Executive Chef & Culinary Consultant

Chef Jarrel McRae

Transforming Culinary Operations.
Protecting Profitability.
Elevating Hospitality.

18+ years of hotel culinary leadership. A hands-on partner for hotel owners and restaurant operators—and a private chef for exceptional occasions.

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Little Rock, Arkansas

Chef Jarrel McRae in a red chef coat and white toque behind a food display — Chef Jarrel McRae

18+

Years of hotel culinary leadership

Multi-Property

Leadership across hotel brands

Banquet & Restaurant

High-volume and à la carte expertise

Performance that matters to ownership

Proven Culinary & Financial Impact

Financial recovery and thoughtful hospitality belong together. From high food costs to stronger restaurant revenue, these results connect culinary leadership with operating performance.

30-Day Turnaround

180%36%

Food cost · in 30 days

Restoring cost discipline

Culinary operations turnaround

Reduced food cost from 180% to 36% in 30 days by addressing inventory, purchasing and production, with vendor accountability at the center of the recovery.

Inventory · Purchasing · Production · Vendor accountability

Food Cost Recovery

90%32%

Food cost

Turning controls into performance

Culinary operations turnaround

Brought food cost from 90% to 32% through recipe standardization, negotiation and operating controls—connecting what the kitchen produces with how the operation purchases and manages cost.

Recipe standards · Negotiation · Operating controls

Full-Service Hotel

<28%

Food cost · 200-room hotel

Protecting hotel profitability

Embassy Suites Uptown Charlotte · 200 rooms

Maintained food cost under 28% at the 200-room Embassy Suites Uptown Charlotte. The result reflects disciplined culinary performance within a full-service hotel environment.

Hotel operations · Sustained food cost performance

Restaurant Revenue

+15%

Restaurant revenue

Menus that meet guest demand

Restaurant revenue growth

Increased restaurant revenue by 15% through seasonal menu strategy and guest demand alignment, pairing culinary direction with what guests want to order.

Seasonal menus · Guest demand · Revenue growth

Achievements stated in Chef McRae’s résumé. The 180% → 36% and 90% → 32% turnarounds are not attributed to a specific property.

Discuss Your Property

About

Hotel-trained discipline. Chef-driven hospitality.

Chef Jarrel McRae brings 18+ years of culinary leadership across full-service, boutique and high-volume hotel kitchens — from banquet halls to restaurant lines.

He currently serves as Executive Chef III at Embassy Suites Little Rock, and previously led culinary and food & beverage at The Foundry Hotel Asheville and Embassy Suites Uptown Charlotte.

Through consulting, he helps operators build kitchens that run with clarity and control. Through private dining, he brings the same precision to the table.

View Experience

Hotel & Restaurant Consulting

A stronger operation. A healthier bottom line.

Hands-on support for hotel owners and operators: recover food cost, strengthen P&L performance and build systems that protect profitability without compromising hospitality.

Food Cost Recovery

Diagnose elevated food cost with kitchen audits, yield reviews and production controls. Build an actionable recovery plan around accountable purchasing and usage.

P&L & Operating Performance

Connect culinary decisions to the profit & loss statement: food cost, labor strategy, outlet performance and the operating priorities that matter to ownership.

Inventory & Purchasing Systems

Establish reliable counts, ordering practices, receiving checks and stock controls so teams can see what is purchased, used and on hand.

Menu Engineering

Align seasonal menus with guest demand, recipe costs and contribution margin while keeping execution consistent across restaurant and hotel outlets.

Banquet & BEO Execution

Translate banquet event orders into production plans, staffing and service coordination, with clear handoffs from event planning to the kitchen and floor.

Task-Force Stabilization

Hands-on culinary leadership during transitions and operational disruption. Restore daily structure, support teams and establish consistent multi-unit standards.

Vendor Negotiation

Review specifications, pricing and supplier performance. Strengthen negotiations, receiving accountability and purchasing discipline without losing sight of quality.

SOPs, HACCP & Food Safety

Create practical standard operating procedures, food-safety documentation and inspection-ready routines that teams can consistently execute.

Team Development

Develop cooks, sous chefs and banquet leaders through hands-on training, clear expectations and station workflows aligned to forecasted volume.

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Private Dining

Luxury dining, at your table.

Tasting menus and events designed around your guests, your setting and the season.

Tasting Menus

Multi-course seasonal menus composed for intimate tables and special occasions.

Private Events

Dinner parties, celebrations and gatherings with full menu planning and service.

Corporate & Executive Dining

Refined hospitality for client dinners, retreats and leadership events.

Plan a Private Dinner

Experience

A career built in hotel kitchens.

Leading culinary operations across restaurant, banquet and in-room dining for a full-service hotel.

Editorial Features

In the Press

Culinary perspective, local food culture and hospitality beyond the kitchen. Each feature links to the publication's original article.

AFAR

November 8, 2023

The Best Dishes to Try in Asheville, North Carolina, According to Its Top Chefs

Tykesha Burton asks Asheville's leading chefs which dish best represents their city's table.

By Tykesha Burton · Chef McRae quoted

Read the original feature

Tasting Table

October 4, 2023

The Secret To Crispy, Craveable Chicken And Waffles Is Using The Same Batter

Anna Staropoli quotes Chef McRae, then executive chef and director of food & beverage at The Foundry Hotel's Benne on Eagle in Asheville, on hydrating pancake mix into a batter for the chicken and dredging it in dry mix seasoned with Cajun spices, so the coating crisps instead of burning.

By Anna Staropoli · Chef McRae quoted

Read the original feature

WLOS News 13

August 4, 2023

Celebrating Black Business Month: Area restaurants serving up good food & culture

WLOS News 13's WNC Food Scene visited Benne on Eagle in The Block, Asheville's historic African American neighborhood, where Chef Jarrel McRae talked about honoring the community's legacy through the restaurant's atmosphere and menu, then showed four brunch dishes: shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles with a hot honey drizzle and maple sage gravy, a Monte Cristo sandwich, and a fig and prosciutto flatbread.

By Gracee Mattiace · TV & local news interview

Read the original feature

WFAE 90.7

November 23, 2015

A Note Of Thanks

Early-career community coverage: Amy Rogers reports on Chef Jarrel McRae of Le’rraj and Se’maj Hospitality Group leading healthy Southern cooking demonstrations at the free Senior Nutrition and Produce Event at Clinton Chapel AME Zion Church in Charlotte, where he served sweet potato hash — his recipe published with the piece — collard-green pasta and curly-cabbage pot stickers, and walked cooks through simple substitutions such as agave or maple syrup for refined sugar, olive oil for saturated fat and searing for deep-frying.

By Amy Rogers · Chef McRae featured, early career

Read the original feature

Signature Plates