Ju stin
S tr a n g
832.795.3496
j s tr an gksg@ yah oo.c om
OBJE CTIV E
My goal is to be the Chef for an establishment where my experience and culinary specialties will
be utilized in preparing a wide range of cuisines, ultimately making guests excited about their
dining experience. I want to be part of the community and with an establishment that is team
oriented and values personal growth as well. I value the neverending search for knowledge in
every aspect of my profession. Most importantly , I enjoy sharing my passion and knowledge of
food.
S T R EN G TH S
Full range of managerial skills
Understanding of all key health and sanitation concerns and Serve Safe certified
Proven ability to cut labor and food costs and produce exceptional P&Ls
Developing and costing out entire inventories
W ell educated in Aloha, T ower , Menu Link, and Excel programs
Developing tools for kitchen (Line checks, meat counts, etc.)
Proven ability to produce quickly under pressure without sacrificing quality
Mastery of cooking philosophy and technique
Specialized training in meat and fish cutting
W ide variety of Catering from small parties to lar ge formal groups
Creating new menus on a daily basis
Creating all recipes for restaurant and banquets
Creating healthy and/or custom menus
Creating beautiful plates and great flavor profiles
H ONO RS
&
A C CO M PL IS H M EN TS
Featured on “Daytime” show 2/2008
Featured in “Southern Living” Magazine
Recipes published in “Charleston’ s Chefs
T able” by Holly Heric
Appeared on “Lowcountry Live” 4 times
Catered governor elect party for Mark
Sanford for 3700 people
Best raw bar in Charleston 2009
Best happy hour Charleston 2009
Best oysters Charleston 2009
Featured in Houston Press
Featured in Houston Examiner
Featured in Houston Chronicle Katy Edition
Featured in “Chef Chat, Eating Our W ords”
Fan favorite T exans T ailgating Cook of f
F&B university with Starwood
Featured on Cleverly Stone’ s morning radio
show
Demonstration for Memorial Hermann
cancer survivors on the benefits of healthy
food choices and how to make them fun.
Featured by ACOM pharmaceutical for low
fat recipes
Featured on Fox South with Cleverly Stone
EM PL O YM EN T
2021 t o P re se n t
E xecu tiv e
C hef
+
F ood an d B eve rage
D ir e ctor
Hilton H ous ton W estc has e
and R io R anc h , H ous ton, T exa s
–
o v ers e e
a ll
f ood a nd b ev era ge
ope ra tions
t o i nc lude
r e cipe s, m enus , f oo d qua li ty a nd s a ni ta tion, c os ting, l a bor
c ont rol ,
sc he dul ing ( ba nque ts , r e sta ur ant
a nd c ul ina ry) , i n v ent or ie s
a nd r e cipe
a dhe re nc e. R un s hi fts
a s
M OD
i n t he
f ront
of
t he
hous e. D ir e ctly r e por t
t o t he
G ene ra l
M ana ger. W ork on a ll
pl ating,
qua li ty c ont rol , a nd a m eni tie s
w ith c ooks
t o e ns ure
e xc elle nc e
a nd c ons is te nc y.
2021 t o 2021 D ir e ctor
of
D in in g S erv ic e s
+
E xecu tiv e
C hef
E m ers on P ine s, R C M
Se nior
L iv ing , H ous ton, T ex as
–
O vers a w
a ll
ope ra tions
of
t he
f ront
a nd
ba ck of
t he
hous e. P ro vi de d w eekl y m en us
a nd e v ent
m enus . P re pa re d f ood f re sh da ily . H andl ed
all
s c he dul ing a nd i n v ent or ie s. E ns ured t he
nut rition of
e v ery m eal
a s
a ppr opria te
f or
t he
re side nts. I m plem ent ed he alth a nd s a ni ta tion t r a ini ng t o c re ate
a
s a fe
w or k e n vi ronm ent .
2019 t o 2020 A re a E xecu tiv e
C hef
T he
H ilton and M ar riot t
N or th H ous ton, T exas – M ana ged a ll
ba ck of
t he
hous e
ope ra tions .
Cre ate d ne w
r e sta ur ant
a nd ba r
m enus
f or
a ll
pr ope rtie s. C re ate d ne w
m enus
f or
c ate ring,
ba nque t, c or por ate
e v ent s, a ll
da y m eal
p acka ges, br eaks
a nd r e cept ions
f or
bot h pr ope rtie s.
C re ate d a ll
ne w
r e cipe s
f or
t he
m enus
c om plete
w ith c os ting a nd c ros s
ut ili z ation t o m eet
a ll
b udge ting r e qui re m ent s. H andl ed a ll
s c he dul ing, pr oduc tion, e v ent
c oor dina ting, a nd w or ked
clos ely w ith t he
s a le s
t e am
t o gi ve
our
gue sts
t he
be st
e xpe rie nc e. A dj us te d a ll
w or k pr actic es
dur ing t he
C ovi d pa nde mic
a nd us ed i nn ovation a nd c re ativi ty t o s till
r un a
s uc cessful
ope ra tion.
