Oneida Nation Enterprises is the region’s largest employer, which brings with it a host of benefits.

Working in our culinary department is pretty sweet, too (See what we did there?).

One of the bonuses of working in culinary is working directly with Executive Chef Ron Ross, who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has been working at Turning Stone Resort Casino for more than seven years. Ron is renowned across Upstate New York and beyond for his creativity and his hard work ethic. He said he tries to lead by example.

“We take food very seriously here,” he noted. “Guests notice it. Outsiders notice it. Everyone notices it. And that means we need to constantly deliver consistency, constantly strive to make every meal better than the last.”

Ron cited mobility as another benefit to working in the F&B department for Oneida Nation Enterprises; every employee has a chance to grow.

While managers don’t push employees to grow outside their comfort zones, Ron said managers often give team members time and space to pursue promotions and professional development if that’s something they want to do. He added this creates a culture of accountability—one where people truly believe anything is possible.

“Once we get people to join the team, we really like to work with them to help them achieve whatever goals they have or positions they may want,” Ron said. “There are lots of success stories of people starting as dishwashers or line cooks and working their way up to very important jobs in the kitchen, some even to Chef de Cuisine.”

 A third benefit of being part of the culinary program at Turning Stone: Industry-leading compensation.

Ron said food & beverage salaries are comparable with salaries for the same positions in a major city like New York City—a surprising pay rate considering Turning Stone is five hours from the Big Apple. He noted that Turning Stone offers exceptional health insurance, tuition assistance, and retirement planning, too.

“We expect people to come here and work hard, and we’re prepared to pay them for it,” he said.

While Ron acknowledged he was honored to receive the recent Casino Player Magazine “Best of Dining” awards, he said accolades just inspire him to work harder. In this case, he said the pressure is on—now that Casino Player Magazine readers have recognized Turning Stone for excellence, we must remain excellent, always. 

“It’s an honor, for sure,” he said. “We’re doing a good job and need to keep doing a good job so our guests continue to feel this way about their dining experience here.”