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. 

[disco2000]

51 minutes ago, DonHelbig said:

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. 

What was the quote " people gotta eat" lol

[BeeastFarmer]

One my one visit this year, and my one visit last year, food was still very good. 

I had terrible Coney BBQ pulled pork in the past , though, and that was under the direction of Chef Major.

Food was really good under the direction of Chef Nate, too.  Maybe he will come back.

I do realize, that my experience is anecdotal.

[Hawaiian Coasters 325]

I want to clarify by saying, I myself have yet to have a bad KI food experience to where I can't finish what I eat. I've enjoyed everything I've had at KI. However, I will say the food isn't as good as it was under Chef Major and over the last few years, I have seen numerous complaints about food being undercooked, food being left out under the lamp too long, food being overcooked, among other things that really take away from the guest experience. While some of that stuff is at the fault of the food employees, the fact it continues to happen despite all the complaints comes down to training/management which falls on the executive chef. 

Things like portion sizes, no ice in the machines, watered down drinks, machines being out of drinks is a budget thing while things like properly preparing, cooking, and/or storing food has nothing to do with budget. That's a management/training issue.

[DonHelbig]

3 hours ago, disco2000 said:

What was the quote " people gotta eat" lol

I remember that being said, but the question he was asked was about the food prices, not the quality. 

[BeeastFarmer]

My memory of Kings Island food in 2014 and prior was that it was basically bland, besides pizza and chili. (Not being from the area, skyline and La Rosa have been a treat typically reserved for Kings Island.  Before I started going to ki alot in 2014, I only ate skyline and La Rosa when going to the park).  I remember the hamburger meat was terrible in 2014, the patties still had the round extruded look and feel, and tasted terrible. It wasn't until 2015 coasterstock that I was eating some sandwich special at Reds that Chef Nate designed that was really good, that I took much of an interest in park food.