Richard Sanell

Sous Chef with extensive hands-on kitchen leadership managing hotel and banquet services, improving ticket times and maintaining HACCP compliance. Drives cost control through weekly inventory reporting and par-level planning while training teams in knife skills and mise en place. Aims to refine menu execution and reduce food waste through tighter prep schedules and preventive maintenance.

Sous Chef at Hotel Indigo Kansas City Downtown (2023-04 – Present)

Full-time position at Hotel Indigo Kansas City Downtown

• Managed daily kitchen service for a 120-room hotel, executing dinner menus for banquet and à la carte guests.
• Developed prep schedules and par levels for walk-in and dry storage to reduce food spoilage.
• Trained line cooks on knife skills and station setup using hands-on demos and written checklists.
• Implemented HACCP-based cleaning rota and logged temperatures daily to maintain health inspection compliance.
• Created weekly inventory reports in Excel to track usage trends and adjust purchasing orders.
• Coached junior cooks through mise en place routines, improving ticket times during dinner service.
• Collaborated with banquet manager to adapt menus for events, meeting specific dietary and timing needs.
• Directed evening hot line, executing ticket flow for banquet and à la carte services to maintain service pace.
• Scheduled prep and par levels for walk-in and dry storage to minimize daily ingredient shortages.
• Coached line cooks on knife techniques and station setup through hands-on shifts and competency checks.

Line Cook at Bob Evans Farms, Inc. (2022-11 – Present)

Line cook, prep cook

• Prepped mise en place for breakfast and lunch services, staging ingredients to sustain continuous ticket flow.
• Cooked menu items to standardized recipes during peak shifts, maintaining consistent portion sizes and taste.
• Monitored grill and fryer temperatures using probes, adjusted settings to prevent overcooking and wasted product.
• Rotated perishable inventory following FIFO and weekly counts, cutting spoilage and preserving food quality.
• Performed daily equipment checks and minor preventive maintenance on slicer and charbroiler to avoid downtime.
• Communicated ticket priorities with expeditor and servers to speed orders, improving table turnaround during rushes.

Warehouse Team Member at TVH Parts Co. (2021-10 – 2021-12)

• Conducted daily cycle counts against inventory records, identifying and reporting stock discrepancies to supervisor.
• Processed returns and inspected parts for defects, segregating damaged inventory for vendor claims.
• Loaded outbound shipments onto trucks following carrier manifests, matching packing lists to shipping labels.

Machine Operator at Tyson Foods (2019-06 – 2020-02)

• Operated high-speed boning machine during production shifts, maintained target throughput while reducing jams.
• Adjusted machine settings per control charts to maintain consistent product weight within spec limits.
• Performed daily equipment inspections using TPM checklist and reported faults to maintenance team.
• Calibrated in-line scales and sensors with manufacturer guidelines to correct slicing variance.
• Trained three new operators on machine startup, safety guards, and lockout-tagout procedures.
• Implemented a parts-prep rack at the line to cut changeover time between SKUs during shifts.

Machine Operator at Kansas City Sausage Company, LLC (2018-03 – 2019-05)

• Monitored temperature and pressure gauges on grinders and mixers to prevent product spoilage during runs.
• Performed routine machine inspections and recorded defects in maintenance logs for repair scheduling.
• Set up production runs by changing dies, belts, and hopper settings to meet SKU specifications.
• Trained new operators on safe start-up, lockout-tagout, and emergency stop procedures on equipment.
• Reduced material waste by reorganizing feed sequence and adjusting cut lengths during pilot batches.

Production Manager at Rawxie's,LLC (2014-06 – 2018-03)

• Reduced machine downtime by scheduling preventive maintenance checks and coordinating technician shifts.
• Implemented daily production floor audits that identified quality defects and lowered rework occurrences.
• Managed shift staffing and created rotation plans that balanced workloads across four production lines.
• Negotiated with suppliers to secure consistent raw-material deliveries, cutting supply interruptions on floor.
• Led supplier quality audits that resolved recurrent packaging defects and reduced customer complaints.

Kitchen Manager at Cafe on the Greens (2010-04 – 2013-05)

• Implemented weekly inventory audits using spreadsheet templates, reducing monthly food wastage and spoilage.
• Scheduled preventive maintenance for ovens and walk-ins, preventing unexpected downtime during peak service.
• Negotiated vendor terms and consolidated produce orders to improve ingredient consistency and delivery reliability.
• Built daily prep reports tracking yield and par levels to align ordering with actual consumption patterns.
• Managed staff schedules and shift swaps to maintain coverage while reducing overtime occurrences.
• Trained line cooks on mise en place and station setup, shortening service ticket times during dinner shifts.

High school diploma – Mingus Mountain Academy (1995 – 1999)