F & B : THE EXECUTIVE CHEF
Cooking and beyond
Today ’ s executive chefs must still have top skills in the kitchen , but the job is expanding to include a greater focus on financials , human resources and marketing .
By Ann Bagel Storck , managing editor
Vincent Muraco ’ s hectic schedule is not unlike that of most hotel executive chefs today . He oversees the entire culinary operation at Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City , which includes breakfast , lunch and dinner in “ the shop ,” the hotel ’ s main restaurant ; a bar serving cocktails and tapas six nights a week ; 24-hour room service for 184 guestrooms ; and Apt 2E , the property ’ s meeting and event space , the site of the typical weddings and bar mitzvahs in addition to a variety of gatherings daily . “ We throw all sorts of popular events day to day — cooking classes , book or product launches as well as the typical business meetings ,” Muraco notes . “ It is very New York — full-throttle , non-stop busy .”
Executive chefs have long been nonstop busy in the kitchen , but these days , they must devote an increasing amount of time to broader activities , from public relations to day-to-day administrative duties . “ A lot of hotels are doing away with purchasing departments and food and beverage directors and passing most of the duties on to back-of-the-house
48 HOTELS June 2012 www . hotelsmag . com