Pay: Based on experience
Job Type: Part-Time | Evening Shifts
About the PositionCountry Waffles in Livermore is expanding into dinner service, and we're looking for an experienced
Lead Dinner Cook to help develop and lead our dinner kitchen operations.
Our dinner concept focuses on
Classic American and American Bistro-style cuisine, featuring steaks, seafood, pasta, grilled proteins, and freshly prepared sides.
We're seeking a skilled, hands-on culinary professional with extensive dinner cooking experience who can independently manage dinner service, maintain high food quality standards, and contribute to the development of our dinner menu.
Key Responsibilities- Lead and manage kitchen operations during dinner service, ensuring smooth execution and timely food preparation.
- Prepare and cook high-quality dinner entrées, including steaks, seafood, pasta, sauces, and accompaniments.
- Demonstrate strong proficiency in grilling, sautéing, protein preparation, and professional plating.
- Ensure consistency in food quality, presentation, recipes, and portion sizes.
- Coordinate ticket flow and timing with front-of-house staff to ensure efficient service.
- Assist with menu development, recipe testing, dinner specials, and seasonal offerings.
- Organize kitchen prep, station setup, ingredient preparation, and closing procedures.
- Direct and train supporting kitchen staff as needed.
- Monitor ingredient usage, minimize food waste, and maintain appropriate inventory levels.
- Follow proper food storage, labeling, FIFO rotation, sanitation, and food safety procedures.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment
Mandatory Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of professional cooking experience in restaurant kitchens.
- At least 3 years of hands-on dinner cooking experience in a full-service restaurant.
- Strong background in Classic American, Contemporary American, American Bistro, steakhouse, Italian-American, or similar cuisine.
- Demonstrated expertise preparing steaks to specified temperatures, seafood, pasta, sauces, and plated dinner entrées.
- Strong proficiency with commercial grills, sauté stations, ovens, and other kitchen equipment.
- Ability to independently manage multiple orders while maintaining consistent quality and presentation.
- Strong understanding of cooking techniques, ingredient preparation, portion control, and food safety.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and time-management skills.
- Dependable, punctual, and comfortable taking ownership of kitchen operations.
- Bilingual and fluent in English and Spanish.
Preferred Qualifications- Previous experience as a Lead Cook, Senior Line Cook, Sous Chef, or Kitchen Lead.
- Experience working in American casual dining restaurants, steakhouses, bistros, or hotel restaurants.
- Experience creating or refining recipes, dinner specials, and seasonal menus.
- Experience supervising or training kitchen staff.
- Culinary education or formal culinary training is a plus but not required
How to Apply
Please submit your resume and a brief summary of your experience, including:
- Restaurants you've worked at and types of cuisine you've prepared.
- Your experience with steaks, seafood, pasta, and full-service dinner cooking.
- Any previous kitchen leadership or menu development experience.
- Your availability for evening and weekend shifts.
Join the Country Waffles team and help us bring an exciting new dinner experience to Livermore!