Tyresa Earnest

Hospitality leader with 20+ years of progressive experience directing culinary operations across hotels, resorts, corporate dining, senior living, restaurants, and catering. Proven success in restaurant and banquet operations, multi-outlet management, budgeting, purchasing, labor management, menu development, and team leadership. Seeking continued growth into Food & Beverage and Operations leadership.

Executive Chef - Hilton Garden Inn Merced - Merced, CA

(2025-08)

• Lead restaurant, breakfast, banquet, catering, and special event culinary operations.
• Develop menus, control food and labor costs, oversee purchasing, inventory, and scheduling.
• Partner with hotel leadership to improve guest satisfaction and operational performance.
• Build SOPs, recipes, prep guides, and training programs.

Sous Chef - Meta Corporate Dining

(2025-06 - 2025-08)

• Managed an independent breakfast and lunch kitchen.
• Directed cooks and stewards while planning daily menus and special meals.
• Oversaw inventory, food cost, and sanitation.

Sous Chef / Banquet Sous Chef - Great Wolf Lodge - Manteca, CA

(2022 - 2025)

• Served as Banquet Sous Chef supporting four high-volume dining outlets.
• Managed staffing, scheduling, prep, and production across multiple outlets.
• Directed banquet production for weddings, conferences, and special events.
• Developed weekly employee dining menus serving 300–400 team members daily.
• Assisted with purchasing, inventory, labor, and food cost management.

Sous Chef - Livermore Heritage Estates

(2021 - 2022)

• Led culinary team in Executive Chef's absence.
• Managed production, scheduling, inventory, and resident dining.

Executive Chef - Samaritan Village

(2019 - 2021)

• Directed culinary operations during COVID-19.
• Managed staffing, budgets, purchasing, menus, and compliance.

Executive Chef - Commons at Elk Grove

(2014 - 2019)

• Directed kitchen operations, staffing, budgets, menus, and quality assurance.

Sous Chef - Dale Commons

(2012 - 2014)

• Supported Executive Chef with operations, scheduling, inventory, and food production.

Associate Degree - Culinary Arts

Advanced Culinary Arts - U.S. Department of Labor