Job Title: City Cuisine Manager
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Reports To: Director of Operations
Location
City Cuisine Food Trailer and Future Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant
About City Cuisine
City Cuisine is a mission-driven social enterprise of City of Refuge that creates employment, workforce development, and community engagement opportunities through food, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. Through our food trailer, catering services, and future restaurant, City Cuisine provides meaningful job training and employment pathways for refugees and immigrants while building a sustainable food enterprise that serves our community.
Position Summary
The City Cuisine Manager is responsible for the overall day-to-day leadership and operation of City Cuisine, including food trailer service, catering production, kitchen management, staff supervision, and workforce development training.
This individual will lead current food service operations while helping prepare City Cuisine for future expansion into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The City Cuisine Manager will ensure high-quality food production, exceptional customer service, operational efficiency, and a positive learning environment for refugee and immigrant participants.
The ideal candidate is both an operational leader and a teacher—someone who can successfully manage a food enterprise while developing people. This position requires a unique combination of kitchen leadership, business awareness, patience, flexibility, and a passion for helping individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds succeed.
Essential ResponsibilitiesFood Service & Operations Management
- Lead all day-to-day City Cuisine operations, including food trailer service and catering production.
- Oversee food preparation, production schedules, service execution, and quality control.
- Maintain food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.
- Manage inventory, ordering, receiving, and storage of food and supplies.
- Develop and maintain kitchen systems, procedures, and operational standards.
- Coordinate daily staffing and workflow.
- Ensure a positive customer experience and high-quality food service.
- Assist with menu implementation and product consistency.
- Troubleshoot operational challenges and maintain continuity of service.
Workforce Development & Training
- Train refugee and immigrant participants in food preparation, food safety, customer service, hospitality, and workplace expectations.
- Provide hands-on coaching and mentorship in a supportive learning environment.
- Adapt training methods to accommodate varying levels of English proficiency and work experience.
- Foster confidence, professionalism, and workplace readiness among participants.
- Create opportunities for skill development and advancement.
- Support the mission of City Cuisine by balancing operational excellence with meaningful workforce development.
Team Leadership
- Supervise kitchen staff, trainees, interns, and volunteers.
- Foster a positive, mission-centered workplace culture.
- Set clear expectations and accountability standards.
- Lead by example through professionalism, teamwork, and hospitality.
- Help develop future leaders within City Cuisine.
Growth & Future Restaurant Development
- Assist in building systems and processes that can successfully scale into a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
- Document recipes, training materials, operational procedures, and best practices.
- Help establish a sustainable staffing structure that reduces dependence on any one individual.
- Contribute operational expertise as City Cuisine prepares for future expansion.
- Serve as a key leader in the continued growth and development of the City Cuisine enterprise.
QualificationsRequired
- Minimum three years of experience in restaurant, catering, food truck, institutional food service, hospitality, or related operations.
- Experience supervising staff and leading daily operations.
- Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Commitment to the mission and values of City of Refuge.
- Ability to obtain and maintain required food safety certifications.
Preferred
- Experience training, mentoring, or developing employees.
- Experience working with refugees, immigrants, English language learners, or diverse populations.
- Catering or event food service experience.
- ServSafe Manager Certification.
- Bilingual or multilingual abilities.
Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured through:
- Consistent and reliable operation of the food trailer and catering services.
- High standards of food quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.
- Growth and development of refugee workforce participants.
- Increased operational sustainability and reduced reliance on any single individual.
- Development of documented systems and procedures.
- Readiness and preparation for future brick-and-mortar restaurant operations.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand for extended periods.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
- Ability to work in kitchen, food trailer, and event environments.
- Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, and special events as needed.
Position Details
- Full-Time Position 40 hours/week
- Primarily weekday hours with occasional evening or weekend coordination needs
- On-site
Why This Role Matters
City Cuisine exists to create opportunity through food. The City Cuisine Manager plays a critical role in both operating a successful food enterprise today and building the foundation for future growth. This position helps create meaningful workforce development opportunities for refugees and immigrants while ensuring City Cuisine remains a sustainable and impactful part of the City of Refuge mission.
Apply Now!
Pay: From $46,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
