Craig Jimenez Email & Phone Number

Del Mar, California, United States

Located in the renovated Del Mar Plaza, we conceptualized Monarch Ocean Pub to be the catalyst for change and growth in the Del Mar Village.

Analyzed the business concept; people, process and product and progressed it from a farmer’s market concept to a 2,200 sq. ft. brick and mortar within 2 years, and expanded the business to 4 other locations. Increased profit margins through cost reduction, standardized operating procedures and recipes, added to the menu offerings, added another revenue stream with catering services and in process of adding curated craft beer taps. Developed a unique co-branding with “I Love Poke” multi-city events to gain interest into markets we will look to build more locations at outside of Southern California.

San Diego, California

Updated the Menus at two venues within the group. Re-launched with a seasonal approach at The Rabbit Hole and Bootlegger. Developed the food concept and recipes in newly acquired Rosie O’ Grady’s. Opened our flagship Restaurant in November 2020, Monarch Ocean Pub. Created the Food Concept and Recipes, hired and trained the team. Currently, overseeing operations as Executive Chef at Monarch, increasing Sales through PNL Management. Developing a Brunch, expanded Dinner offerings and Catered Event Menus to further establish Monarch as a pillar in the Del Mar Community.

Pacific Beach , San Diego

Tasked with creating a new Fast-Casual Concept in a fully saturated area. Created the Concept, Recipes Design and systems to utilize an existing foot print. A re-design of the small space from another concept that changed ownership before launching was complete in 2 months. Short lived, this concept had the makings of a global brand. Cafe vibes, scratch recipes inspired from Southeast Asia. Daily proteins cooked on a rotisserie with a build your own bento meals, fresh brewed teas and local artisan products.

345 6Th Ave. Downtown San Diego

A sensory experience. Just a cool venue transformed into a warm place for conversation, good memories, tasty food and refreshing drank! Cruise in and share the journey with us!

Liberty Station, San Diego

A return to cooking solid Italian and Portuguese recipes inspired from Owner Michael Alves' Portuguese upbringing and the history of Point Loma. Everything is house-made using local produce, line caught fish and sustainably sourced seafood. A large wood-fired oven and rotisserie will be a large focus for Roseville Cozinha's heart of the house. Local craft beer, craft cocktails and boutique wines from Portuguese and Italian winemakers will also rotate seasonally.

Gaslamp San Diego

Menu and Restaurant Operations Consultation, Brand Development, Menu Design and updating the Kitchen Management systems in place.

Opened and Created the food concept, recipes, costing and systems to execute a profitable business in an underserved area of downtown San Diego(Little Italy). This included Brunch, Lunch and Dinner service alongside private events off and on-site. Within the first year of business, we were able to expand the restaurant to double sales with the existing kitchen space and equipment.Responsible for nurturing a team collaboration between bar and kitchen, to produce Heritage American cuisine alongside classic cocktails and craft beer. The goal was to achieve balance and consistency in all our food and drinks. We are food nerds that do it day in and day out, all for the love of sharing our food.

The Village, Carlsbad

Designed opening menu, kitchen setup, hired and trained opening crew. Owner's Sarra Costello and Andy Davis sought a refreshing concept for their North San Diego hot spot to feature simple farm to table dishes to pair with local craft beers and classic cocktails. Most of the old Peabody's remodel was done by the owners using repurposed materials to give a cozy ambiance.

San Diego, Ca

Consultation on the existing menu and kitchen structure. Adjusted current menu item recipes, re-structured method of preparations and team scheduling. Developed new menu items to balance the menu options/mix and bring Average Food cost down by focusing on popular menu items composition, categories/areas that were lacking and ultimately adding more value for our guests. This retrain was done with the existing team and Kitchen Manager to avoid a high turn-over.

A return to The Dana as Chef De Cuisine to revitalize the Food & Beverage operations on property. A large focus on multiple outlets including a pool bar, a salsa and herb garden for Firefly, Blue Pearl Restaurant, Room Service and other special events to generate revenue and amenity on property. Specializing in Weddings and Social Events in Mission Bay's Dana Hotel. In conjunction the Firefly Restaurant allows us to create seasonal cuisine with boutique wines and local San Diego Breweries.

-6 months as Executive Sous Chef under Executive Chef Melissa Mayer.-The last 10 months, a promotion to Executive Chef of the Guild Restaurant.Responsibilities included creating and executing brunch, lunch and dinner menus in a collaborative team setting. Utilizing some molecular gastronomy, high-end ingredients and presenting them in interactive plateware designed by artist and metal fabricator Paul Basile. This position also included managing a young team of seven skilled cooks with a low labor cost. A low food cost was also achieved through creative utilization.

Located in The Dana Hotel and Resort in Mission Bay. Firefly Restaurant + Bar gave way to the tapas/small plate concept under the direction of then Chef De Cuisine Jerry Sorenson. In conjunction the kitchen also catered the single ballroom (300 person occupancy) on property for weddings, social events and business meetings alike.

Small operation delivering high-end ice sculptures for large private events. Responsible for designing raw ideas, vectorized logos, drink luges, service bars and other customized hand-crafted sculptures. The position also involved a basic understanding of carpentry and the use of specialized machinery and power tools to achieve delicate and precise designs in ice. This position also entailed the delivery and handling of these designed pieces of ice all over the greater area of San Diego.

Located in Cape Cod, Masschusetts. A seasonal bakery specializing in handmade breads, pastries, breakfast and other desserts on a private cottage setting. The grounds included a small garden and grass seating for guests to enjoy. Responsible for mass production of doughs, buttercreams, infused sugars, etc, and breakfast preparation. This position also included managing par levels of inventory, maintaining a budgeted labor cost with a team of 3 skilled employees and 5 part-time FOH employees. During this short stint in the East Coast, implementation of a new breakfast program provided guests with a new service and helped increase revenue.

Assisted with the opening of Soleil@K. A California Cuisine driven menu housed in the old Clarion Building next to Petco Park. Responsibilities included development of a pizza menu and daily prep and execution of dishes coming from a multi-equipped station. This included a Wood Stone rotisserie, large grill and two gas fired Wood Stone pizza ovens in a open kitchen setting. Once the menu was established, a rotation through Saute, Garde Manger, and Pastry stations helped contribute a fresh set of ideas.

An intense personalized training with Chef Tina Luu, Chef John Miller, Chef Mial Parker, Chef Mark Blaubooer, Chef Joe Cochran and other guest chefs in a 9 month program aside from regular classes to compete in a regional competition with 4 other students. A two-part competition consisting of a knife skills/meat fabrication timed set with an exact sychronization between each team member, then leading into a timed seasonal menu execution. This Seasonal menu had to include as many cooking techniques and the ingredients used in the skills portion. We ultimately took silver medal in regionals and did not move on to the state competition.

The menu at Prego emphasizes regional Italian cuisine, featuring authentic pizza baked in a wood-fired oven, freshly made pastas, grilled fresh fish, spit-roasted meats and fowl, homemade desserts and an extensive list of wines from Italy and California. This position was an externship with Chef Josh McGinnis through The Art Institute of Ca, San Diego.