Required Years of Experience
6+ years
We are looking for a hands-on kitchen operator, not a fine-dining executive chef, to help improve and lead our existing kitchen as we sharpen the concept into a tight-menu chicken-and-bar restaurant built around great chicken, cold beer, sports, speed, consistency, and cost control.
This is an experienced leadership role for someone who can cook, lead, train, organize, and execute. We need someone who understands that a great restaurant is not just about good food. It is about consistency, prep, cleanliness, labor control, food cost, training, and getting the same product out the right way every time.
The Kitchen Manager / Culinary Lead will oversee all back-of-house operations and work directly with ownership/management to improve and simplify the existing menu into a focused chicken-and-bar concept.
This person will help refine recipes, build prep systems, train kitchen staff, manage food cost, control labor, and create a kitchen culture based on professionalism, consistency, and accountability.
We are not trying to build a large, complicated menu. We want a tight, profitable, craveable menu that can be executed well every day.
· Lead all daily back-of-house operations
· Help refine the existing menu into a focused chicken-and-bar concept
· Build and maintain recipes, prep lists, portion standards, and plating standards
· Manage food cost, waste, inventory, ordering, and vendor relationships
· Hire, train, schedule, and manage BOH employees
· Develop prep systems that support speed and consistency
· Maintain kitchen cleanliness, organization, and food safety standards
· Monitor BOH labor cost and staffing levels
· Ensure ticket times and food quality stay consistent during busy periods
· Train cooks on proper execution, portioning, recipes, and station setup
· Hold the kitchen team accountable in a professional and respectful way
· Work with ownership/management on specials, menu changes, pricing, and profitability
· Help create a kitchen culture built around pride, consistency, and teamwork
The right person is probably a strongKitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Culinary Manager, or Lead Cook who is ready to take ownership of a kitchen.
You should be comfortable running a practical, high-quality, high-volume casual kitchen. This is not a fine-dining role, and we are not looking for someone who wants to create a large chef-driven menu.
· Prior kitchen leadership experience required
· Experience managing cooks, prep staff, dish staff, or BOH teams
· Strong understanding of food cost, labor cost, prep, inventory, and waste control
· Ability to train and hold staff accountable
· Comfortable working with ownership on menu direction and execution
· Strong organizational and communication skills
· Able to work nights, weekends, and busy service periods
· Professional, dependable, and calm under pressure
· Experience with chicken, fry stations, sauces, bar food, or fast casual/casual dining is a plus
· ServSafe or food safety certification preferred
Competitive Base Salary
Strong Performance incentive opportunity available
Total compensation potential based on measurable operational goals such as food cost, labor cost, kitchen execution, staffing stability, cleanliness, and overall kitchen performance.
We want someone who can help us build a kitchen that is:
· Simple
· Fast
· Clean
· Consistent
· Profitable
· Professional
· Built around great chicken and repeat customers
This is a great opportunity for someone who wants ownership over a kitchen, but also understands that the menu has to make business sense.
Compensation Details
Compensation: Salary (Based on Experience)
Benefits & Perks: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, 401k, Potential Bonuses, Dining Discounts, Travel Expenses, Relocation/Moving Incentive
Required Skills
Attention to Detail
Adaptability
Time Management
Training and Development
Problem Solving
Leadership
Organizational Skills
Inventory Management
Team Management
Conflict Resolution
Communication
Culinary Knowledge
Cost Control
Cost Management
Knowledge of Food Safety Regulations
Food Safety Knowledge
Team Building
Adaptability in a Fast-Paced Environment
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Food provided
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Application Question(s):
- How many years of kitchen management do you have?
- Tell us about a kitchen you helped manage. What food cost target were you responsible for, and what specific steps did you take to control food cost, waste, portioning, and inventory?
- We are refining an existing menu into a tighter chicken-and-bar concept focused on great chicken, cold beer, sports, speed, consistency, and cost control. How would you approach simplifying a menu while still making it craveable and profitable?
- Do you have experience in a fast casual or quick service restaurant? If so, describe how this differs with kitchen flow, prepping and cooking foods and ticket times?
Work Location: In person
