Banquet Cook

The City of La Crosse is accepting applications for a full-time Banquet Cook to join the team at the La Crosse Center. The La Crosse Center is the City's premier convention site and entertainment destination which provides for concerts, conventions, trade shows, entertainment, and sporting events.

The Banquet Cook position is responsible for the proper preparation of food items required for all events and special parties at the La Crosse Center. Performs cooking and/or other buffet station duties as required. This position will be under the direction of the Food and Beverage Manager. Starting hourly wage for this non-exempt position ranges between $19.85 and $22.74 per hour (80hrs bi-weekly). Hours are event based, which include evenings, weekends and holidays.

Requirements: Two years of experience in high-volume banquet kitchens. Sanitation license or Food Handler certified preferred. Exceptional customer service skills.

Benefits: The City of La Crosse offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical benefit plans, Wisconsin Retirement Plan, deferred compensation, Roth IRA, life insurance, income continuation insurance, voluntary dental and vision plans, paid holidays, vacations and sick leave. Benefit perks: traditional or high deductible (with HSA) medical plan options available, participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System with a 6.95% employer contribution, 10 paid holidays, ability to earn up to 12 sick days per year and vacation time available as of date of hire.

Successful candidate will be subject to background check and post-offer/pre-employment drug screen. Applications are accepted until the position is filled, with an initial review of applications August 25, 2025. To be considered, submit an employment application by visiting the City of La Crosse website and clicking on City Services, then clicking Career Opportunities or by visiting .

Purpose of Position

The Banquet Cook position is responsible for the proper preparation of food items required for all events and special parties at the La Crosse Center. Perform cooking and/or other buffet station duties as required. This position will be under the direction of the Food and Beverage Manager.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. The duties and responsibilities are not toe be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and/or assigned.

• Perform food preparation and cooking duties, including but not limited to preparing desserts, appetizers, and hot foods, and seasoning and cooking meats, fish, and vegetables in the Convention Center kitchens.
• Prepare menu items and dishes using Convention Center kitchens such as griddle, flat top, fryer, etc.
• Use and clean kitchen surfaces, equipment, and utensils including, but not limited to ovens, grills, broilers, and knives safely.
• Ensure a safe, sanitary, and organized environment.
• Perform skilled kitchen and cooking duties and assist other members of the food and beverage team.
• Assist in storing and rotating all inventories as needed.
• Perform job duties in full compliance with department internal controls, policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Ensures all prep is covered, labeled, dated, and properly stored at all times.
• Executes fast, clean, and efficient service of all menu items, makes sure cooking methods are executed properly, prepares food according to standardized recipes.
• Responsible for the preparation, cooking, and plating of all menu items.
• Ensures and monitors food product quality, appearance, and freshness.
• Regular and predictable attendance.

Additional Duties & Responsibilities

While the following tasks are necessary for the work of the department, they are not an essential part of the purpose of this position and may also be performed by other department staff.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Training & Experience Requirements

• Two (2) years of experience in high-volume banquet kitchens.
• Sanitation license or Food Handler certified preferred.

Physical & Mental Requirements

Language Ability and Interpersonal Communication

• Ability to train, and teach others. Ability to communicate safety and health policies and practices. Ability to advise and provide interpretation regarding the application of policies, procedures, and standards to specific situations.
• Ability to utilize, interpret and apply safety standards and regulations. Ability to recognize both safe working conditions and occupational hazards. Ability to apply safety principals, practices and procedures to actual field conditions and situations. Ability to investigate working conditions and accidents.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with city staff, customers and vendor representatives.

Mathematical Ability

• Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; calculate percentages, and decimals; ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; compute ratios and proportions; analyze statistics; calculate surface areas, volumes, weights and measures.

Judgement and Situational Reasoning Ability

• Ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable.

Physical Ability

• Ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment such as kitchen tools and appliances and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, feet, and limbs in performing movements requiring skill and training.
• Tasks involve the ability to exert very moderate physical effort in light work, typically involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling objects and materials of moderate weight, twelve to twenty pounds.
• Ability to recognize and identify degrees of similarities or differences between characteristics of colors, shapes, sounds and textures associated with job-related objects, materials, and tasks.
• Must be able to walk/stand for up to eight (8) hours or more.
• Must be able to carry/move up to 50 pounds.
• Must be able to work successfully in a fast paced environment.

Environmental Adaptability

• Tasks are regularly performed in safe and comfortable surroundings with occasional exposure loud or distracting sounds.

The City of La Crosse is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.