LA PISTOLA KITCHEN & SALOON BACK-OF-HOUSE HIRING CALL
Now Hiring the Opening Kitchen Team
1970s Italian Soul. Texas Hospitality.
ABOUT LA PISTOLA
La Pistola Kitchen + Saloon is building its opening back-of-house team.
We are looking for cooks and kitchen support team members who bring sound fundamentals, urgency, cleanliness, coachability and consistency to every shift - people who take pride in a clean station, hit their standards every time, and want to be part of building something from day one.
This is an opening team. The cooks we hire now will help set the standard for how La Pistola food is executed, and will be trained through La Pistola Academy before the doors open.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Every La Pistola kitchen team member is expected to demonstrate:
- Sound kitchen fundamentals for the role
- A clean, organized, service-ready station at all times
- Sense of urgency without unsafe shortcuts
- Strong sanitation and food-safety habits
- Consistency and attention to detail
- Ability to follow recipes, portion standards and plating specifications exactly
- Clear, early communication - especially when something goes wrong
- Coachability and the ability to take correction during a busy service
- Reliability and dependable availability
- Professional conduct and respect for the team around them
Professional recovery standard. We don't hide mistakes, guess at food-safety questions, or let a problem continue silently. The La Pistola kitchen response is: "Chef, I have an issue with [item/station]. Here's what happened, and here's what I need to get it corrected." Communicate early, take ownership, correct it safely, get the station back to standard.
POSITIONS WE ARE HIRING
LEAD COOK / KITCHEN LEADERSHIP
A working leader on the line who sets the pace, protects the standard and keeps service moving.
Expectations:
- Run pre-shift line checks and hold the line to spec
- Read a prep list and identify priorities, delegation needs and potential service risks
- Taste and evaluate preparations for seasoning, texture and consistency
- Respond calmly to a call-out or station failure shortly before service
- Coach a cook who is falling behind without losing control of service
- Demonstrate working knowledge of ordering, waste control, yields, pars and labor awareness appropriate to the role
- Support the Executive Chef in maintaining recipe, quality and sanitation standards
Preferred: Prior lead, sous or station-leadership experience; Food Manager certification.
LINE COOK
The engine of service. Grill, sauté, fry, pantry, pasta - station assignment based on experience and business need.
Expectations:
- Safe knife handling and clean, consistent cuts appropriate to the station
- Set up and maintain an organized mise en place for service
- Execute station-specific cooking tasks from written direction
- Proper seasoning, temperature awareness and plate cleanliness
- Read and prioritize the ticket rail; hold pace under pressure
- Communicate low product, refires and delays to the chef immediately
- Break down, clean and close the station to standard
Preferred: Prior line experience in a scratch or high-volume kitchen; Food Handler certification.
PREP COOK
The foundation of everything that hits the line. Production, accuracy and consistency.
Expectations:
- Read a recipe and explain how to scale and organize the production
- Consistent knife cuts and safe equipment handling
- Label, date and store finished product correctly
- Correct cooling, reheating and holding practices
- Attention to yield, waste and portion consistency
- Keep the prep area clean, organized and rotated (FIFO)
Preferred: Prior prep or production experience; Food Handler certification.
DISH / STEWARD / UTILITY
A critical position. Service does not run without a clean, fast, well-organized dish and support operation.
Expectations:
- Maintain an efficient flow for dirty wares, washing, sanitizing, drying and storage
- Understand and follow basic chemical and sanitizer safety expectations
- Keep floors, trash, dish areas and kitchen support zones safe during service
- Handle a sudden high-volume dish rush while maintaining sanitation standards
- Communicate equipment, chemical or safety issues to management right away
- Support the kitchen with prep, stocking and cleaning tasks as assigned
Preferred: Prior dish, steward or kitchen utility experience; Food Handler certification.
SANITATION & SAFETY EXPECTATIONS (ALL BOH ROLES)
- Handwashing and glove-use awareness
- Cross-contamination prevention
- Time and temperature control
- Raw-versus-ready-to-eat storage awareness
- Labeling, dating and rotation / FIFO
- Allergen awareness and escalation
- Knife and equipment safety
- Clean-as-you-go habits
- Proper chemical / sanitizer awareness
- Safe lifting, floor awareness and communication of hazards
OUR HIRING PROCESS
We use a structured, hands-on process rather than a single sit-down interview:
1. Application & profile review
2. 15-minute kitchen pre-screen (phone)
3. Kitchen assessment invitation & preparation brief - sent to candidates advancing to the in-person stage, with date, location, what to wear and what to bring
4. In-person kitchen interview & skills assessment - a short conversational interview plus job-related practical exercises: knife or prep work, an organization/mise en place exercise, a role-specific station task, a food-safety scenario and a coachability check
5. Final selection
6. La Pistola Academy
Practical exercises are short, job-related and designed to evaluate fundamentals - not to obtain unpaid productive labor. The same core exercises are used for candidates being considered for the same role.
What to bring to the in-person assessment:
- Current résumé
- Current availability, including La Pistola Academy availability
- Current Food Handler or Food Manager certification, if held
- Clean, professional kitchen attire and closed-toe, slip-resistant shoes
- Personal knives or tools only if we specify in advance
Applicants who do not yet hold required certifications may still be considered. Required certifications must be completed before working applicable shifts.
LA PISTOLA ACADEMY
Selected opening-team members move from hiring into La Pistola Academy - our structured onboarding, culinary training and position-preparation period. Academy covers:
- La Pistola brand philosophy and kitchen culture
- Full food menu, recipes and specifications
- Allergen procedures and special-diet communication
- Receiving, storage, labeling and rotation standards
- Prep systems, pars and production expectations
- Station setup, breakdown and closing standards
- Cooking techniques and quality-control standards
- Plate presentation and expo communication
- Ticket pacing and service communication
- Cleaning, sanitation and equipment care
- Waste, yield and portion-control expectations
- Role-specific practice, testing and station certification
Length: approximately 5-10 days depending on position, experience and demonstrated readiness.
HIRING TIMELINE
- Applications & 15-minute phone pre-screens: Now through September 4, 2026
- First assessment round: Week of August 23-29, 2026
- Final assessment round: Week of September 6-12, 2026
- Final opening-team selections: By end of day September 12, 2026
- La Pistola Academy begins: September 15, 2026
- Anticipated opening: September 25, 2026
Specific in-person assessment dates will be provided to selected candidates.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Back-of-house positions require standing and walking for extended periods, working in a hot kitchen environment, lifting and carrying up to 40 pounds, and safe use of knives, kitchen equipment and cleaning chemicals. Reasonable accommodations will be considered.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through Indeed with your résumé, the position you're interested in, your general availability, your availability for La Pistola Academy beginning September 15, and a time window that works for a 15-minute phone pre-screen.
You may also contact us directly:
Austin Wyatt - Executive Chef
[email protected]
La Pistola Kitchen + Saloon is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Pay: $10.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
