service

Financial Performance

• Cost every menu item and manage food cost (COGS) to target percentages
• Manage kitchen labor costs and scheduling to target ratios
• Oversee purchasing, inventory, receiving, and waste control
• Build and maintain costing, inventory, and ordering spreadsheets in Excel
• Contribute to kitchen budgeting and report on performance to ownership

Safety, Cleanliness & Sanitation

• Ensure full compliance with health department, food safety, and workplace safety regulations
• Create and maintain a clean, organized, and efficient kitchen and BoH environment at all times

What You Bring

Required

• Post-secondary education in the culinary arts (degree or diploma)
• 5+ years of progressive kitchen experience, including at least 2–3 years as an Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, or Executive Sous Chef (adjust to your preference)
• A track record of creating successful, profitable menus
• Hands-on experience with recipe costing, COGS management, and labor cost control
• Proven ability to run a high-volume line with fast, consistent ticket times
• Proficiency in Excel, including building spreadsheets and writing formulas
• ServSafe Manager certification, or the ability to obtain it within 60 days of hire
• Strong leadership skills and a calm, professional presence under pressure
• Excellent communication, organization, and attention to detail

Strongly Preferred

• Formal classical training, including experience under a recognized chef
• Experience in a seasonal, tourist, or destination market
• Familiarity with farm-to-table sourcing and wine pairing
• Experience with kitchen management or POS systems (e.g., Toast, MarginEdge, 7shifts) (swap in the systems you use)

What We Offer

• Salary range: $70,000 – $90,000, based on experience, expertise, and capabilities
• Performance bonus tied to food cost, labor cost, and quality goals as well as your contribution to restaurant profitability
• Health care benefits and 2 weeks paid vacation
• Real ownership of a kitchen in one of the most beautiful wine regions in the country and the ability to 'put your name on the map' as a top regional chef in this high profile position

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply to learn more. Please include your résumé and a sample menu you’ve created. To learn more about us, visit www.MainDeckPY.com.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 - $86,900.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Experience:

• Culinary experience: 5 years (Preferred)
• Cooking: 5 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person