Garde Manager Lead, CBK Events

Project Renewal is a leading non-profit organization with the mission of ending the cycle of homelessness by empowering men, women and children to renew their lives with health, homes, and jobs. Our comprehensive and integrated 24/7 programs are designed to offer the holistic care our clients need. With a staff of 950+ and an annual budget of $120 million, Project Renewal is one of the larger social service nonprofits in New York City.

Position: Garde Manager Lead, CBK Events

Program: City Beet Kitchens

Salary:     $25/hr + Overtime          

Program Description:

City Beet Kitchens is a mission-based catering company. We were established in 1995 as “Comfort Foods” and rebranded in 2015 to “City Beet Kitchens”. We cater to all organizations for all events – from galas to homeless shelters and plated sit-down meals to boxed lunches.

Overall Responsibilities: The Chef Garde Manager is responsible for preparing and presenting all cold food dishes while ensuring a high level of creativity, cleanliness, and food safety. Key duties include organizing the cold kitchen, managing inventory for cold items and packaging supplies, and creating visually appealing arrangements for breakfast, sandwiches, and platters.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The essential duties of the Chef Garde Manager include but are not limited to the following activities:

• Lead all aspects of cold food production, including salads, dressings, composed plates, various platters, and grab-and-go items
• Lead cook for cold station
• Ensure all items meet CBK standards for flavor, freshness, and presentation
• Review daily orders, event sheets, and production logs to prepare accurate quantities
• Uphold all food safety and sanitation standards (FIFO, proper storage temps, labeling, allergens, cross-contamination awareness)
• Monitor freshness and rotate stock proactively
• Assist in developing new concepts, platters, seasonal items, and specials
• Provide input on presentation styles, garnishes, and modern plating ideas
• Always maintain organized and efficient cold prep areas
• Works closely with hot line cook and production staff to ensure smooth workflows
• Support training of interns, assistants, temps and new hires assigned to cold prep
• Track product usage and report low stock or damaged items
• Assist with receiving, checking, and storing deliveries when needed
• Analyze and maintain food cost as prescribed levels
• In conjunction with lead chef, place orders with food and supply food vendors
• Ensure items are properly packaged, labeled, and presentation ready for delivery
• Support other stations as needed
• Extra duties as requested by Manager

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of cold prep, garde manager, or related culinary roles
• Strong knife skills and working knowledge of cold-kitchen techniques
• High attention to detail and time management under volume pressure
• Ability to follow recipes, scale batches, and adapt to last minute changes
• Food Handlers certified
• Ability to lift 30-50lbs and work on your feet for extended periods
• Ability to maintain calmness and composure under pressure
• Exceptional patience in with culinary students, interns, and junior cooks
• Experience preparing catering-style platters, boxed meals, and buffet setups
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask and prioritize
• Reliable, punctual, and able to maintain a positive, professional attitude under pressure
• Ability to take instructions and feedback from head chef, Director of Events, and Senior Events Manager
• Must maintain a clean and sanitary workstation consistently

This position is five days a week on site 6:00am to 2:00pm with flexibility needed for special events and large orders.

Project Renewal is an equal opportunity employer.  Its long-standing policy has been to embrace the equality of opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, religion or creed, gender (see separately issued Gender Discrimination policy for more detail), physical or mental disability, age (18 and over), military status, arrest record, marital status, domestic partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, unemployment status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.