Romario Samll

Award-winning Executive Chef and entrepreneurial culinary operator with 12+ years of progressive leadership across luxury hotel dining, upscale restaurants, steakhouses, high-volume kitchens, private events, openings, and consulting engagements. Proven ability to pair artistically curated menus and polished presentation with disciplined financial execution: reduced food cost from 48% to 29%, supported approximately $120K in weekly sales, and earned a 100 health inspection score. Hands-on leader known for developing teams, building repeatable kitchen systems, safeguarding sanitation, and delivering distinctive guest experiences across restaurant and event service.

Executive Chef / Culinary Operations Consultant at CUTS Steakhouse (2026 – Present)

• Lead culinary standards, kitchen systems, food-safety readiness, inventory controls, recipe execution, production planning, receiving, and bilingual staff training for a high-end steakhouse operation.
• Built operating tools for temperature and sanitation monitoring, protein counts, prep, storage, ordering, portion yields, line checks, and daily leadership accountability.
• Drive consistency, cleanliness, speed of service, plate quality, and team performance through hands-on coaching and disciplined follow-through.

Chef de Cuisine at 5Church Midtown / K5 Hospitality (2025 – 2026)

• Directed daily culinary operations for a high-volume upscale restaurant generating approximately $120K in weekly sales, coordinating production, service, staffing, purchasing, quality, and presentation.
• Helped reduce food cost from 48% to 29% through purchasing discipline, portion controls, recipe yields, inventory management, prep planning, and waste reduction.
• Earned a 100 health inspection score by reinforcing sanitation SOPs, documentation, storage, temperature control, and inspection-ready habits.
• Managed labor deployment during peak periods while protecting service standards, guest satisfaction, and team accountability.

Executive Chef at Katch Kitchen & Cocktails (2023 – 2025)

• Owned menu development, kitchen staffing, purchasing, production, cost control, food safety, and service execution for a contemporary restaurant and cocktail concept.
• Introduced standardized recipes, prep expectations, plating specifications, and performance routines to strengthen consistency across shifts and support profitable execution.
• Led team development, scheduling, vendor coordination, inventory discipline, and high-volume service while maintaining quality and presentation standards.

Sous Chef at APT 4B (2022 – 2023)

• Supported chef-driven Caribbean fine-dining production and service, coaching the brigade while maintaining exacting standards for flavor, presentation, timing, sanitation, and guest experience.

Executive Chef at Studio Cigar Lounge (2020 – 2022)

• Managed end-to-end kitchen operations, menu development, purchasing, staff training, food safety, and guest-facing culinary experiences.

Executive Chef at Kingston Grill (2018 – 2020)

• Led culinary strategy, menu execution, kitchen staffing, purchasing, quality assurance, and cost-conscious production for a full-service restaurant.

Sous Chef at Blue Windows Restaurant | Jamaica Pegasus Hotel (2014 – 2018)

• Built luxury hotel, restaurant, and banquet experience within a landmark hospitality operation, supporting upscale outlet service, high-volume production, event execution, team supervision, and refined presentation standards.
• Worked within a structured hotel environment where timing, consistency, sanitation, interdepartmental coordination, and guest recovery were essential to daily success.

Associate Degree in Culinary Arts and Food & Beverage (2014)

Associate Degree in Hotel & Tourism Management (2017)

Additional training in Cake Baking & Decorating