After 13 years with Dallas National Golf Club, Executive Chef Paul Fisher shares the strategies that have helped him succeed.
When I think about what advice I would give to a first time “Club” Executive Chef, I think about the transition I made almost 18 years ago coming from a restaurant background into the club world. I also think about the daily lessons I instill into my sous chefs to prepare them for the next level in their journey. So, with that being said, here are a few items or “lessons” from my toolbox. These experiences have helped me in my role as Executive Chef of Dallas National Golf Club as well as the other clubs I have been associated with.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
We hear that phrase all the time, but it really rings true. A new Executive Chef coming into a new property will most likely have some staff already in place. When I arrived at Dallas National over 13 years ago, there were 4 line cooks. Three of those 4 are still with me today. We have added more positions throughout the years as well as helped facilitate others in and out to help them advance their careers.
Developing a culture and a sense of trust with your team will be important in building a foundation within the first few weeks. This requires you to be hands on and to learn and observe their ways before you start to make your changes. Obviously, it goes without saying that if there is a process or procedure that needs immediate attention, make your changes.
Most club executive chef positions are a balance of hands-on work with your team, committee meetings, and all of the “other” items that come with leading the operation. Take the “hands-on” time to learn about the people you are working with. Questions such as who are their family members, what do they like to do when away from work, what do they like about working at the club are important. Showing a genuine interest in the people you work with and see everyday will help build a culture of teamwork and loyalty as well as a sense of belonging to something special.
The “Experience”
Members bring family and guests to show off their club. As stewards of hospitality, we always have to be on our game. The F&B Team at Dallas National takes great pride and ownership in both the member and the guest experience.
So, for a new Chef coming into the club world, it can be quite exciting and challenging. You have a consistent audience with which to showcase your talents as well as your entire F&B team’s talents. That is the experience that makes them feel special in the walls of their home away from home.
Special events and tournaments are another way to try out new ideas or action stations. What was once considered “club food” is a thing of the past. Club chefs have to constantly stay up to date with dietary regimens, culinary trends, and a general-well rounded knowledge of many cooking techniques and disciplines.
Doing the right thing for the benefit of the member experience is one of the best things about being a club chef. Every day can offer a genuine sense of accomplishment and pride in your work.
Getting out of the kitchen and meeting your membership will be another important piece of getting acclimated and “accepted” as the new chef. Developing personal relationships take time, but you need to make yourself accessible.
The employee experience can be just as important as the member experience. The culinary team at Dallas National has had some unique professional experiences here that they wouldn’t have had anywhere else. These experiences include having Chef Thomas Keller join in on one of our event stations during a charity event that he was playing in. He was very gracious and appreciative with my team, and it is something they will never forget.
Financial Acumen
One of the things that a club chef is constantly doing is costing and pricing events and working with various budgets. A newly hired chef coming on board should spend some time with the club’s controller to see how the budgets are implemented, how invoices are processed, how to track revenue, and how tournament/event budgets are decided.
I picked up some valuable tools during my tenure with ClubCorp and brought them to Dallas National. We use a declining checkbook in the F&B Department for our purchases based on monthly budgets and forecasts. We also use a Performance Measures spread sheet. This tracks all of our revenue centers, based on our daily sales report; and our expenses based on our checkbook. It also ties in our monthly budgets and forecasts. We know where our COGS are tracking at on a daily basis, which helps us make more informed decisions.