Executive Chef & Kitchen Manager
Harvest & Grace is looking for a talented Chef & Kitchen Manager to help bring a new kind of neighborhood restaurant to life.
Opening in Autumn 2026 in Trilith, Harvest & Grace is a farm-to-table neighborhood café built around fresh, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, approachable food, warm hospitality, and a genuine connection to the community.
This is a high-profile opportunity to join a new restaurant concept that is expected to receive significant local and regional media attention. We are looking for a passionate culinary leader who wants to play a meaningful role in shaping the restaurant from the beginning—not simply step into an established kitchen.
The ideal candidate is an experienced chef or sous chef who believes good food starts with fresh ingredients and who enjoys building relationships with local farmers. You should be equally comfortable developing menus, working the line, mentoring a team, managing kitchen operations, and jumping in wherever needed.
The Opportunity
As Executive Chef you will have a hands-on leadership role overseeing the day-to-day culinary operation of Harvest & Grace.
You will help establish our culinary identity, build kitchen systems and standards, develop relationships with local farms and suppliers, and create a kitchen culture centered on quality, teamwork, consistency, and hospitality.
This could be an exceptional opportunity for:
- An experienced Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine looking for an exciting new concept
- A strong Sous Chef ready to take the next step into culinary leadership
- A chef who loves seasonal cooking and working with locally sourced ingredients
- A culinary professional who wants the opportunity to help build a restaurant from the ground up
- A hands-on kitchen leader who enjoys both creating food and leading people
What You'll Do
Culinary Leadership
- Help develop and execute the culinary vision for Harvest & Grace
- Create seasonal, approachable menus that showcase fresh, local ingredients
- Work closely with local farms, growers, purveyors, and other suppliers
- Develop recipes, prep standards, plating guidelines, and kitchen procedures
- Ensure consistent quality, flavor, presentation, and portion control
- Incorporate seasonal availability and local sourcing into menu planning
- Be an active presence in the kitchen and lead by example
Kitchen Operations
- Oversee daily kitchen operations, including preparation, service, sanitation, and closing procedures
- Establish efficient systems for prep, storage, inventory, ordering, and production
- Manage food costs, waste, portioning, and inventory
- Maintain appropriate pars and ordering levels
- Work with ownership and management on menu pricing and food-cost targets
- Ensure compliance with Georgia food safety regulations and restaurant sanitation standards
- Maintain a clean, organized, safe, and professional kitchen environment
- Help select and establish relationships with kitchen vendors and suppliers
- Participate in opening preparation, kitchen setup, equipment commissioning, and operational readiness
Team Leadership
- Recruit, train, coach, and develop kitchen team members
- Create a positive, respectful, collaborative kitchen culture
- Establish clear expectations for performance, cleanliness, communication, and teamwork
- Develop prep lists, station responsibilities, and daily production plans
- Schedule and manage kitchen staff based on business needs
- Lead pre-shift meetings and ongoing culinary training
- Help develop future culinary leaders within the organization
Opening Team Responsibilities
As a member of the opening team, you will help shape the restaurant before opening its doors. You will be involved in:
- Menu development and testing
- Recipe creation and documentation
- Kitchen equipment and smallwares selection
- Food and product testing
- Recipe costing
- Staff recruitment and training
- Health and food-safety preparation
- Soft-opening and opening-week execution
- Establishing the culinary culture and standards of Harvest & Grace
What We're Looking For
We are looking for someone with strong culinary fundamentals, leadership ability, creativity, and a genuine passion for fresh food.
Required / Preferred Experience
- 5+ years of professional culinary experience preferred
- Previous experience as a Chef, Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Kitchen Manager, or similar leadership role
- Experience working with fresh, seasonal ingredients
- Experience with local farms, farmers markets, farm-to-table restaurants, or local food producers strongly preferred
- Strong knowledge of food preparation, cooking techniques, sanitation, and kitchen operations
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a culinary team
- Experience with food costing, ordering, inventory, and waste management
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Ability to remain calm and effective in a fast-paced environment
- Commitment to consistency, quality, and hospitality
- ServSafe certification or ability to obtain certification as required
We are also very interested in experienced Sous Chefs who are ready to take the next step. You don't need to have previously held the title of Executive Chef. If you have strong culinary skills, leadership experience, a passion for local food, and the ambition to build something special, we'd love to hear from you.
The Right Person
The right person for Harvest & Grace is someone who gets excited walking into a farmer’s market and seeing what is at its peak.
You understand that a great tomato doesn't need much—and that great cooking starts with respecting the ingredient.
You're hands-on, curious, organized, and collaborative. You can develop a beautiful dish, but you can also write a prep list, place an order, train a new cook, solve a staffing problem, and jump on the line when service gets busy.
Most importantly, you want to build something.
Harvest & Grace isn't looking for someone who simply wants to manage a kitchen. We're looking for someone who wants to help establish the culinary identity and reputation of a restaurant from day one.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation: Competitive salary based on experience
Additional benefits and opportunities may include:
- Performance-based incentives
- Paid time off
- Opportunities for professional development
- Culinary networking and community events
- Opportunities for advancement as Harvest & Grace grows
Final compensation and benefits will be based on experience, qualifications, and overall role responsibilities.
How to Apply
If you're a passionate culinary professional who wants to help build something special, we'd love to meet you.
Please submit your resume and a brief introduction telling us why Harvest & Grace interests you and what you would bring to our opening team.
Candidates may also be invited to participate in a culinary interview or working session as part of the selection process.
Harvest & Grace
Fresh food. Local roots. A place to gather.
Opening Autumn 2026 | Trilith, Georgia
Harvest & Grace is committed to creating a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive workplace. We value diverse perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and culinary traditions.
Pay: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
