Executive Chef

Chachi s Italian-American Steakhouse is seeking an experienced, passionate Executive Chefto lead the culinary program for a new independent restaurant opening in Downtown Littleton, Colorado.

ABOUT CHACHI S

The restaurant will include multiple guest experiences, including the main steakhouse, bar and lounge, private dining, an upstairs raw bar and a large seasonal rooftop terrace.

Our intention is to create a restaurant that becomes a fixture in the community for years to come-not simply another new restaurant.

Chachi s is being developed by lifelong hospitality professionals with an established restaurant operating history in Littleton and deep roots in the local community. Ownership understands the realities of restaurant operations and will be actively involved in the business, bringing both hands-on experience and a long-term commitment to the success of the restaurant, its team and the community it serves.

Ownership is committed to investing in quality ingredients, equipment, people and hospitality.

This is not an opportunity to simply step into an existing kitchen.

Our Executive Chef will work directly with ownership to help bring the restaurant to life-building the kitchen team, establishing standards and systems, developing recipes and execution standards, refining and executing our opening menu, and creating the culture that will define Chachi s for years to come.

We have a clear vision for Chachi's and a thoughtfully developed opening menu, but we also want an Executive Chef with ideas. The right chef will have meaningful creative input and the opportunity to develop the menu, specials, seasonal dishes and future menu items while working within the identity and direction of the restaurant.

Our culinary program will focus on:

-Premium steaks cut and portioned in-house from subprimals

-Handmade pasta

-Italian-American classics

-Fresh seafood and raw-bar offerings

-House-made sauces, stocks and dressings

-Bread and dough production

-Seasonal ingredients and specials

-Thoughtful utilization of trim and secondary cuts

-Consistency, technique and disciplined execution

Our steak program will feature locally raised beef, grain-finished and grass-fed selections, USDA Prime cuts and select dry-aged steaks, with an emphasis on proper fabrication, aging, handling, cooking, yield management and thoughtful utilization.

THE ROLE

The Opening Executive Chef will be responsible for:

-Recruiting, hiring, training and developing the opening BOH team

-Creating a professional, positive and accountable kitchen culture

-Establishing recipes, specifications and plating standards

-Developing prep systems, pars, production schedules and kitchen procedures

-Maintaining consistency and quality across all services

-Training cooks in technique-not simply teaching them recipes

-Overseeing steak fabrication, portioning and yield management

-Managing food cost, purchasing, inventory, waste and product utilization

-Managing BOH labor and scheduling

-Working with ownership and vendors on sourcing and product specifications

-Maintaining sanitation and food-safety standards

-Developing seasonal features and helping evolve the menu over time

-Collaborating closely with the FOH leadership team to deliver an exceptional guest experience

We are looking for a chef who is as passionate about developing people as they are about developing food.

The ideal candidate is a confident culinary leader who understands that being an Executive Chef involves much more than cooking.

Experience and qualities we value include:

-Significant leadership experience in a high-quality, scratch-driven restaurant

-Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine or comparable senior culinary leadership experience

-Strong knowledge of steaks and beef cookery

-Experience cutting and portioning beef subprimals

-Understanding of fabrication yields, trim utilization and portion control

-Experience with fresh pasta and Italian or Italian-American cuisine

-Strong command of food cost, labor, inventory and purchasing

-Ability to recruit, train, mentor and retain a strong kitchen team

-Excellent organization and communication skills

-Professional standards and strong attention to detail

-Ability to remain calm, present and effective during high-volume service

-Collaborative approach to working with ownership and restaurant leadership

-Restaurant-opening experience strongly preferred

Experience in nationally recognized restaurants, luxury hospitality, fine dining or highly regarded independent restaurants is valued, but it is not a requirement.

We care more about leadership, standards, curiosity and the ability to build a great kitchen than the names on a resume.

The right chef will also understand the business side of the restaurant. Great food must coexist with disciplined purchasing, labor management, yield control, waste reduction and profitability.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Employer-sponsored health insurance with employer contribution toward eligible employee premiums

Paid vacation with additional PTO based on tenure

Employee dining benefits

Additional benefits and professional-development opportunities may become available as the restaurant grows