When NHC Murfreesboro approached Julio Orantes about coming on board as executive chef, the small business owner was hesitant to close The Chef Place.
He'd only recently relocated the restaurant and catering business to Murfreesboro's historic Square from its former home on Medical Center Parkway.
But it was an offer he couldn't refuse. Orantes sold his business and accepted the position.
He started June 6 at NHC Murfreesboro, which is located behind the former MTMC on University Street.
"I'm in charge of all meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner," he said of his new title.
"First of all, it's a lot more rewarding. I'm actually cooking for people that need our services. I'm having the best time of my life, and I've been cooking for 27 years."
Orantes is currently creating a restaurant-style menu from which patients can order their meals.
"We are working with the corporate menu, and we're doing some changes. That's why they have to bring chefs on board," he explained.
"We'll be cooking stuff to order instead of mass production and try to improve the quality and create more communication between the dietary department and the nursing staff and patients."
NHC Murfreesboro isn't the first location to bring on an executive chef, according to Hunter Harris, assistant administrator at the facility.
They chose Orantes because of "his experience and the quality he could bring us – the quality of food service and management – and his experience and overall quality of 'chefsmanship.'"
Additionally, Orantes' experience as a restaurant owner and attention to customer (and now, patient) satisfaction proved beneficial.
As for the former Chef Place location, it has become PJs Pizza, which opened last week to offer pizza, subs and hand-dipped ice cream. Orantes continues to provide his catering services.
Orantes relocated The Chef Place by Julio in June 2010 from Medical Center Parkway to 113 N. Maple St., to the former location of The Clay Cup.
The Chef Place operated for three and a half years on Medical Center Parkway – in the section between Northwest Broad Street and Memorial Boulevard – where he served up gourmet food, as well as taught others how to cook.
Orantes' long resume includes executive chef positions at the former Arthur's Restaurant in the Union Station Hotel in Nashville and the Parthenon Steak House in Murfreesboro.
|
Email
Print
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!