Job Overview:
The Kitchen Manager/Sous Chef is responsible in leading their team to deliver high quality, great
tasting food, proper food safety and sanitation procedures and profitability. Contributes to building
top line sales and guest count through the delivery of competitively superior team members and
guest experience. To ensure menu items are executed with excellence in the restaurant. The Kitchen
Manager/Sous Chef supports the Executive Chef to ensure menu items are executed with excellence
in the restaurant. Additionally, the Kitchen Manager/ Sous Chef supports managing quality in all
aspects of their job.
Reports to: Executive Chef/General Manager
Representative Roles and Responsibilities
Guest
- Establish guest service, satisfaction & loyalty as a priority through personal example and, follow-
through
- When necessary, handle guest requests, comments and complaints with a sense of urgency, poise
and good judgement
- Ensure the culinary staff appropriately supports and assists the service team by providing all
products needed to execute a competitively superior dining experience
- Ability to create daily features & individualized wine dinners & cocktail party specific menus that
are brand appropriate, functional, inspiring, creative and modern
- Remain current on consumer and local market trends and knowledge; support others in defining
areas for brand-building opportunities to serve exceptionally distinctive food and deliver food news
Employee
- Recruit and participate in the hiring process of top-quality talent to ensure team capability can
achieve goals and objectives
- Model and always demonstrate a professional image and ensure cleanliness and good personal
hygiene of self and others• Supports the development of team members by seeking out and supporting menu roll outs,
ongoing food training demonstrations for servers and culinary teams, training, development, and
other professional growth opportunities; manage individual and team performance through
coaching, feedback and 1 on 1 discussions
- Teach, share and coach professional culinary standards and techniques
- Develop and nurture relationships with other cross functional teams within Fork in the Road to
remain informed of initiatives and disseminate applicable guest feedback
- Ability to lead and manage a strong working relationship with Executive Chef, General Manager,
RSC and Sales & Marketing Manager
- Supports Sales & Marketing Manager by providing all necessary food product and hourly culinary
team members to execute events perfectly
- Support individual and team performance through actions demonstrating strong team orientation
and feedback
Financial
- Proactively manage all recipe yields, recipe preparation times, produce cost, rotation of product,
and waste to ensure that budgeted food cost goals are met or exceeded without sacrificing the
guest experience.
- Manage the culinary budget and effectively identify financial and operation problems by informing
the General Manager
- Execute menu items within specific cost parameters to enable achievement of business targets
while delivering on flavor and quality requirements i.e., guest count, margin, menu mix and sales
- Oversees the product order process for produce, fish, beef, poultry, small wares
Process Excellence
- Plan, organize, monitor and control all aspects that are vital to the daily operations i.e., line checks,
ticket times, kitchen labor including scheduling, daily communication with staff, meat aging, master
inventory, safety and sanitation procedures, ops inspections, food flavor, quality and handling,
recipe adherence
- Ensure the consistent application of culinary development standards, process and established
methodologies
- Protect intellectual properties of the brand of Fork in the Road
- Establish operational improvement objectives and implement specific action plans
- Ensure the restaurant facility is clean and working correctly
- Maintain impeccable standards for a clean kitchen
- Model & demonstrate a passion for cooking, food flavor and quality standards
Required Leadership CompetenciesPersonal Leadership
Acts with Character and Integrity:
Lives the Fork in the Road Values; is truthful and forthright with self and others; aligns words with
actions; understands and refuses to cross ethical boundaries even when unpopular; works for the
common good, not for personal gain
Values and Respects Diversity:
Make it a personal priority to embrace and leverage diversity and inclusion; values diverse
viewpoints; demonstrates cultural competence
Communicates Effectively and with Candor:
Engages in open, honest, and candid conversations with others; accurately and concisely conveys
key points and main message across different settings and audiences
People Leadership
Coaches and Develops:
Knows and Champions the Employee:
Seeks to understand and value employees’ unique needs and aspirations; considers talent decisions
from the perspective of the employees; brings the voice of the employee “to the table” ensures that
they have the tools, resources and opportunities they need to succeed
Business Leadership
Thinks Strategically about the Business:
Draws upon a solid understanding of the business (e.g., the industry, operations) to critically
evaluate pertinent issues, situations, and events; sees clearly ahead; anticipates future
consequences and trends; uses broad perspective to make sound decisions
Knows and Champions the Guest/Customer:
Seeks to understand the guest and his/her dining experience; considers business decisions from the
perspective of the guest/customer; brings the voice of the guest/customer “to the table” is dedicated
to meeting the expectations and needs of guest/customers; maintains a culture of hospitality and
service excellence
Leverages Effective Capabilities Across Boundaries
Result Leadership
Defines and Achieves Excellence with Accountability:
Persistently strives for the right goals, and measures success in terms of the results achieved;
realizes excellence through successfully translating visionary through leadership into action. Holds
self and others accountable to a high standard of excellence and performance
Supports Innovation and Change:
Generates, supports, and remains open-minded to new ideas and insights; understands how to
manage change and motivate others to embrace itEducation, Training, Experience and other Key Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required; Associates degree in Culinary Arts, certification of
culinary training or culinary apprenticeship preferred
- 2+ years’ experience in the general culinary field preferred
- Restaurants experience preferred
- Passion for food and hospitality
- Or equivalent combination of education, training and
experience
Position Summary:
1. Supervises and coordinates all activities of the kitchen operation and personnel.
2. Responsible to produce all food products, maintaining the prescribed standards for quality, cost
and procedure.
3. Capable of placing food and supply orders with vendors to meet business needs/scheduled
deliveries.
4. Performs daily menu cost-outs as well as helping create daily specials
5. Assist in EOP inventories.
6. Informs management of any changes or shortages of product.
7. Supervises all kitchen personal, including assisting in training /developing /coaching, interviewing,
counseling in a positive and motivational matter and maintain proper daily labor and avoiding over
time.
8. Delegates daily tasks and sets expectations with hourly staff and holds them accountable to these
expectations.
9. Must have ability to perform every position supervised, performing such duties if necessary.
10. Able to make judgment calls on quality of food insuring only the highest standards maintained.
11. Provides and supports a positive environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment.
12. Works the line during peak business ensuring ALL foods put up for service is hot, timely,
monitors ticket time and properly prepared.
13. Must be able to assess and solve most department and employee situations.
14. Maintain cleanliness of kitchen, equipment, walk-ins and reach- ins. Delegates additional
cleanup, as necessary.
15. Assists in cutting of meats and fish for service as needed as well as making sure portion and
procedures are correct for service.
16. Receiving procedures followed precisely.
17. Meat inventories completed precisely.18. Update prices
19. P&L accountability ensuring food and labor budgets are being met.
20. Must work at least one close per period to have a full understanding of cleaning procedures and
best way to staff.
21. Health department and Steritech audits are within the industry guide lines.
22. Assist in hiring of kitchen staff
23. Coaches and Develops: Engages in regular, frequent, and supportive communications and
feedback; facilitates professional development to help employees maximize their performance and
reach their fullest potential. Seek to understand and value employee’s unique needs and
aspirations; considers talent decisions from the perspective of the employee; brings a voice of
employee “to the table” ensures that they have the tools, resources and opportunities they need to
succeed.
ALL employees are expected to abide by all company policy and procedures at all times. Managers
(exempt employees) must abide and enforce company policy and procedures at all times.
