Grange Kitchen Manager
General Job Title: Kitchen Manager – Department: Back of House
Position Title: Kitchen Manager
Location: Foothills Grange – Black Mountain, NC
Department: Back of House (BOH)
Reports To: Chef & General Manager
Who We Are
Foothills Grange is a family-friendly gathering place in Black Mountain serving the classics we grew up on, made with quality local ingredients. Our menu centers on Foothills meats, smash burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, tallow fries, and approachable food that guests can feel good about feeding their families.
We are part of the Foothills family of businesses, which means we believe in responsible sourcing, strong local partnerships, honest food, and creating places where people want to gather.
Our kitchen moves fast and serves a wide range of guests, from weekday regulars to busy weekends, large parties, and community events. We believe a successful kitchen is built on strong preparation, accurate ordering, clean records, consistent food, and a team that takes pride in its work.
Who You Are
You are a working kitchen leader, not a clipboard manager. You are comfortable cooking on the line, organizing prep, placing orders, checking invoices, counting inventory, and keeping the kitchen’s operating records accurate.
You understand that good financial control begins with accurate orders, proper receiving, clean records, consistent portions, and minimal waste. You do not need to be the company accountant, but you must be able to keep the kitchen’s books, invoices, inventory, and cost information organized enough for leadership to make good decisions.
You lead by example, communicate clearly, stay calm during busy service, and hold people accountable without losing their respect. You care about clean stations, accurate recipes, strong systems, and serving food that consistently meets the Foothills standard.
Overview
The Kitchen Manager is a hands-on leadership position responsible for overseeing day-to-day back-of-house operations at Foothills Grange. This includes food preparation, line execution, ordering, receiving, inventory, kitchen records, sanitation, and team training.
The Kitchen Manager is expected to actively cook during service, fill production needs, organize the kitchen team, and keep the operation ready for business. Administrative responsibilities must support the kitchen without pulling the Manager away from important preparation and service periods.
This position is responsible for the accuracy and organization of the kitchen’s operating records, including orders, invoices, credits, inventory counts, waste, transfers, temperature logs, and required checklists. Full company bookkeeping, payroll, major spending, menu pricing, and profit-and-loss ownership remain with Company Leadership.
The Kitchen Manager works closely with the Director of Culinary, Grange General Manager, and front-of-house leaders to ensure every service meets expectations, whether it is a normal weekday, a busy weekend, or a large event.
Compensation
Hourly Rate: $24 per hour
Perks:
- Free shift meals.
- Employee discounts across participating Foothills concepts.
- Paid training.
- Leadership-development opportunities.
- Opportunities for advancement within the Foothills family of businesses.
- Additional benefits and perks according to current company policy.
Key ResponsibilitiesBOH Operations & Line Leadership
- Lead and actively participate in line service, especially during peak hours.
- Work any kitchen station competently and fill gaps when necessary.
- Own daily prep, production, and mise en place management.
- Organize station assignments and communicate service priorities.
- Ensure all stations are stocked, clean, and ready before service.
- Maintain standards for food quality, portioning, presentation, speed, and ticket accuracy.
- Keep the kitchen organized and productive under pressure.
- Ensure recipes, batch sizes, cooking methods, and portion standards are followed.
- Taste and inspect food regularly for quality and consistency.
- Coordinate with front-of-house leadership to maintain smooth service.
- Respond to callouts, shortages, equipment problems, and changing business needs.
- Ensure opening, shift-change, cleaning, and closing duties are completed.
- Take care of the guest first and address internal coaching or correction afterward.
- Communicate menu shortages or necessary substitutions before service whenever possible.
Ordering, Inventory & Kitchen Records
- Maintain accurate order guides, par levels, vendor information, and delivery schedules.
- Complete inventory counts according to the required schedule.
- Place accurate orders with approved vendors.
- Base orders on inventory, expected sales, menu needs, events, and product already on hand.
- Prevent over-ordering, duplicate purchasing, unnecessary emergency orders, and avoidable shortages.
- Receive deliveries and verify quantity, quality, temperature, condition, and pricing.
- Match received products to invoices and packing slips.
- Identify and report missing, damaged, substituted, or incorrectly priced products.
- Request and track vendor credits when appropriate.
- Organize, label, date, store, and rotate products using FIFO practices.
- Maintain clean, organized, and count-ready storage areas.
- Review invoices for price, quantity, and delivery discrepancies.
- Organize and submit invoices, packing slips, credits, and required records by established deadlines.
- Maintain accurate waste, transfer, temperature, production, and sanitation records.
- Investigate unusual inventory differences or food-usage concerns.
- Communicate price changes, supply problems, vendor issues, and ordering concerns promptly.
