Darelle Bey
Durham
Summary
Accomplished culinary leader with over two decades of experience in higher education dining, providing strategic culinary direction for complex, high-volume operations. Experience includes leadership roles at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke University, overseeing residential dining, retail concepts, and large-scale catering programs. Recognized for developing strong culinary teams, implementing innovative menus, and maintaining the highest standards of food quality, safety, and operational performance. Brings a hands-on leadership approach, strong mentorship focus, and a passion for elevating the campus dining experience.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Campus Executive Chef
Chartwells Compass Group
Greensboro
01.2025 - Current
- Direct all culinary operations for a high-volume university dining program, including residential dining, retail, and catering, totaling 18.5 million in managed volume.
- Develop seasonal menus, recipes, and food concepts that align with student preferences, nutrition initiatives, and emerging culinary trends.
- Recruit, train, and develop culinary staff to maintain operational excellence and strong team engagement.
- Implement cost-control strategies while maintaining quality, consistency, and consistently maintaining budgeted CPM.
- Ensure compliance with food safety standards and campus dining policies.
Chef de Cuisine
Aramark, University of UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill
01.2023 - 01.2025
- Oversaw culinary operations for high-volume dining hall with daily transactions of 4,500-5,500.
- Managed culinary staff of 3 salaried chefs, 5 kitchen supervisors, and 40 hourly cooks.
- Streamlined kitchen processes to boost efficiency and service quality.
- Enhanced food quality through improved training initiatives.
- Supervised purchasing operations totaling $6.5 million annually and conducted weekly inventory checks.
- Forecasted food and labor budgets to optimize financial performance.
Executive Sous Chef
Southern Foodservice Management Inc.
Morrisville
09.2021 - 12.2023
- Assisted executive chef in managing daily kitchen operations for retail and catering, ensuring smooth workflow.
- Supervised food production to uphold quality standards and ensure consistent presentation across all dishes.
- Assisted in hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management of culinary team members.
- Coordinated inventory ordering and vendor communications to ensure timely deliveries and optimal stock levels.
- Conducted payroll processing and performed weekly safe audits to ensure compliance.
Sous Chef (Kosher)
Duke University
Durham
09.2004 - 08.2021
- Supervised daily food production for residential dining and campus kosher facility, ensuring high-quality standards.
- Ensured adherence to recipes and compliance with kosher laws for all menu items.
- Monitored portion control and production levels to minimize waste and optimize resource utilization.
- Assisted with ordering, receiving, and inventory management of food and kitchen supplies, maintaining operational efficiency.
- Negotiated contracts and communicated effectively with union employees.
Education
Associate of Arts -
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, NCSkills
- Culinary operations
- Menu development
- Food safety compliance
- Food safety
- ServSafe certification
- Inventory management
- Inventory control
- Budget forecasting
- Budget control
- Cost control strategies
- Cost control
- Waste reduction
- Kitchen efficiency
- Operations management
- Kitchen staff management
- Team leadership
- Team development
- Staff training
- Coaching and mentoring
- Time management
- Dietary restrictions
- Hospitality service expertise
Timeline
Campus Executive Chef
Chartwells Compass Group
01.2025 - Current
Chef de Cuisine
Aramark, University of UNC Chapel Hill
01.2023 - 01.2025
Executive Sous Chef
Southern Foodservice Management Inc.
09.2021 - 12.2023
Sous Chef (Kosher)
Duke University
09.2004 - 08.2021
Associate of Arts -
Wake Technical Community College