Donte Jones

Culinary professional with 14 years of experience in restaurant operations, catering, kitchen leadership, menu development, food safety, and staff training. Experienced in teaching cooking skills to young adults on the autism spectrum and training employees in professional kitchen practices. Currently pursuing an Associate Degree in Hospitality Management. Brings practical industry knowledge, patience, strong organization, and a hands-on approach to culinary education.

Head Cook at Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (2025-02 – Present)

• Lead daily kitchen operations, including food preparation, cooking, plating, sanitation, inventory, and service.
• Train and support kitchen staff in recipes, knife skills, food safety, station procedures, and professional conduct.
• Coordinate production for restaurant service, catering orders, and large-group events.
• Monitor food storage, labeling, temperatures, portion sizes, and product rotation.
• Support efficient labor use and reduce waste through cross-training, prep planning, and proper inventory control.
• Work with management and front-of-house staff to maintain quality service and resolve operational concerns.

Executive Chef at Hawks Landing Golf Course (2023-03 – Present)

• Prepare and oversee menu production while maintaining quality, consistency, portion control, and service timelines.
• Work across multiple kitchen stations, including grill, sauté, fryer, pantry, prep, and plating.
• Train new employees on recipes, station responsibilities, equipment use, sanitation, and kitchen safety.
• Support banquets, catered events, food presentation, setup, and breakdown.
• Maintain clean, organized, and service-ready kitchen areas and equipment.
• Communicate with kitchen and service teams during high-volume operations.

Owner / Operator at The Art of Yum Restaurant & Catering (2017 – 2023)

• Managed daily restaurant and catering operations, including menu planning, purchasing, scheduling, food preparation, customer service, and event coordination.
• Hosted hands-on cooking classes for young adults on the autism spectrum, adapting instruction to individual learning needs.
• Taught basic kitchen safety, food preparation, sanitation, recipe following, teamwork, and workplace expectations.
• Recruited, trained, scheduled, and supervised kitchen and service employees.
• Developed recipes and menu items while monitoring food quality, pricing, portions, and ingredient costs.
• Planned and executed catering services for private, community, church, and special events.
• Managed inventory, vendor communication, ordering, payroll coordination, and daily business administration.
• Maintained compliance with health, sanitation, storage, and food-handling requirements.
• Built customer relationships through reliable service, consistent food quality, and professional communication.

Associate Degree in Hospitality Management – Naugatuck Valley Community College (2028)

Diploma in Culinary Arts – Kaynor Technical High School (2008)