An established, neighborhood-driven Italian restaurant is seeking an experienced Executive Chef or Chef de Cuisine to lead the culinary team and uphold the highest standards of food quality, consistency, and hospitality. The restaurant is known for its handcrafted pasta, wood-fired pizza, premium steaks, house-made cheeses, seasonal Italian cuisine, craft cocktails, and thriving private dining program.This role is ideal for a hands-on culinary leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, enjoys mentoring and developing teams, and takes pride in building strong kitchen culture while delivering exceptional guest experiences.
The Executive Chef/Chef de Cuisine serves as the operational leader of the kitchen, partnering closely with ownership and front-of-house leadership to maintain culinary excellence, operational efficiency, financial performance, and a collaborative workplace culture. Precision, accountability, leadership, and a genuine passion for hospitality are essential to success.This organization is committed to developing its people and values ambition, communication, teamwork, and continuous learning.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead all daily culinary operations, ensuring consistency, quality, presentation, and execution across all menu offerings.
• Oversee food preparation, cooking, and plating while maintaining established recipes and quality standards.
• Lead kitchen service with confidence, organization, and clear communication across all stations.
• Develop daily and seasonal specials while contributing to ongoing menu innovation.
• Manage purchasing, inventory, receiving, and vendor relationships to ensure product quality and proper cost controls.
• Oversee kitchen scheduling, labor deployment, and daily operational priorities to maximize productivity and efficiency.
• Recruit, hire, train, mentor, and develop Sous Chefs, Line Cooks, and BOH team members through structured coaching and ongoing performance management.
• Establish clear expectations and maintain accountability through consistent leadership, documentation, and follow-through.
• Foster a positive, respectful, and high-performing kitchen culture built around teamwork, professionalism, and continuous development.
• Ensure the kitchen maintains the highest standards of cleanliness, organization, sanitation, food safety, and Department of Health compliance.
• Oversee preventative maintenance of kitchen equipment and coordinate repairs as necessary.
• Manage food cost, labor cost, inventory, purchasing, and overall kitchen financial performance while working toward established profitability goals.
• Partner closely with ownership and FOH leadership to ensure seamless service, effective communication, and an exceptional guest experience.
• Support ongoing culinary education for both BOH and FOH teams, including menu knowledge, product education, allergen awareness, and operational best practices.
• Assist in the execution of private dining, catering, and special events.
• Perform additional responsibilities as needed to support the success of the restaurant.
Qualifications
• 3–5+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience as an Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, or similar leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of Italian cuisine, food preparation techniques, cooking methods, food safety, sanitation, and kitchen operations.
• Proven experience managing food cost, labor cost, purchasing, inventory, scheduling, and overall kitchen financial performance.
• Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, coaching, and retaining high-performing culinary teams.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced environment while maintaining composure and attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of Department of Health regulations and ServSafe standards.
• Passion for hospitality, mentorship, and creating exceptional guest experiences.
• Flexible schedule with availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 50 pounds.