Position Overview
The Kitchen Manager is responsible for leading the back-of-house team and ensuring the kitchen operates at a consistently high level across food quality, cleanliness, cost management, and team development. This is a people-first leadership role that requires strong organizational skills, clear communication, and the ability to set and sustain a standard that the rest of the team can follow. The Kitchen Manager is expected to stay closely aligned with the General Manager, proactively identify issues before they become problems, and build a kitchen culture that balances accountability with a genuine sense of energy and pride in the work.
TEAM LEADERSHIP & CULTURE
Set the tone for the kitchen team every shift. The standard of professionalism, urgency, and pride you model is the standard the team will reflect.
Maintain a kitchen culture that balances hard work with positive energy. A team that respects each other and enjoys the work produces better results.
Ensure there is a qualified, capable leader on the floor at all times, someone who shares ownership of labor costs, operational standards, and team accountability.
Schedule the right people in the right stations based on skill level, volume expectations, and operational needs.
Identify team members with the potential for growth and actively develop them for roles with greater responsibility.
Hold regular monthly meetings with key back-of-house employees to discuss performance, upcoming challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
Encourage constructive input and problem-solving from your team. People are more invested when they have a voice in decisions that affect their work.
Stay in regular communication with the General Manager. Escalate concerns early and keep them informed of kitchen performance and staffing.
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Take personal ownership of training all new kitchen hires. Do not schedule a new hire to work a shift without you present in the kitchen.
Develop and maintain a structured training program that certifies employees on all kitchen stations before they work independently.
Ensure all back-of-house employees are cross-trained and capable of performing competently at every station: dish, prep, salads, grill, expo, and pizzas.
Periodically evaluate each kitchen employee on speed, accuracy, presentation, and menu knowledge, and provide direct feedback based on what you observe.
Address performance issues directly and consistently. If an employee is unable to meet our standards after proper training and coaching, take appropriate action.
FOOD PRODUCTION & EXECUTION
Ensure pizzas, hoagies, salads, and all other menu items are being produced accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner throughout service.
Oversee ticket coordination across the pizza line to ensure large orders are built as a team and items are sequenced correctly for simultaneous completion.
Assign ownership of large party tickets (six or more guests) to a specific team member who is responsible for expediting that ticket across all stations from start to finish.
Confirm that all front-of-house and kitchen employees are entering orders correctly in the POS system, including modifiers, add-ons, and pricing.
Ensure portion controls are in place and being followed consistently to support food cost targets.
Verify that all prepped items are properly initiated, dated, and prepared to spec before being placed in service.
Ensure dough and sauce recipes are followed precisely and that par levels are set to reflect current sales volume with appropriate buffers for unexpected volume.
Rotate all inventory proactively to minimize waste and maintain product quality.
PROCUREMENT & FOOD COST
Ensure all food, beverage, and produce procurement meets Mellow Mushroom quality specifications.
Actively look for opportunities to improve food quality without significantly impacting overall food costs.
Monitor food and paper goods costs and ensure they remain within the targets established by management.
Establish and maintain accurate par levels for all kitchen items to prevent unnecessary shortages during service.
Verify that vendor invoices reflect the correct, previously agreed-upon pricing on each delivery.
Stay informed of any supplier price changes, particularly for high-cost items, and communicate changes to management promptly.
Conduct spot inventory every Monday morning for ordering purposes, and on the last Monday of each month with results entered into the system by the following Wednesday.
Keep all kitchen paperwork, including par sheets and ordering information, organized and accessible so that any qualified team member can execute ordering functions in your absence.
SANITATION & CLEANLINESS
Maintain the kitchen in a state of readiness for a health inspection at all times. There should never be a shift where passing an inspection would be in question.
Be thoroughly familiar with the critical violations and monitor compliance with those items continuously. Check for regulatory updates regularly.
Ensure daily deep cleaning tasks are completed on schedule, including hood cleaning and other recurring assignments.
Maintain coolers and freezers in a clean and organized condition at all times.
Keep all work areas free of food scraps and debris throughout service, with particular attention to the grill, prep, and salad stations.
Ensure kitchen areas visible to guests are clean, organized, and presentable at all times.
EQUIPMENT CLEANLINESS & MAINTENANCE
Ensure all kitchen equipment is maintained in clean, safe, and fully operational condition at all times. This includes ovens, slicers, the Robot Coupe, the dishwasher, refrigeration units, and any other equipment used in daily operations.
Verify that the dishwasher has proper chemical levels and that the water softener is adequately stocked at all times.
Maintain a rotating schedule for deep cleaning all equipment and stainless steel surfaces by area on a weekly basis.
Ensure all equipment, including prep tools and the meat slicer, is cleaned and sanitized immediately after use and inspected regularly for any functional issues that need to be addressed.
Report any equipment malfunctions or maintenance needs to management promptly and to follow up to ensure issues are resolved in a timely manner.
Annual Base Salary Range $50,000-$60,000 plus Profit Share Range $15,000 - $20,000
