John Salovesh
DeKalb
Summary
To further pursue my quest for culinary knowledge, provide quality meals and service to my guests and customers, and to apply and share the knowledge that I have acquired from my years of experience in the food service industry. Authorized to work in the US for any employer.
Presently hold valid Food Safety Manager Certification
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Cook
Kaneland Community Unit School District #302
Maple Park, IL
02.2026 - Current
- Prepared and cooked nutritious meals for students, adhering to dietary guidelines, sanitation andsafety protocols.
Warehouse Associate
3M
DeKalb, IL
03.2024 - 12.2025
- Operate Crown MPC 3000
- Build orders, stack on pallets, prepare for shipping.
Executive Chef
Prairie State Winery
Genoa, IL
07.2019 - 04.2024
- Prep all items for the restaurant
- Cook all items for the restaurant
- Order meats, cheeses and produce
- Cook for special events (200ppl)
- General kitchen duties that included: cleaning, maintenance, receiving and rotating stock from purveyors.
Meat Department Manager
Inboden's Meats
DeKalb, IL
06.2014 - 07.2019
- Open and manage the retail meat counter daily.
- Monitor and coordinate production of burgers, sausages, marinated products daily.
- Inventory the retail meat department.
- Trim, cut, and display all types of chicken, beef, pork, and seafood products for the retail and wholesale departments.
- Daily supervision and direction of 16-24 staff.
- Weekly employee scheduling, hiring and disciplinary action, recording and logging.
- Coordinate the production of raw proteins for the catering program.
- Trim, cure, and smoke pastrami and salmon for retail sale.
- Train new employees in production, recipes, and procedures.
- Coordinate between departments to gather the weekly promotions and sales items, including editing the print advertising.
- Monitor social media and networking for Inboden's Meats, LTD.
- Monitor and record the HACCP records, including daily inspections, USDA logs.
- Review and defend the HACCP plan on an annual basis.
- Attended an intensive 2-day HACCP workshop at University of Wisconsin Madison Meat Sciences Department
General Manager
The Huddle Restaurant
DeKalb, IL
12.2013 - 06.2014
- Open and prepare the restaurant for daily business.
- I was responsible for inventory, ordering, scheduling, production, preparation of house sauces and recipes, training and instruction of new employees.
- I was also in charge of restructuring the menu, developing new recipes, pricing philosophy, inventory sheets, recipe files, and food preparation manuals.
- General kitchen duties that included: cleaning, equipment maintenance, receiving and rotating stock from purveyors.
Cook
Sweet Dreams Desserts and Catering
Sycamore, IL
04.2013 - 12.2013
- Prepare cookies, sweet breads daily for retail sale.
- Prepare soups, salads and entrees for the buffet.
- Prepare meals for caterings both on and off-site.
- Prepare and man the omelet station for the weekend brunch buffet.
- General kitchen duties that included: cleaning, maintenance, receiving and rotating stock from purveyors.
Delivery Driver/Assistant Manager
Toppers Pizza
DeKalb, IL
01.2009 - 01.2013
- Delivered pizza to the DeKalb area, entered management program.
- Duties included: ordering, inventory, portion control, customer service, product rotation, prepping items including produce, dough, sauce and cheese for production.
Supervisor/Cook
Provena Fox Knoll
Aurora, IL
01.2010 - 01.2011
- Prepared, portioned and served meals for 100-165 assisted living and independent living residents, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special events.
- Responsibilities included: ordering, inventory and menu planning, including preparing special needs diets.
Education
Music Education
Colorado University at Boulder
Boulder, CO01.1996
Music Education
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL01.1991
Skills
- Attention to detail
- Computer operation
- Basic math
- Organizational skills
- Order picking
- Warehouse experience
- Pallet jack
- Computer literacy
- Customer service
- Cooking
- Cleaning and organization
- Food handling
- Food preparation
- Multitasking and organization
- Kitchen organization
- Strong attention to safe food handling procedures
- Frying
- Cooking techniques
- Knife skills
- Sanitation
- Supply restocking
- Hospitality and service industry background
- Food presentation
- Kitchen equipment operation and maintenance
- Grilling
- Contamination prevention
- Food waste reduction
- Portion control
- Food handler certification
- Hospitality service expertise
- Order verification
- Sauce making
- Allergen awareness
- Recipes and menu planning
- Order delivery practices
Additional Information
- Qualifications
- I am a well-rounded chef with a love for quality food and knowledge in all areas of food preparation. I am bi-lingual, well versed with HACCP procedures. I have an excellent sense of taste with enough food chemistry experience to tell what needs to be adjusted. I have experience in batch cooking and recipe development. I also like to re-create food experiences I have enjoyed on a consumer basis. I have been in the food service industry for many years, enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done, and a delicious meal presented gracefully to the customer.
Timeline
Cook
Kaneland Community Unit School District #302
02.2026 - Current
Warehouse Associate
3M
03.2024 - 12.2025
Executive Chef
Prairie State Winery
07.2019 - 04.2024
Meat Department Manager
Inboden's Meats
06.2014 - 07.2019
General Manager
The Huddle Restaurant
12.2013 - 06.2014
Cook
Sweet Dreams Desserts and Catering
04.2013 - 12.2013
Supervisor/Cook
Provena Fox Knoll
01.2010 - 01.2011
Delivery Driver/Assistant Manager
Toppers Pizza
01.2009 - 01.2013
Music Education
Colorado University at Boulder
Music Education
Northern Illinois University