New General Manager Brings 20 Years' Experience to Le Jeune Chef

The new general manager at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant on Pennsylvania College of Technology's main campus brings with him 20 years of management experience in the hospitality industry, including in some of the nation's most high-profile clubs.

Einar H. Sigurdsson, a native of Iceland, took the helm at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant in mid-September. The fine-dining restaurant is operated by the college's School of Hospitality as a training site for students enrolled in the culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and hospitality management majors.

"I am honored to be working at Pennsylvania College of Technology," he said. "I love the positive energy of the students and the staff. Williamsport is a great city, which is now our (Sigurdsson and his wife's) future home and where our kids will go to school."

Sigurdsson recently managed the Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier, one of the top three clubs in the United States. The exclusive, 2,000-member private club was started by the Mellon family 90 years ago.

He has also worked in such well-known clubs and resorts as The Lodge at Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the Oahu Country Club in Honolulu before relocating to the East Coast, where he was assistant general manager of the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester, N.Y. Sleepy Hollow, established in 1911 by the Rockefeller family, is one of New York's top-rated golf and country clubs.

In his two months at Penn College, Sigurdsson has come to recognize the restaurant's attributes and is planning to expand on them.

"I hope to build on Peter Hellermann's tradition," he said.

Hellermann served as the restaurant's general manager for nearly 10 years before retiring in September.

"Le Jeune Chef at Penn College is a hospitality treasure in Williamsport, offering only the best from the kitchen, like milk-fed veal, fresh seafood, Jamison lamb and organic-grown vegetables to name a few," Sigurdsson said. "Prices are very reasonable; all items are prepared freshly by the students and overseen by the faculty and professional staff. Our service students in the front of the house and baking and pastry students are also overseen by our faculty and professional staff."

He also noted the uniqueness of Le Jeune Chef as a recipient of Wine Spectator magazine's "Best of Award of Excellence" for the last seven years.

On top of the strengths he sees, Sigurdsson has begun new programs, among them a rechargeable gift card that can be purchased by phone to replace gift certificates.

"I hope the public and businesses continue taking advantage of Le Jeune Chef and our catering department. Most of all, I want to thank them for supporting the students," he said.

He said he also looks forward to assisting Penn College students as they endeavor to fulfill their dreams (he already has used his contacts to aid a student's job search).

"I like their energy, and I like to support them in any and all ways I can," he said.

Sigurdsson is pursuing the Certified Club Manager designation from the Club Manager Association of America. He earned a bachelor's degree in hotel and restaurant management from Hotel & Veitingaskoli College of Iceland (now called the Iceland School of Hotel and Catering) in Reykjavik, Iceland, and has completed postgraduate study in economics and political science at Monterey Peninsula College in California.

He has also been a sommelier in Carmel, Calif., and managed the opening of two restaurants, including his own creation a 175-seat, upscale European-cuisine restaurant in Ligonier.

For more information about the Le Jeune Chef Restaurant, visit online or call (570) 320-CHEF (2433).

For information about the academic programs offered by the School of Hospitality, visiton the Web or call (570) 327-4505.