Kitchen Manager - Big Chill Island House
Job Description
Summary of Position: Anchored right on the Intracoastal Waterway at Barefoot Landing, Big Chill Island House invites guests to escape the ordinary with bold, island-inspired cuisine—and we’re looking for a Kitchen Manager to lead the charge. As the heartbeat of our kitchen, you'll be the driving force behind every delicious bite, ensuring each dish reflects our high standards and vibrant flavors. This role goes beyond managing day-to-day operations. You'll oversee food purchasing, prep, sanitation, and training, while cultivating a fun, fast-paced kitchen culture that thrives on teamwork, creativity, and consistency. With a strong foundation in both front-line cooking and back-end operations, you'll help shape the future of the Big Chill culinary brand. If you're passionate about flavor, driven by excellence, and ready to inspire a crew with your energy and leadership—this could be the perfect opportunity for you.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Leadership
- Drive culinary excellence by being a champion for food quality and creating a positive work environment
- Help build the kitchen team and be an effective leader, mentor and coach by elevating the team for growth and assisting them in reaching their goals
- Uphold core values and reinforce How We Roll throughout the hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance review processes
- Assist with conducting orientation and training new employees on company & department rules, brand standards, policies and procedures, safe operation of all kitchen equipment and utensils, cleaning and sanitation, and recipe & plating standards
- Delegate and provide direction to employees regarding operational and procedural issues and ensure team members have the right tools, knowledge and equipment required to do their jobs safely and effectively
- Oversee the scheduling of labor as required by anticipated business activity while ensuring that all positions are staffed, when and as needed, and labor cost objectives are met
- Provide strong presence in local community and high level of community involvement by restaurant and personnel
- Utilize culinary expertise to engage and educate both staff and guests
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge by tracking emerging trends in the industry and pursuing continued education through workshops, professional publications, networks & societies
- Be knowledgeable of restaurant policies regarding personnel and administer prompt, fair and consistent corrective action for all violations of company policies
- Live the brand and be a brand ambassador and make decisions in the best interest of the BC Brand at all times
Operations
- Leverage culinary skill knowledge to help drive new menu ideas and food specials, work with restaurant teams to develop new menu items and assist with organizing product/menu tastings
- Engage in weekly coordination meetings with team and management to ensure clear communication on kitchen operations, events, and service issues
- Maintain appropriate cleaning schedules for kitchen areas and equipment and ensure all equipment is kept clean and in excellent working condition through personal inspection and following preventative maintenance programs
- Help develop prep sheets and opening/closing checklists, and oversee kitchen to ensure line set up is prepared for success
- Check and maintain proper food holding and refrigeration temperature control points
- Assist in controlling food cost and usage by following proper requisition of products from storage areas, product storage procedures, standard recipes and waste control procedures
- Ensure all products are ordered according to predetermined product specifications and received in correct unit count and condition, and deliveries are performed according to company policy
- Prepare all required paperwork, including forms, reports and schedules in an organized and timely manner
- Collaborate with marketing for new launches, promotions, branding, messaging and labeling of products
- Work with restaurant managers to plan and price menu items and ensure all food is consistently prepared according to menu standards
- Be familiar with local and federal health codes and ensure compliance
- Prepare all required paperwork, including forms, reports and schedules in an organized and timely manner
- Fill in where needed to ensure guest service standards and efficient operations
Qualifications:
- 5+ years experience in varied kitchen positions including food preparation, line/fry cook, & expeditor
- College degree preferred
- A combination of practical experience and education may be considered as an alternative
- Leadership & employee training experience
- Must be eligible to work in the United States
- Must have a driver’s license and reliable transportation
- Must agree to background and credit check
- ServSafe certified preferred
- Flexibility of schedule to assume responsibilities as needed, ability to balance personal & professional life; must work nights and weekends
- Professional appearance, punctual, reliable, and well-organized
- Hospitality soul
- Advanced written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills
- Advanced leadership qualities and a desire to improve
- Proficiency in basic computer applications, word processing, spreadsheet, internet, POS
- Frequently walk and occasionally bend over, twist, kneel, climb, stoop and crouch
- This position requires the ability to lift up to 55 pounds and maneuver 170 pounds
- Will also walk up and down steps on a regular basis
Compensation: This position pays $65-70,000/year with benefits and awesome employee perks. La Vida Hospitality Group offers unique lifestyle-based benefits geared towards doing what we do best - Enjoying the Ride & Celebrating our Tribe!
- Benefits for our salaried team - PTO & vacation, health insurance, & wellness resources
- Unlimited growth potential
- Travel opportunities
- Team events & outings like our recent ski trip to the Poconos
- Local lifestyle perks like paddleboarding & kayaking discounts
- Employee appreciation events & seasonal parties
- Professional leadership development and continuous coaching, training, and mentorship
- Food, beverage & retail discounts
...and tons more! We're firm believers in working & playing hard and we want to find people who share that same passion with us, so if that sounds like your kind of vibe, apply to join our team today!
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