Kitchen Manager | Head Chef
House Rules Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Job Type: Full-Time
Compensation: Starting at $70,000 per year, plus catering/event commission and performance bonus opportunities
About House Rules
House Rules is a social entertainment and hospitality venue built around interactive games, group events, craft beverage, and a focused food program.
Our Las Vegas kitchen is designed to support daily guests, private events, corporate groups, convention traffic, and large-format catering opportunities. Food is an important part of the guest experience, but the kitchen is not built as a large, traditional restaurant operation. It is a small, hands-on kitchen focused on consistent execution, clean systems, simple menu production, and event readiness.
Position Summary
House Rules Las Vegas is seeking a hands-on Kitchen Manager | Head Chef to lead and execute our kitchen operations.
This is a working kitchen role. The Kitchen Manager | Head Chef will be the primary cook and prep lead for the location, responsible for daily food preparation, cooking, kitchen organization, catering preparation, food safety, inventory, and execution of the established House Rules menu.
The right candidate is not expected to be a traditional executive chef. This role is best suited for someone who can run a clean, efficient, health-code-compliant kitchen; execute a small and consistent menu; understand basic kitchen administration; and work independently with a small amount of kitchen support.
The kitchen will typically operate with a small team structure, often consisting of the Kitchen Manager | Head Chef and one support person, with additional support added during peak periods or larger events. The ideal candidate is comfortable being hands-on, organized, accountable, and directly involved in prep, cooking, cleaning standards, and catering execution.
Key ResponsibilitiesHands-On Kitchen Execution
- Serve as the primary cook and prep lead for the location.
- Execute the established House Rules menu with consistency, quality, and attention to detail.
- Prepare food for daily service, private events, catering orders, and group functions.
- Maintain proper prep levels based on expected guest volume, reservations, events, and BEOs.
- Work the kitchen line during service and peak operating periods.
- Support simple scratch and prepared-to-order menu execution.
- Maintain consistency in portions, recipes, presentation, and food quality.
- Keep the kitchen organized, clean, stocked, and ready for service.
Catering & Event Preparation
- Review BEOs and event details to prepare for catering and group food needs.
- Execute simple catering menu offerings for private events, corporate groups, buyouts, and large-format events.
- Prepare production lists, prep plans, and timing needs for scheduled catering events.
- Coordinate with the General Manager and Sales/Event Team on food timing, guest counts, menu selections, and service expectations.
- Ensure catering food is prepared on time, presented properly, and executed consistently.
- Help identify support staffing needs for larger catering events.
- Maintain readiness for high-volume catering opportunities while keeping daily kitchen operations efficient.
Kitchen Administration & Controls
- Manage food inventory, ordering needs, receiving, storage, labeling, and product rotation.
- Maintain waste logs and monitor waste, spoilage, over-prep, and product usage.
- Review product mix reports and sales trends to adjust prep levels and purchasing needs.
- Monitor food cost through portion control, inventory discipline, recipe consistency, and waste management.
- Maintain basic kitchen reporting, checklists, logs, and operating procedures.
- Communicate vendor, product, equipment, or supply issues to the General Manager.
- Recommend purchasing and prep adjustments based on actual business demand.
Health Code, Cleanliness & Safety
- Maintain a clean, organized, health-code-compliant kitchen at all times.
- Follow all Southern Nevada Health District food safety and sanitation requirements.
- Ensure proper food storage, labeling, cooling, reheating, temperature logs, and cleaning procedures.
- Maintain readiness for health inspections.
- Keep equipment, prep areas, storage areas, and cooking stations clean and properly maintained.
- Report equipment issues, maintenance needs, and safety concerns promptly.
- Ensure kitchen support staff follow proper food safety and cleaning standards.
Kitchen Support & Staffing
- Work with the General Manager to identify kitchen support needs based on business levels and event volume.
- Help hire, train, and coach kitchen support staff.
- Recommend kitchen support schedules to the General Manager for approval.
- Guide support staff on prep, cleaning, catering production, line support, and food safety procedures.
- Maintain accountability for kitchen standards without overcomplicating the structure of a small kitchen.
