We Need a Person Who Wants to Belong to Something
Skogen Kitchen is a fine dining restaurant in Custer, South Dakota. We're not a chain. We're not corporate. We're a small team that takes hospitality seriously — and we're looking for a dishwasher to join us, starting as soon as possible, full-time or part-time.
Here's the part most job ads won't tell you.
This job is physical. You'll be on your feet for hours, moving at a steady clip, in heat and steam, on nights and weekends while your friends are out doing something else. You'll clean messes that aren't glamorous. You'll get corrected in the middle of service, in real time, because there's no time to wait until after the rush to tell you the pan wasn't clean enough. By 9 or 10pm you'll be tired, and you'll still be asked to hold the standard through the last table.
We're not going to pretend it's effortless. It's real work, on your feet, night after night — and it matters more than people think.
Here's the part that makes it worth it.
- Real training — not "watch Steve for ten minutes." We teach you the station properly, from day one.
- Mentorship from people who've spent years building their craft and want to pass it on.
- A path forward — dish is where a lot of great cooks and great hospitality people started. We'll help you go wherever you want to go next.
- A 4-day work week, so your life outside this kitchen still exists.
- Major holidays off.
- $13/hour plus tips, averaging $50 a night.
- A Simple IRA plan, because we think about your future, not just your shift.
- A team culture where the dish station is respected, not treated like the bottom of the ladder.
By the time you've been here a year, you won't just know how to wash dishes. You'll understand how a real kitchen runs, how hospitality actually works, and you'll have people in this industry who know your name and vouch for your work ethic.
Who this job is not for.
This isn't for people looking for easy money. It's not for people who get defensive when they're corrected, who bring drama into the kitchen, who cut corners when nobody's watching, or who think dish is a job you do until something better comes along. If you'd rather things stay comfortable every shift, or you don't genuinely like working alongside other people, this isn't your place.
Who this job is for.
This is for people who are curious, tough, humble, and fast. People who take feedback without taking it personally. People who notice the small stuff — the spot on the glass, the corner of the pan — and fix it without being asked twice. People who want to be proud of their craft, not just paid for their time.
Our standards, every shift: Be on time. Be coachable. Be honest. Support your team, especially when things get hard. Treat everyone in the building — dishwashers, cooks, servers, hosts — with the same respect. Never talk down about other local restaurants; we're all in this together. Keep getting better. Take pride in the details nobody else notices. Care about hospitality, not just transactions.
Your first 90 days:
- Days 1–30: Learn to clean and organize properly, quickly, and efficiently.
- By Day 60: Own your station. Help us make it better.
- By Day 90: Understand that teamwork is hospitality — and that you play a real role in whether a guest leaves happy.
To apply, email [email protected] with short answers to:
- Why do you want to work here?
- What's the hardest you've ever worked to get better at something?
- What does hospitality mean to you?
- What do you want to be better at one year from now?
No experience necessary. No resume required. We're not hiring a title. We're hiring a person who wants to grow.
Pay: $13.00 - $20.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