- Obtain approval before making major purchases or changing approved vendors.
Cost Control & Operational Accountability
- Manage food cost through accurate ordering, proper receiving, portion control, product rotation, and prep efficiency.
- Monitor product usage, waste, portions, and yields.
- Follow approved recipes and portion standards.
- Reduce avoidable waste caused by over-ordering, overproduction, poor storage, or inconsistent preparation.
- Record waste honestly and accurately.
- Use safe, quality product on hand before purchasing unnecessary replacement inventory.
- Review available food-cost and inventory information with leadership.
- Communicate cost problems before they become larger issues.
- Maintain accurate kitchen records without hiding shortages, waste, mistakes, or discrepancies.
- Support Company Leadership with the information needed to review kitchen performance.
- Follow established spending limits and obtain approval for major or unbudgeted purchases.
- Monitor employee hours and prevent unauthorized overtime.
- Complete required timekeeping corrections accurately and promptly.
Team Training & Development
- Train new cooks and support staff on kitchen procedures, recipes, stations, sanitation, and equipment.
- Provide ongoing, in-the-moment coaching and feedback.
- Set clear expectations for attendance, teamwork, urgency, cleanliness, and performance.
- Maintain consistent standards for station setup, service, cleaning, and breakdown.
- Hold employees accountable for completing assigned work.
- Retrain employees when expectations are missed.
- Recognize strong performance and encourage employee growth.
- Help create a respectful kitchen culture where accountability and teamwork are normal.
- Document recurring or serious attendance, conduct, or performance issues.
- Communicate formal disciplinary concerns to Company Leadership.
- Obtain approval before suspending or terminating an employee.
- Maintain a calm, professional leadership presence during difficult situations.
Scheduling & Staffing
- Assist with or prepare the kitchen schedule within the labor direction provided by Company Leadership.
- Schedule appropriate coverage for prep, service, closing, events, and peak periods.
- Organize daily station assignments using the available staff.
- Handle routine callouts and immediate coverage needs.
- Adjust labor when business volume changes.
- Prevent employees from working unauthorized overtime.
- Communicate staffing shortages or scheduling risks promptly.
- Maintain accurate employee time and attendance information.
Health, Safety & Facilities
- Ensure compliance with all food-safety and sanitation requirements.
- Maintain current temperature, cooling, cleaning, and other required logs.
- Enforce proper handwashing, glove use, allergen awareness, temperature control, and cross-contamination prevention.
- Ensure scheduled cleaning and sanitation duties are completed.
- Maintain clean and organized cooking, preparation, storage, dish, and receiving areas.
- Correct unsafe food-handling or workplace conditions immediately.
- Remove unsafe food or malfunctioning equipment from use.
- Ensure equipment is operated, cleaned, and maintained properly.
- Report equipment and facility needs promptly.
- Obtain approval before arranging major repairs or purchasing replacement equipment.
- Maintain readiness for health department inspections.
- Report serious food-safety, employee-safety, or facility concerns immediately.
- Maintain a safe, functional, respectful, and professional work environment.
Communication & Reporting
- Communicate daily priorities, shortages, staffing concerns, and service needs to the kitchen team.
- Maintain clear communication with front-of-house leadership and Company Leadership.
- Complete a daily management-log entry covering significant events, problems, and follow-up needs.
- Report major waste, shortages, employee incidents, vendor problems, or equipment failures promptly.
- Follow through on assigned corrections and confirm that problems are resolved.
- Participate in regular reviews covering inventory, ordering, food cost, waste, labor, staffing, and upcoming business needs.
Qualifications
- Two or more years of kitchen leadership experience in a fast-paced restaurant or food-service operation.
- Strong line-cooking skills and the ability to work multiple stations.
- Proven ability to run prep, service, and kitchen operations with limited supervision.
- Experience with ordering, receiving, invoices, inventory, rotation, and waste control.
- Basic understanding of food cost, portions, yields, and kitchen operating records.
- Ability to read and follow recipes, order guides, invoices, and production sheets.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Clear communication skills and a calm, team-oriented leadership style.
- Ability to coach employees, document concerns, and conduct difficult conversations.
- ServSafe Manager certification preferred or willingness to obtain it.
- Availability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and peak service periods.
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and stand for extended periods.
Growth Opportunity
This role is built with long-term growth in mind. A successful Kitchen Manager may take on broader responsibility for menu rollouts, food-cost improvements, team development, seasonal expansions, events, and other Foothills operations.
This is an opportunity for someone who wants to lead from the line while developing the ordering, inventory, record keeping, cost-control, and people-management skills required for broader culinary leadership.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
