Kings Island Searches for Executive Chef

[DonHelbig]

Kings Island is looking to elevate its food and beverage program with the search for an Executive Chef. The role will oversee all culinary operations throughout the park, including quick-service locations, full-service restaurants, catering, and special events. The successful candidate will serve as the park’s senior culinary leader, helping shape dining experiences for millions of guests each season while driving innovation, quality, and operational excellence across the resort. Hungry for a career in the amusement and theme park industry? This could be the ultimate recipe for success.

Apply online: https://jobs.sixflags.com/job/mason/executive-chef/42509/96527403440

[CedarPointer]

Didn't they just post a video with their other chef yesterday? 🤔

[DonHelbig]

1 minute ago, CedarPointer said:

Didn't they just post a video with their other chef yesterday? 🤔

Yes they did, with executive chef Joseph Perez. 

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

Curious if Joseph stepped down, got the boot, or was promoted/demoted? 

While I hate to see anyone lose their job, I cannot deny that food quality has declined at KI in recent years. Just look at posts/comments on the KI pass group/other fansites including on here. 

[CedarPointer]

I think the problem with food is that they, as a chain, are trying to do two things, which are diametrically opposed: 

1. Act like their food is "elevated", "fancy", etc to try to get people to pay out of pocket for it
2. Continue selling hugely underpriced dining plans because (as Disenchanted Parks is finding out) passholders will not pay out of pocket for food after having dining plans for 11 years, and raising the prices will only get the people they actually make money off of to stop buying them

The thing is that a lot of the issues with food don't have anything to do with the chef or even really the park, it's corporate budget cuts due to the failure of the merger. Even the worst chef would admit that, say, selling a $20 burger that doesn't come with any toppings is an obvious fail, but the parks do it because it saves a little bit of money.

[DoomPlague]

21 hours ago, CedarPointer said:

I think the problem with food is that they, as a chain, are trying to do two things, which are diametrically opposed: 

1. Act like their food is "elevated", "fancy", etc to try to get people to pay out of pocket for it
2. Continue selling hugely underpriced dining plans because (as Disenchanted Parks is finding out) passholders will not pay out of pocket for food after having dining plans for 11 years, and raising the prices will only get the people they actually make money off of to stop buying them

The thing is that a lot of the issues with food don't have anything to do with the chef or even really the park, it's corporate budget cuts due to the failure of the merger. Even the worst chef would admit that, say, selling a $20 burger that doesn't come with any toppings is an obvious fail, but the parks do it because it saves a little bit of money.

I had the same thoughts.

And any complaints I've had seem to have little or nothing to do with anything the executive chef would decide but are clearly financial. Whoever the executive chef is will almost certainly deal with constraints that a self-respecting chef doesn't want.

The company knows how many passholders KI has and how many have dining plans and how much they use it. I was at CGA recently and was shocked at what they charge for the dining plan there: $99 and I don't think they charge tax or processing fees either. I guess they at least realize they can charge more at KI but its still too cheap when you have an army of people who show up 30 or 40 or 50 times or more a year.

[DonHelbig]

1 hour ago, DoomPlague said:

I had the same thoughts.

And any complaints I've had seem to have little or nothing to do with anything the executive chef would decide but are clearly financial. Whoever the executive chef is will almost certainly deal with constraints that a self-respecting chef doesn't want.

The company knows how many passholders KI has and how many have dining plans and how much they use it. I was at CGA recently and was shocked at what they charge for the dining plan there: $99 and I don't think they charge tax or processing fees either. I guess they at least realize they can charge more at KI but its still too cheap when you have an army of people who show up 30 or 40 or 50 times or more a year.

Food has become a commodity at Kings Island and other Six Flags parks. They treat food as something guests need rather than something guests should want.