Profile
Senior Pastry Chef with 11 years of progressive fine-dining and boutique hotel experience, specializing in French classical technique, plated desserts, and high-volume viennoiserie programs. Rebuilt a stagnant pastry program at a 4-star Chicago property, increasing dessert revenue by 34% in 18 months. Certified Pastry Culinarian (CPC) with a consistent record of mentoring junior staff and reducing food waste through disciplined mise en place systems.
Work Experience
Senior Pastry ChefMar 2020 - Present
The Alderton Hotel & Spa, Chicago, IL
- Redesigned the 14-item seasonal dessert menu four times per year, driving a 34% increase in à la carte dessert revenue and earning a mention in Chicago Magazine's annual dining guide.
- Led a team of 4 pastry cooks and 2 apprentices, implementing a structured training calendar that reduced onboarding time by 3 weeks and cut first-year turnover from 60% to 22%.
- Introduced a daily production yield log that identified over-ordering patterns, trimming ingredient waste by 18% and saving approximately $28,000 annually.
Pastry Chef de PartieJun 2016 - Feb 2020
Fenwick & Rue Brasserie, Chicago, IL
- Produced 300+ covers of plated desserts per service during peak weekend shifts with a ticket error rate below 1.2%, maintaining quality standards praised in two consecutive health inspections.
- Developed a signature croissant program using a 72-hour cold-ferment dough, which became a standalone retail item generating $4,200/month in additional weekend brunch revenue.
- Collaborated with the beverage director to create 6 dessert-cocktail pairings, increasing average check size by $11 per table across a 90-seat dining room.
Pastry Cook IIAug 2013 - May 2016
Soleil Patisserie & Café, Evanston, IL
- Executed daily production of 15+ SKUs including entremets, tarts, and macarons for a retail case averaging 180 units sold per day with less than 4% end-of-day waste.
- Standardized laminated dough procedures by documenting 12 step-by-step recipe cards, reducing batch inconsistencies and cutting re-work time by 25%.
- Assisted head pastry chef in catering production for events up to 400 guests, managing timelines across 3 simultaneous projects without a missed delivery deadline.
Education
Associate of Applied Science — Baking & Pastry Arts2011 - 2013
Kendall College, Chicago, IL
Graduated with Honors; Capstone: Modern French Entremets — received faculty distinction award