We’re hiring: R&D Chef
We’re opening a new spot in the Westshore area of Tampa that will be a cafe during the day and a wine bar at night, and we’re looking for a person to help us build the food and drink side from the beginning.
During the day, we want great coffee, espresso drinks, baked goods, and a small food menu that feels thoughtful but not overdone. At night, the space will shift into a wine bar with really good food to go with it.
We’d love for the menu to change pretty often, whether that’s monthly, seasonally, or just based on what’s good and available at the time.
A big part of this role will be helping us develop and test the menu before grand opening. We plan to do test kitchens leading up to launch, so this person would be involved early on with trying recipes, tasting drinks, tweaking ideas, and helping us figure out what makes sense for the space.
We also really want to use local products as much as we can. Farms, bakeries, roasters, cheesemakers, butchers, small producers, anything we can find that makes sense. We’d love someone who enjoys sourcing ingredients and building those relationships. Local connections are definitely a bonus, but not required.
We’re not trying to build a menu around whatever comes off a giant delivery truck every week. We want it to feel a little more personal than that.
Kitchen experience is great, but we’re also open to newer chefs who have good ideas, good taste, and want the chance to grow into something. On the other side, if you have years of experience and like the idea of helping build a new concept from scratch, we’d love to hear from you too.
Any experience with baking, coffee, espresso, wine, bartending, or drink development is a big plus. You don’t need to be amazing at all of it. We’re really looking for someone who understands food first and is interested in the bigger picture of a cafe and wine bar.
You also won’t be expected to do everything yourself. We’ll be bringing on additional kitchen and bar staff as we get closer to opening.
A little about us: We’re a young couple and this is the first concept that’s really ours. Our families have been in restaurants for years, so we’ve been around the industry, but we’re also learning as we go.
A lot of the inspiration for this place comes from traveling, trying food in different cities and countries, finding small cafes we love, sitting at wine bars, and just enjoying places that feel special without trying too hard.
We’re looking for someone who wants to bring their own ideas into that. Someone who will tell us when something can be better, throw out ideas, try weird things, and help us figure out what this place should become.
More than anything, we want someone who wants to grow with us. Not just fill a position for a few months, but really become part of the team and have a hand in building the place.
We’re looking to hire closer to October/November.
Pay will depend on experience.
If this sounds like something you’d be into, send us a little about yourself, your experience, and what kind of food or drinks you’re excited about right now.
Email: [email protected]
Pay: From $45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