2018 t o 2019 E xecu tiv e
C hef
H ous e
of
B lue s
H ous ton, T exas – M ana ged a ll
a spe cts
of
t he
ba ck of
t he
h ous e. D aily
r e spons ibi li tie s
c ons is te d of
ne w
m enus , l a bor , f ood c os t, pa per
t ool s, l i ne
c he cks , r unni ng t w o
re sta ur ant s, c onc essions , ba nd f ood, 42,000 s qua re
f e et
of
ba nque t
a nd e v ent
s pa ce
a nd m an y
ot he r
c ul ina ry a spe cts
w hi le
a ls o he lpi ng
r un t he
f ront
of
t he
hous e. H OB
i s
v ery e xt ens iv e
a nd
de ta ile d w he n i t
c om es
t o num bers . P & Ls
w ere
a
huge
pa rt
of
our
da y t o da y. T ra v ele d m ont hly
to he lp w ith ne w
K DS
s ys te m
r ol l- out s,
ne w
m enu r ol l- out s, r e str uc tur ing of
ki tc he ns
i n ne ed of
he lp a nd c o v ering w hi le
ne w
c he fs
a re
h ir e d. T hi s
w as
a ll
w hi le
r unni ng m y v enue
f rom
t he
r oa d.
Als o, r e spons ibl e
f or
e cos ure
a nd t he
he alth de partm ent
a nd ha ving t he
T eam
c erti? ed.
2017 t o 2018 E xecu tiv e
C hef
O ak
P ar k
R etir e m ent
R esor t, K at y, T ex as
–
M ana ged f ront
of
t he
hous e
f or
t he
c ul in ary pr ogr am
at
t he
r e sor t. C re ate d m enus
f or
t hr ee
m ea l
pe riods
s e v en da ys
a
w eek. C re ate d m enus
f or
a ll
s pe cia l
e v ent s. P ro vi de d s uppor t
f or
s a le s, m ark eting a nd di re ctor
of
s e rvi ce. H andl ed s ta ?
sc he dul ing. H andl ed a ll
pr oc urem ent
ne eds
f or
ba ck a nd f ront
of
t he
hous e.
2015 t o 2017 E xecu tiv e
C hef/
F & B
D ir e ctor
Wyndham
W est
E ne rgy
C or ridor
H ous to n, T exas – M ana ged a ll
a spe cts
of
c ul ina ry f or
hot el
( in
r oom
di ning, out le ts , ba nque ts
a nd c ate ring) . R espons ibl e
f or
o v era ll
c le anl ine ss, or gani zation,
f ood c os t, l a bor
a nd a ll
ki tc he n ope ra tions . C re ate d ne w
m enus
f or
out le ts
a nd B anque ts
a nd
C ate ring. H elp r a n f ront
of
t he
hous e
a s
w ell
a s
t he
c ul ina ry t e am .
Executive Chef December 2013 to 2015
The House of Blues Houston,T exas – Managed all food venues (Cross roads, Foundation Room,
Bronze Peacock and the main music hall). Managed food quality , quantity , kitchen cleanliness,
all systems in the kitchen, food cost, recipes, menu creations, inventory , food presentation and
staf fing. Created customized menus for special events. Came in under budget in food cost and
labor cost for 2014 and saved the venue over $300,000 to the bottom line. $10,223,497 in total
F&B for 2014. Food cost venue wide was 16.8%(best in the company) total labor venue wide
20% on a budget of 31%.
Restaurant Executive Chef/Executive Sous Chef in Banquets 201 1 to November 2013
The W estin Houston, Memorial city/024 Grille Houston, T exas – Created menus for restaurant
banquets and catering. T rained and managed all back of the house staf f. Responsible for sourcing
product food cost and labor cost. 23% food cost for 38,000 square feet of banquet space. After
the W estin acquired the third party restaurant, I created all recipes, menus, training tools and
order guides while still helping produce all banquets.
Executive Chef 2010-201 1
Bistro Catr on, Houston, T exas – Created entire dinner and lunch menus. Created nutritional, box
lunch, holiday , dessert and brunch menus. Developed all recipes for the menu. Developed unique
specials menus on a daily basis, including five course wine dinners for the weekend. Ran 25%
food cost. Participated in Houston Restaurant W eek. Provided all kitchen training.
Executive Chef 2009-2010
Fuel Catering, Houston, T exas – Created menus for catering events such as the Demshire party
in Royal Oaks and Katy T aylor party for 550 people. Ran daily specials for the café. Or ganized
and ordered all food. Developed and implemented design for all catering events.
Executive Chef 1996-2009
Tbonz Charleston, South Car olina and Pearlz Restaurant, Charleston, South Car olina – My
career started with Tbonz. Responsible for all ordering, paper tooling, food cost, labor cost and
all back of the house training. W ith Tbonz for eight years and was able to keep an average food
cost of 35% in a high volume steak house with a budget of 41%. Left and went with Central
restaurant to further food education. Later came back to Tbonz to help with Pearlz Oyster Bar
concepts . W as able to bring food sales up from $12000 a week to $20000. Brought food cost
down from 39% to 35% on a budget of 37.5%. also responsible for menu changes, daily specials
and the opening of a second location. I was with Tbonz for a total of eleven years.
Executive Chef 2004-2006
Central Restaurant and Bar and King Str eet Grille, Mt Pleasant and Charleston, South
Car olina- Helped open Central Restaurant, a fine dining, open-concept restaurant. Built all
inventory as sous chef. Responsible for all food cost, specials, labor cost, recipes and menus.
Later became executive chef. Central mer ged with King Street Grille. I then became executive
chef for two locations. Responsible for all menus, inventories, specials, labor cost and food cost.
ED UCAT IO N
1996-2000 Charleston Southern University
Charleston, South Carolina
1992-1996 Pennsville Memorial High school
Pennsville, New Jersey
Refer ences available upon r equest