Harry Smith is the executive chef for Levy Restaurants at Alltel Stadium. He moved to Jacksonville to take the job.
WHAT DOES HE DO AS HEAD CHEF?
“I’m responsible for all the food in the South end zone. I oversee the ordering, receiving, all the way through the production of the food and managing other chefs. I make sure the food is coming out at top quality. I’m also responsible for the financial side as well as the employees.”
DOES HE DO
ANY COOKING?
“I do quite a bit of cooking, but not as much as I used to. I spend more time running around these days. One of our big focuses is the presentation of the food. Most people that have experience in the culinary field are OK with the taste; they may need a little bit of tweaking to get the flavor down. But to put the food out in a manner that’s above standard, the presentation takes a little longer to focus on. In a football stadium, people don’t usually expect the food to be at that level.”
WHERE IS THE SOUTH END ZONE PAVILION?
“It’s the patio on top that oversees the entire stadium. All the fans are welcome to go up there. There’s a great, big tiki hut. It’s kind of a cocktail party atmosphere. Downstairs is the Terrace Suite, a private suite for the 719 package holders. Along with their tickets, they can eat and be served beer, wine and soda. We do a lot of catering functions in here as well. Below that is the Bud Zone, our sports bar, which is open to the public. We feed the team and the Jaguars staff. We also have the tailgating party area and the corporate sponsorship tent. Last week, we did the function for President Bush.”
WHAT IS HIS BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“The organizational side. It’s a very system-driven operation. We have six, seven locations with different menus. On any given game day, I imagine we feed at least 10,000 people. Coordinating it all, trying to guess what every single person is going to eat, making sure everything is where it’s supposed to be and, at the quality I expect, is very challenging.”
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
In 1994, Smith started with the company as a bus boy and then shifted into the culinary arts. “As I moved up in the company, I started training and got into a supervisory role. Then I began traveling with a team, opening quite a few of the properties. We do all these sports/entertainment venues around the country. Whenever we move in, we send in a team of people to help train and keep the work standards the same.”
RAMBLING MAN
In his 11 years with Levy Restaurants, Smith has changed addresses often. Smith worked in Miami twice— first for Gulfstream Race Track and then for American Airlines. The company has also given him work at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Jacobs Field in Cleveland, at a minor league baseball stadium in Lincoln, Neb., at Philips Arena in Atlanta and at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Last year, he was at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.
WHAT WAS MOST MEMORABLE?
“I’ve been to several Super Bowls and worked the World Series in Cleveland, but honestly, standing at the bottom of the bobsled track during the Olympics was absolutely incredible. To watch the American athletes come off the track was a feeling you never forget.”
DOES HE PLAN TO RELOCATE AGAIN?
“I’m done moving around. This is my first, big executive chef spot. I hope to be here for quite some time.”
WHY GO INTO
THIS PROFESSION?
“I intended to go into the military after college but my knees didn’t hold out. I wanted to be a pilot. My father was a pilot. However, the aviation program was pretty strict about the medical. I had worked with Levy Restaurants before that so I went back part-time.”
WHAT’S WRONG WITH
HIS KNEES?
“I’ve never had good knees. It kind of runs in the family. I dislocated my kneecap several times and then I had a couple of ACL surgeries. I played football, basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey when I was younger. None of those sports were good for my knees.”
WHERE DID HE GO
TO COLLEGE?
Smith has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Kansas.
HOW DID HE SWITCH TO THE CULINARY FIELD?
“Believe it or not, they kind of tie in together. I started by helping one of the chefs with some of his bookwork and financial paperwork. He was trying to get me to work for him. I had never even thought about it. I started played with it [the culinary arts] and really enjoyed it.”
HOMETOWN
Kansas City, Mo.
WHAT DOES HE ENJOY ABOUT THE JOB?
“When I have the chance to talk to the guests and get their feedback. There’s nothing I like to hear more than compliments.”
DOES HE COOK WHEN HE’S NOT AT WORK?
“I like cooking for other people, but I don’t cook for myself. I live alone so it’s too much trouble.”
WHERE DOES HE LIVE?
Southside.
WHAT DOES HE DO
FOR FUN?
“I watch a lot of the Food Network. That’s how I relax.”
— by Monica Tsai