Elijah Pulley

About Elijah Pulley

Well rounded hospitality professional and a passionate culinarian, with experience in FOH and ample knowledge of BOH operations. I grew up in the business and watched my father climb the ranks to become a CEC. I have worked in the Industry for over 15 years studying a multitude of cuisines and several different restaurant concepts ranging from BBQ, to fine dining and Vietnamese take out. In July of 2018 I was chosen as the ACF Young Chef of the Month for my thoughts on what it meant to be a leader in the kitchen. After working in the industry for 6 years I went to culinary school to get a better foundation on the techniques of cooking and was selected as the 2019 Student Chef of the Year for the HOI ACF chapter. In 2024 I received the Certified Executive Chef accolade from the American Culinary Federation. I am very team oriented and pride myself on building cohesive successful teams by fostering a family atmosphere that promotes creativity and collaboration. Extensive background in catering and banquets, minimizing food waste, running events front and back, as well using systems to ensure quality product is delivered timely, and accurately. I have assisted with numerous opening projects and remodels in regards to menu development, dining room design and kitchen layout. As well as implementing systems to make those operations run smoothly. My undertakings include a massive kitchen renovation project, where my team and I sustained A la Carte and banquet operations during the construction. Additionally, we established a summer internship program in collaboration with Chicago Public Schools, extending our values to empower the next generation of culinary professionals. Most recently I revitalized an outdated kitchen. Implementing SOP\'s, Prep Systems and building a modernized inventory system to produce accurate costings. I assessed current equipment and line capabilities, replacing over 150k in equipment and creating a two kitchen system to allow banquets to operate seamlessly alongside a la carte.

Experience

1. Executive Chef

   Saddle & Cycle Club

   Feb 2025 — Present

Education

• Illinois Central College

  Associate of Arts - AA

  2017 — 2019