Robert Leva

Multi-unit Executive Chef

Working Executive Chef of a luxury, full service private residence and country club located in Sonoma wine country. Responsible for 18 weekly services, and 3 outlets, in addition to all private dining and golf related banquets and events, ranging from traditional holiday offerings, multi-programmed golf tournaments to bespoke fine dining tasting format wine dinners. Manage culinary staff of 22. Fresh, seasonal market driven California Wine Country cuisine, served in a luxury club environment.

Working Executive Chef of 170-seat SOMA restaurant serving Spanish inspired cuisine with a seasonal, Northern California lens. Perform all kitchen related administrative duties and menu execution, while managing a team of 28 employees. Effectively lowered and managed inventories and food costs from 30% to -26%. Stabilized and lowered labor costs to run at an average of 15.5%.

Performed all kitchen functions including product purchasing and receiving, managing of sous chefs and line cooks, all butchery and working PM line as saucier.

Opening Executive Chef of 105-seat restaurant located in the former Postrio Restaurant space in the Hotel Zeppelin. Performed all pre-opening duties, including writing department manuals, OS&E purchasing, overseeing kitchen design and hiring/managing a culinary team of 28 employees. Consistently operated with food cost of 25.5-26%.

Working Executive Chef consulting on various restaurant and rebranding projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Piatti and Molina in Mill Valley; Paragon in San Francisco. I provide quantifiable hands-on expertise ranging from menu development and structure, to line work, to labor and P&L analysis.

Served as Executive Sous Chef while working on an independent restaurant project. Performed all kitchen functions including product receiving, all butchery and sauce work, training of line cooks; organizing and executing off-site catering functions with and for Executive Chef-Owner.

Spent one month with culinary team at Chef Hubert Keller's first foreign outlet of his American burger concept. Conceived, and executed select first and main courses specifically designed for Chinese market. Trained Sous Chef and kitchen staff on general execution of dishes, and wrote all recipes and procedures for translation. Presented strategy for enhancing marketing of Burger Bar Beijing to help raise local visibility and presence.

Opened restaurant as Executive Chef; responsible for all culinary matters in 4 million dollar a year SOMA restaurant. Created entire program of seasonally changing, European inspired, California market-driven menus for lunch and dinner services. Responsible for hiring and training of cooks, sous chefs and support staff. Managed staff of 21 kitchen employees. Responsible for payroll,scheduling, inventories and P&L accountability; responsible for all HR issues as they related to culinary staff. Covered every line station whenever necessary, expedited, performed all butchery and charcuterie work, as well as pastry work. Responsible for purchasing and all vendor relationships.

Opened 48 room private luxury hotel and residence club as Executive Chef. Performed all pre-opening tasks, including department training manual writing, OS&E purchasing, hiring and training of entire culinary staff. Managed staff of 22 kitchen employees. Created entire program of seasonally changing French/Mediterranean inspired cuisine, which serviced 3 outlets- a fine dining restaurant, casual poolside dining, and a wine cave for larger private dining events; also serviced in-room dining and all private dining banquets in various locations throughout 150 acre property. Responsible for all operations in 3 million dollar a year F&B department. Responsible for payroll, food and labor costs, all HR issues with department employees. Member of Leading Small Hotels of the World.