- Lead by example through consistency, reliability, cleanliness, organization, and urgency.
Brand Standards & Menu Consistency
- Execute the established House Rules food program as designed.
- Maintain consistency with House Rules recipes, portions, presentation, and food standards.
- Collaborate with the General Manager and leadership team on practical menu adjustments, catering improvements, or operational recommendations.
- Provide feedback based on guest response, product mix, kitchen flow, prep efficiency, and profitability.
- Ensure any menu modifications are reviewed and approved through the appropriate leadership process.
Guest Experience
- Ensure food is prepared accurately, consistently, and on time.
- Support the overall House Rules experience by delivering reliable food execution for guests, groups, and events.
- Partner with the General Manager and Front of House team to resolve food-related concerns quickly and professionally.
- Maintain a hospitality-focused mindset while understanding that food supports the larger guest experience.
QualificationsRequired
- 5+ years of cooking or culinary experience.
- 2+ years in a Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Lead Cook, Chef, or similar hands-on kitchen leadership role.
- Experience working in a small-format kitchen, catering kitchen, bar kitchen, hospitality venue, restaurant, or event-driven food operation.
- Strong hands-on cooking and prep skills.
- Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, kitchen cleanliness, and health code compliance.
- Ability to manage inventory, waste logs, prep lists, ordering needs, and basic kitchen reporting.
- Ability to review BEOs, plan prep, and execute catering orders.
- Ability to work independently and lead a small amount of kitchen support.
- Strong organization, communication, reliability, and time-management skills.
- Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 pounds.
Preferred
- ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent.
- Experience with catering, banquets, private events, or group dining.
- Experience reviewing product mix reports or sales-based prep planning.
- Experience opening or helping organize a new kitchen operation.
- Experience in entertainment, bar, hotel, casino, event venue, or high-volume hospitality environments.
- Culinary degree or relevant certification is a plus, but not required.
Compensation
- Starting salary: $70,000 per year.
- Catering/event commission opportunity: 1% of qualifying catering/group sales where applicable service charges apply.
- Expected total annual compensation opportunity: approximately $85,000 to $100,000+ based on catering volume and performance.
- Additional venue performance bonus opportunities of up to $20,000 annually may be available based on overall venue performance, operational execution, catering results, cost control, cleanliness, and leadership contribution.
Benefits
- Health insurance.
- Paid time off.
- Growth opportunities within an expanding hospitality group.
- Catering/event commission opportunity.
- Performance-based bonus opportunities.
Work Location
In person — House Rules Las Vegas.
Pay: $85,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Application Question(s):
- This is a hands-on kitchen role where you will be the primary cook and prep lead for the location. Are you comfortable being actively involved in daily prep, cooking, service execution, and catering preparation?
- Are you comfortable working in a small kitchen environment, typically with yourself and one kitchen support person, with additional support added during peak events?
- Are you comfortable executing an established menu with consistent recipes, portions, and procedures, while also providing feedback and suggestions for seasonal items, limited-time offerings, catering improvements, and operational efficiencies?
- Do you have experience reviewing event details, guest counts, catering orders, BEOs, or prep lists to prepare food for group events?
- Do you have experience managing or helping manage kitchen inventory, ordering, receiving, labeling, product rotation, waste logs, prep lists, or food cost controls?
- Are you comfortable being directly responsible for kitchen cleanliness, food safety procedures, temperature logs, labeling, storage, and health inspection readiness?
- Are you comfortable working independently, planning your own prep, staying organized, and communicating support needs to the General Manager?
- This position has a base salary starting at $70,000, with expected total annual compensation of approximately $85,000 to $100,000 based on qualifying catering/group sales commission and projected event volume. Additional performance bonus opportunities may be available. Is this compensation structure aligned with your expectations?
- Do you currently have a ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent food safety certification, or are you willing to obtain one before or shortly after starting?
Experience:
- hands-on culinary or restaurant cooking : 5 years (Preferred)
- Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Chef, or Lead Cook by title: 2 years (Preferred)
Ability to Commute:
- Las Vegas, NV 89102 (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
