CLUBHOUSE EXECUTIVE CHEF OPPORTUNITY AT LOBLOLLY

The Clubhouse Executive Chef opportunity at Loblolly is in one of Hobe Sound's most established communities. It is an excellent opportunity for candidates with exceptional culinary talent and leadership—a chance to continue their culinary reputation in their new Clubhouse and signature kitchen. The clubhouse, kitchen, and inspiring chef gourmet market are brand new and perfectly positioned for success. In Partnership with the Culinary Director, an Executive Chef who can see the vision shared by club leadership and committee, while developing concepts together, will completely align with such a celebrated role. Food and Beverage offerings are a key amenity for all 325 members, offering diverse dining venues, high-end catering operations, and a well-designed kitchen. This position is best suited for candidates with experience in high-quality, high-touch environments that Members frequently enjoy. The Clubhouse Executive Chef will report directly to the Director of Culinary of Loblolly.

ABOUT LOBLOLLY AND THE COMMUNITY

Loblolly is a private club and community located on Florida’s southeastern coast in beautiful Hobe Sound on the Intracoastal Waterway. This convenient location is just north of Jupiter Island and Palm Beach.

The Club's genesis was a deliberate journey, founded on a passion for sports and family bonding. The original members imbued Loblolly with its defining attributes – a familial ambiance, unassuming elegance, warmth, hospitality, and a zest for life. The establishment of the Loblolly Bay Yacht Club and Marina marked the inception, offering a haven for boating enthusiasts, anglers, and beach lovers alike. The club's allure transcended geographical boundaries, attracting members from diverse locales. Their enthusiasm for golf led to the opening of Loblolly Pines Golf Club across the road. The two clubs then merged in 2000 to create the member-owned Club that is now called Loblolly.  An invitation-only membership ensures that those joining the Loblolly family share similar ideals and values. Pete and P.B. Dye originally designed Loblolly to challenge golfers of all skill levels. Loblolly is recognized as one of the top courses in Florida, with surprising changes in topography seldom found in a coastal setting. 

The Clubhouse, a bastion of classic charm and sophistication, serves as the focal point for social gatherings and celebrations. A full-service Spa with an extensive menu of services is situated at the Clubhouse and features treatment rooms and a separate nail salon. Loblolly’s state?of?the?art Fitness Center is equipped for aerobics, strength training, stretching, and physical therapy. Its panoramic vistas and inviting terraces provide the perfect backdrop for shared moments over meals, drinks, and camaraderie. Meanwhile, the rejuvenated Yacht Club tantalizes palates with its exquisite culinary offerings, complemented by a curated selection of wines and fresh seafood.

The Club offers tennis with ten Har-Tru courts.  Two separate pools complement Loblolly’s recreational amenities.

The Marina and Yacht Club are nestled in a natural inlet on the Intracoastal Waterway, surrounded by lush mangroves and adjacent to the Hobe Sound Wildlife Refuge. Members enjoy many recreational water sports and activities.  At the community's eastern edge, the 79 slip, deep-water marina offers dockage on a seasonal or annual basis for yachts up to 100 feet.

LOBLOLLY WEBSITE: www.loblollyinfo.com

LOBLOLLY BY THE NUMBERS:

• 325 members (4 categories) | Average Age of Membership: 69
• 32,000 sq ft clubhouse
• $3.2 M Annual F&B Revenues Approximately
• 48 % food cost (target 48%)
• 59% Kitchen labor cost (target 55%)
• 62,054 covers per year
• 6,000 sq ft. kitchen
• 32 total kitchen employees
• 22 Main Clubhouse employees
• The Club uses the Club Essentials system for POS
• Limited Club service – June 1 to October 1 / Full Service – October to May

CLUBHOUSE FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS OVERSIGHT:

Grill Room – 189 seats (Main Dining Room, Bar/Lounge, and Patio) – various dining zones, with views of the golf course. In the new kitchen and clubhouse space, the restaurant features a beautiful wine wall.

Private Dining Room – 18 seats – perfect for small private events. Placed into the new clubhouse with direct access to the new kitchen. Ideal space for Chef inspired concepts, and members desired celebrations.

Chef Market – 18 seats (Inside/Outside) – top tier grab and go, with personalized creations inspired by the location and dining trends of the membership. Open from morning to evening, the market's centerpiece is the hearth pizza oven. From a quick juice to a full lunch. The main kitchen has seamless access to the market for chef stations.

Multi-Purpose Catering Venue – 176 seats – positioned in the new clubhouse, with views of the golf course—a perfect space to grow with catering/member signature events. Artfully designed with direct access to the new kitchens.

