Company description

Preserving Place is a cooking classroom, specialty food shop and purveyor of house made, small batch food in jars and supplies for the do-it-yourself home cook, as well as a gathering place for the local good food community interested in preserving our food heritage in our place on the map, Atlanta, Georgia. Our mission is to preserve our Southern food heritage and local foodshed and serve as the go-to place for food preservation in Atlanta. By sourcing our ingredients from area farms and promoting home food preservation, we will increase markets for our local farmers who can increase their profitability and grow more food. We hire team members who are excited about our mission and committed to doing what it takes to help make a small company a success, with an opportunity for growth and creativity.  Our team is committed to high standards and proud to make award winning jams, pickles and condiments, as well as offer exceptional public and private cooking classes.  We provide flexible hours, employee discounts, and a beautiful work space in West Midtown.

Job description

The  Cooking School & Private Events Manager (CS/PE Manager) reports directly to the President of Preserving Place.  The position is full time, with an initial trial period to make sure there is a mutual good fit.  We host two kinds of classes: public classes which are advertised on our website for anyone to sign up and private events, which tend to be privatized versions of our public classes.   We have a core team of five outside chef instructors and two mixologists who routinely teach and are familiar with our space and format.  Our class size is small (12 although we can accommodate more for private events) so that the students truly cook hands on in our commercial kitchen and then enjoy a meal together at our lovely farm table in our meeting room.  Classes and events are at night and on weekends, but occasionally during weekdays.  We currently have around 15 public classes and private events each month.  Each class is staffed by the CS/PE Manager as host/hostess, the chef instructor and a staff kitchen helper who handles dishwashing/clean up.  Our social media team publicizes the classes with content provided by the CS/PE Manager.

Duties:

As the CS/PE Manager, you are responsible for planning and posting the public classes and marketing, outreach and event planning with companies desiring corporate team building/customer appreciation events and individual customers seeking a private party.  You will inherit a program with a good foundation and will grow it by increasing the number of private events.  You must have the contacts, marketing skills and event planning experience to achieve this.  Further expansion should occur by adding chef book signings and similar fun experiences to attract customers to our store.  You should have good contacts within the Atlanta chef community in order to attract additional chef instructors to teach at Preserving Place.  The ideal candidate would have experience as a chef and as a profitable event planner.  

The CS/PE Manager exhibits the same traits as our chef instructors and Preserving Place team: professional, mature, cohesive and drama free.  You have a positive, helpful demeanor and set the example for taking pride in your work, and you immediately confront and resolve issues as they arise.  You are also able do the following:

*work with chef instructors to plan monthly classes and events at least two months in advance; obtain recipes and prepare class handouts 

*take photos to illustrate classes, create class and chef instructor descriptions, and upload to Shopify 

*maintain good records of class signup/enrollment 

*ensure kitchen is clean and ready and class items are in place for each class/private event 

*communicate promptly and effectively with planners for private events, including post-events thank yous and feedback 

*serve as host/hostess for each class/private events, by providing welcome, entertaining guests, cleaning as needed and assisting the chef instructor as needed and supervising the kitchen helper 

*keep budgets for classes and private events in Excel spreadsheets to monitor and achieve desired costs and profit and records for each event 

*establish good working relationship with Kitchen Manager to advise of items needed for classes/private events that can be included in orders/deliveries for the kitchen’s needs and also to coordinate use of the kitchen 

Qualifications

*Demonstrates an entrepreneurial temperament and ability to problem-solve with confidence and ease 

*Bachelor’s degree or culinary school degree or equivalent experience 

*at least one year’s experience as a chef 

*at least one year’s experience with a catering company marketing to customers; negotiating and planning events;  calculating costs of the events, preparing budgets and achieving healthy profitability 

*excellent project management skills 

*a smart self-starter and a fun host/hostess able to entertain guests with genuine hospitality 

*proficient in English, both written and spoken word; Microsoft Office, such as Word and Excel documents; in fundamental math skills, including ratio conversion, and ability to calculate costs of goods sold; and able to learn and use new technology programs, such as uploading class information to Shopify and taking/posting photos for use in social media 

*skilled multi-tasker who can assist with any task needed in the store and kitchen

 *able to work nights and weekends 

*must have ServSafe certification 

*must have your own transportation to shop for items needed for classes (many items can be sourced by working with the Kitchen Manager to coordinate ordering but some additional shopping will be needed) 

*you are from anywhere but must have a genuine affection for, and understanding of, the American South; enthusiastic knowledge of the region’s food traditions and modern evolution; and radiate the courtesy, friendly hospitality, and love of the land, good food and a good time that exemplifies the South 

*ability to maintain confidential information with the utmost integrity 

*ability to lift up to 40 pounds, wash dishes and clean kitchen

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline