About the Role - This position is responsible for the creation and development of new recipes and products, refines and assists in sourcing new recipes and products that align with the corporate strategy and vision, stay true to the brand essence, and maintain venue/brand specific relevance under the direction of Denny’s Director, Culinary Innovation. Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the test kitchen, oversees the maintenance of the test kitchen and manages the test kitchen inventory. Supports Product Development, Purchasing, Marketing, Operations and Quality Assurance.

Responsibilities -

• Creates and develops new products and improves existing products to meet consumer preferences as established through consumer research.
• This position uses scientific technology, as well as company and vendor capabilities to achieve results.
• Responsible for the accuracy, documentation and data entry of working recipes, costs, yields, procedures, and other information as required.
• Refines recipes and ingredient specifications to meet the consumer preferences as established through sensory panels and marketing research.
• Refines recipes for successful execution within operational and manufacturing limitations.
• Establishes formulation and processing parameters to ensure product quality consistency.
• Visits test locations to evaluate product performance.
• Responsible for culinary assistance with all internal/external catering events, product showings, training, focus groups, and other events as required.
• Coordinates supplies for and supervises food stylist during some photoshoots to ensure recipe accuracy of photography as assigned.
• Uses industry-standard procedures to gather data related to shelf life, hold times, and yields.
• Responsible for management, coaching, and mentoring of the Test Kitchen Assistant in the Spartanburg office.
• Maintains inventories for all food, small wares, and equipment.
• Manages rotation and quality of food products received.
• Maintains all equipment in clean and working condition at all times, reports any maintenance issues and understands that the standards for the test kitchen exceeds those of a normal restaurant due to the visibility of the facility to outside parties.
• Schedules all preventative and required maintenance of equipment and facilities.
• Organizes all test kitchen inventories including food and equipment.
• Oversees general cleaning of all test kitchen equipment and test kitchen area, including grills, fryers, freezer/coolers, and dry storage.
• Oversees daily receiving and assigning proper storage for all incoming freight.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications - Culinary degree or related field or combination of experience and education sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

EXPERIENCE

• 1 to 3 years of experience in a full-service restaurant. Restaurant product development experience preferred
• 3 to 5 years of Product Development experience
• ServSafe certificate preferred

Required Skills -

• A creative mindset
• Good verbal and organizational skills and a strong understanding of culinary principles.
• Ability to work as part of a team or individually.
• Must be able to work independently and in a very fast-paced and quickly changing environment.
• Must be flexible and have the ability to work within very tight time constraints.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Passionate about details and accuracy.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects at one time
• Strong solutions-oriented mindset.
• Ability to work as part of a team or individually.
• Strong Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills.
• Must be able to operate and maintain industrial kitchen equipment.
• Must be able to work in a cold environment, 32 or below, for an extended period of time (this is required for inventory and cleaning of industrial freezers and coolers).
• Must be able to stand and walk for prolonged periods of time.
• Must be able to work extended hours as needed. Position requires own transportation and must be willing to use personal vehicle for test kitchen errands (grocery, etc.). Gas mileage is reimbursable.
• Up to 25% to 30% travel may be required for conducting and monitoring tests.