Rafael Garcia
Tucson
Summary
Bilingual Culinary Professional with 22 years of experience in high-class establishments at the management level. Excellent communication skills. Working in a fast-paced environment, managing people from diverse cultures and nationalities. Holding various jobs like cook, chef de cuisine, sous chef, and executive chef. Excellent working with vendors getting the highest quality at the best price. Initiative-taking professional with a strong background in large-scale production and planning in a timely manner. Very meticulous to please the most challenging clients. High-performing Chef offering 22 years of restaurant experience. Excellent communication, leadership, and critical thinking skills. Talent for building streamlined cohesive teams.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Site Supervisor
TUSD
Tucson
08.2022 - Current
- Assisted in coordinating site operations and ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
- Collaborated with teams to implement project plans and maintain work schedules.
- Monitored activities on-site to ensure adherence to quality standards and procedures.
Kitchen Manager
Salvation Army
01.2018 - 01.2022
- Train and supervise kitchen personnel on proper cooking techniques in the preparation of meals
- Train and supervise kitchen personnel on food safety, work safety, and kitchen sanitation
- Assure that proper kitchen sanitation standards are maintained
- Perform a bi-weekly inventory of all unused items and rotate stock to ensure freshness
- Order food consistent with nutritional considerations and within budget restrictions
- Work with the Director of Special Services for menu planning and for special events
- Assure that safety measures are established and maintained consistently according to TSA Policy and governmental regulations
Executive Chef
Velocity Training
01.2017 - 05.2021
- Inspected kitchens to observe food preparation quality and service, food appearance, and cleanliness of production and service areas.
- Created recipes and prepared advanced dishes.
Chef, General Manager
Wingstop Restaurant
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Conduct all, duties as required including prep and clean up
- Prepare and cook three meals a day based on American cuisine (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)
- Deliver high quality, great-tasting food, while abiding by proper food safety and sanitation procedures
- Experience in cost/ kitchen management
- Able to effectively use and care for commercial cooking equipment
- Prior involvement or familiarity in 'Farm to Table' operations & local sourcing
- Familiar with health code inspections relating to commercial cooking operations.
Sous Chef
Slo Proper
01.2013 - 01.2014
- I also spend time collaborating with my team delivering and teaching them new skills
- Labor control, food cost, and inventory as part of my role along with scheduling
- Worked 50-55 plus hrs. a week, standing for extended periods of time multi-tasking, and keeping a presentable appearance to welcome my guests, our customer service was also part as a sous chef.
- Proper is a farm to table concept, where everyday chef d cuisine and myself were bringing in our kitchen Tucson's freshest produce and game, creating daily and weekly specials.
Kitchen Manager, Master
The Bagelry
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Inventory control, purchasing, Manager in menu planning and design
- Provide food cost analysis to assist in menu pricing
- Excellent purchasing skills to obtain competitive prices from vendors
- Supervise preparation and flow of food
- Responsible for compliance with safety in kitchen equipment
- Recruit, hire, train and supervise kitchen staff
- Maintain a safe, clean working environment
- Worked in team-building strategies, for improvement of customer service on the job or outside the work facility
- Strong kitchen skills can adjust to all types of kitchens, there is no kitchen too Small.
- Family operated bakery and deli.
Chef
Lavender Restaurant
Green Valley
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Grill, sauté working side by side with Master Chef Frederic Lagne A two chef line on a fine-dining French cuisine Restaurant Daily routine of cleaning, responsible for bread, and pasta making
- Sauces and stocks.
Lead Sauté Cook
L' Auberge De Sedona
Sedona
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Prepared all kinds of pasta, and raviolis from scratch
- Manage all catering events.
- Leveraged scales, dishers, and ladles to monitor portion control.
- Set up and maintained sauté station to facilitate kitchen operations.
- High-class four diamond-five stars Resort.
Executive Chef
Rusty's Family Restaurant Bar & Grille
Tucson
01.2009 - 01.2010
- Collaborate with the General Manager and Restaurant Manager in menu planning and design
- Provide food cost analysis to assist in menu pricing
- Purchase products necessary for restaurant, catering, snack bar, and special events
- Excellent purchasing skills to obtain competitive prices from vendors
- Supervise the preparation and flow of food
- Responsible for inventory and calculating food cost percentages
- Inspect kitchen operations regularly for cleanliness and proper functioning of equipment
- Responsible for compliance with safety equipment in the kitchen
- Responsible for cost control of kitchen payroll, food, kitchen supplies and limited beverage
- Recruit, hire, train and supervise kitchen staff
- Schedule kitchen employees to ensure quality service while containing payroll costs
- Responsible for conducting evaluations and holding kitchen staff meetings
- Special Events: Chef's assistant for the 2005's 'Taste of Sedona' This event features fabulous cuisine from the area's finest restaurants and resorts, exceptional wines gourmet beers, and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Developed menus, controlled food costs, and oversaw quality, sanitation, and safety processes.
Education
Le Cordon Bleu Accreditation -
Le Cordon Bleu
Scottsdale, AZAssociates of Occupational Studies - Culinary Arts
Scottsdale Culinary Institute
Scottsdale, ArizonaSkills
- Sanitizing Protocols
- Organization and Prioritization
- Product Weighing and Labeling
- Portion Control
- Team collaboration
- Employee training
- Problem solving
- Effective communication
- Task delegation
- Facility inspection
- Operations management
- Project management
- Inventory procurement
Certification
- Serve Safe, Food Handler (Maricopa County, AZ)
- NRA Pro Management
- American Culinary Federation Member
Timeline
Assistant Site Supervisor
TUSD
08.2022 - Current
Kitchen Manager
Salvation Army
01.2018 - 01.2022
Executive Chef
Velocity Training
01.2017 - 05.2021
Chef, General Manager
Wingstop Restaurant
01.2014 - 01.2017
Sous Chef
Slo Proper
01.2013 - 01.2014
Kitchen Manager, Master
The Bagelry
01.2009 - 01.2011
Chef
Lavender Restaurant
01.2009 - 01.2010
Lead Sauté Cook
L' Auberge De Sedona
01.2009 - 01.2010
Executive Chef
Rusty's Family Restaurant Bar & Grille
01.2009 - 01.2010
Le Cordon Bleu Accreditation -
Le Cordon Bleu
Associates of Occupational Studies - Culinary Arts
Scottsdale Culinary Institute