CLUBHOUSE EXECUTIVE CHEF POSITION OVERVIEW

The Clubhouse Executive Chef at Loblolly is responsible for the overall leadership, mentoring, and development of the culinary team and all food production in the Main Clubhouse. They, in collaboration with the Culinary Director, develop menus, food purchasing guides, and recipes, and develop and monitor food and labor budgets for the department. The position maintains the highest professionalism in leading their team, the quality, consistency, and variety of their food offerings, and exceptional standards of sanitation and cleanliness.

KEY PRIORITIES FOR SUCCESS

LEADERSHIP

• Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust with them by engaging, observing, learning, and listening to their wisdom, experience, and needs.
• Earn members’ trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility.
• Create a fun collaborative work environment while being. Fully Hands on
• Involve associates in the decision-making process of how “work gets done” and create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to and participate every day.
• Be a focused and consistent evaluator of personnel, ensuring that standards of conduct and delivery are met; this includes oversight of high standards of appearance, hospitality, service, and cleanliness of the kitchen facilities.
• Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building their team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes.
• Work closely with the front-of-house food and beverage managers to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds the expectations of members and guests.
• Hold daily/weekly staff briefings and line-ups with direct reports to keep them informed of necessary and relevant activities and expectations at the Club.

 OPERATIONS

• Plan, organize, and run a busy seasonal operation, with multiple events happening at the same time in the clubhouse as well as a la carte dining.
• Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to assure consistent, high quality and minimize food costs; exercise portion control for all items served and assist in establishing menu selling prices.
• Evaluate food products to ensure that the highest quality standards are consistently attained.
• Ensure that high standards of sanitation, cleanliness, and safety are always maintained throughout all kitchen areas. Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft.
• Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident-prevention principles.
• Maintain safety training programs; manage OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintain MSDS’s in an easily accessible location.

MEMBERSHIP

• Be visible and engaged with membership throughout the F&B outlets and during events at the Club.
• Be responsive to members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests. Loblolly prides itself on having a “say yes” culture.
• Drive consistent innovation, elevate, and build exciting food programs for members to enjoy.

FINANCIAL

• Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently review these expectations with their direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy-in’ from those contributing to their attainment.
• Consistently monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. Produce variance reports for monthly financial statements.
• Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation.
• Prepare necessary data for applicable parts of the budget; project annual food, labor, and other costs and monitor actual financial results; take corrective action as necessary to help ensure that financial goals are met.
• Review and approve product purchase specifications and maintain excellent vendor relationships.

INITIAL PRIORITIES OF CLUBHOUSE EXECUTIVE CHEF

• Create a clear game plan for seasonal staffing, recruitment, and execution. The club restarts each year, with returning culinary talent and new faces.
• Evaluate current operations and set appropriate and necessary standards of operation, processes, execution, and delivery within the culinary operation, taking ownership of the entire experience from production to final delivery of the product, while working closely and positively with the front-of-house team.
• Be visible, engage with membership, and become familiar with dining requirements and preferences.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred five years of experience in a luxury and private club leadership role.
• Preferred to have a degree in Culinary Arts and/or other Hospitality Management focus.
• Is experienced with technology including Jonas POS, and Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership.  

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY

Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents fully prepared to attach when prompted during the online application process.  Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile.

Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Loblolly Director of Culinary/ Mr. Zouhair Bellout and clearly articulate your alignment with this role and why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why Loblolly and the Hobe Sound, FL area will be beneficial to you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected.

You must apply for this role as soon as possible, but no later than the 12th of July 2026.  Candidate selections will occur in mid-July, with first Interviews expected in late July and second interviews shortly thereafter.  The new candidate should assume their role in late August 2026.

IMPORTANT:  Save your resume and letter in the following manner:

“Last Name, First Name - Resume” &

“Last Name, First Name - Cover Letter - Loblolly”

(These documents should be in Word or PDF format.)

Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you cannot go back and add additional documents.

Click here to upload your resume and cover letter.

If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor: bethany@kkandw.com 

LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES:

Annette Whittley, CCM

Search Executive

561-827-1945 (M)

annette@kkandw.com

Lawrence McFadden, CMC, ECM

Search Executive

239-963-6888 (M)

lawrence@kkandw.com

About Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace

KK&W is the leading recruiting and consulting firm in the private club sector and voted “Best Search Firm of the Year” every year since 2006 by The Boardroom magazine. We continue to lead the industry in the placement of executive chef, GM/COO, AGM/clubhouse manager, director of food and beverage, executive chef, director of golf/head golf professional, golf course superintendent/director of agronomy, director of tennis/director of racquets, fitness & wellness director, chief financial officer/controller, membership director and marketing directors for private, resort and developer owned properties, clubs and communities as well as senior living communities and property owners associations. We are the leaders in executive placement by providing our clients with exceptional candidates who are ethical, competent and capable. The KK&W team possess more than 400 years of combined experience managing all areas of the club world. Our experience and expertise have provided us with a proven track record of placing candidates who possess integrity, competence, and compatibility with a club’s culture and environment.

Connections working at Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace