Kitchen Manager

KITCHEN MANAGER

NYC High-Volume Sports Tavern & Catering Operation

$60,000 $75,000 Base DOE + Possible Mileage + Bonus Potential up to $5,000 Annually

Full-Time | 5 to 5 Days per Week | Weekends Required

We are looking for a true restaurant professional to lead the kitchen of a busy NYC sports tavern with a full-service kitchen and a strong, growing catering department.

This is a hands-on Kitchen Manager position for someone who genuinely loves food, enjoys cooking, knows how to run a high-volume kitchen, and knows how to lead a team.

We use fresh ingredients and take pride in the quality of our food. Our catering business is a major part of our operation, so the ability to organize large-volume prep and execute catering orders accurately and on time is extremely important.

We are looking for someone who can be fun, positive, energetic, and approachable but also firm, accountable, and not afraid to hold people to a high standard.

This is a working restaurant, not a Monday-through-Friday office job. The right person understands what it takes to run a busy NYC kitchen and is willing to jump in wherever needed.

Oversee all daily BOH operations.

Lead by example and remain hands-on in the kitchen.

Oversee daily prep, production, line execution, and catering production.

Ensure all food is prepared consistently and to recipe and quality standards.

Maintain proper portioning, presentation, taste, and food quality.

Organize the kitchen for efficient service.

Conduct line checks and make sure stations are properly stocked.

Step onto the line and cook when needed.

Keep the kitchen moving during high-volume periods.

Work closely with FOH management to coordinate service and catering.

Oversee production and execution of large catering orders.

Plan prep according to catering volume and event schedules.

Make sure catering orders are accurate, complete, properly packed, labeled, and ready on time.

Coordinate with management regarding catering deadlines and special requests.

Maintain quality and consistency when producing food in large quantities.

Help develop systems that make our growing catering operation more efficient.

Hire, train, coach, and develop kitchen employees.

Create clear expectations for cooks and BOH staff.

Build a positive, professional kitchen culture.

Hold employees accountable for performance, attendance, cleanliness, and execution.

Delegate prep and daily responsibilities effectively.

Create and maintain kitchen schedules.

Manage call-outs and staffing issues.

Provide ongoing coaching and feedback.

Recognize good performance and address problems quickly.

Maintain a kitchen environment that is fun, respectful, productive, and disciplined.

Manage daily and weekly inventory.

Maintain appropriate product pars.

Place food and kitchen supply orders.

Monitor food usage, waste, and portion control.

Control food costs and minimize unnecessary waste.

Receive and inspect deliveries.

Make sure all deliveries are properly stored and rotated.

Maintain FIFO standards.

Monitor product quality and freshness.

Work with management to maintain food-cost and labor targets.

We work primarily with fresh ingredients and frequently need additional product purchased locally.

In-person food shopping is generally required approximately twice per week.

Must have a reliable personal vehicle and a valid driver's license.

Must be comfortable purchasing food and supplies from local vendors, markets, and stores as needed.

Maintain receipts and follow company purchasing procedures.

Mileage for approved shopping and business-related driving will be reimbursed.

Maintain strict NYC DOH and food-safety standards.

Ensure proper food temperatures, storage, labeling, and sanitation.

Maintain clean and organized refrigerators, freezers, dry storage, prep areas, and cooking stations.

Enforce daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning procedures.

Ensure kitchen equipment is properly cleaned and maintained.

Monitor proper handling of raw and prepared foods.

Address sanitation issues immediately.

Maintain a kitchen that is inspection-ready every day.

Monitor food and labor costs.

Control overtime while maintaining appropriate staffing.

Schedule employees according to business volume.

Review sales and catering volume to anticipate staffing and prep needs.

Reduce waste through proper planning, storage, and portion control.

Identify opportunities to improve kitchen efficiency and profitability.

Communicate operational issues and opportunities to ownership/management.

5 days per week.

Weekends are required.

Position is primarily a day-shift position, but flexibility is required.

Must be willing to work approximately 55 60 hours per week when necessary, including shopping and business-related duties.

High-volume weekends, major sporting events, holidays, and large catering events may require additional hours.

This position requires someone who understands that restaurant management sometimes means staying until the job is done.

Minimum 5 years of professional restaurant kitchen leadership experience preferred.

Proven experience as a Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef, Chef, or similar BOH leadership role. Some FOH Experience a plus.

High-volume full-service restaurant experience strongly preferred.

Bilingual (Spanish and English) strongly preferred in order to train and direct all staff.

Catering or large-volume production experience strongly preferred.

Strong cooking skills and genuine passion for food.

Experience working with fresh ingredients and scratch preparation.

Strong understanding of food cost, labor, inventory, ordering, and waste control.

Experience hiring, training, scheduling, and managing kitchen teams.

Strong organizational and time-management skills.

Comfortable working under pressure.

Able to move quickly and make good decisions during busy service.

Strong communication skills.

Reliable transportation and willingness to use a personal vehicle for approved shopping.

Load and transport kitchen goods from wholesale restaurant supply stores to restaurant up to 50 lbs.

Can lift, move and transport food supplies and large catering orders and supplies at the restaurant up to 50lbs.

Willing and able to deliver large catering orders to clients when needed.

NYC food-handler/food-protection certification preferred or required as applicable.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...

We want someone who loves restaurants.

Someone who enjoys being in the kitchen.

Someone who can jump on the line, cook a great meal, organize a catering order, train a new cook, deal with a delivery, solve a staffing problem, and still have a good attitude at the end of the day.

You should be the kind of leader who can laugh with the team without losing authority, create a positive environment without lowering standards, and make sure everyone knows that fun and accountability can exist in the same kitchen.

We are looking for a restaurant professional not someone looking for a 9-to-5 job.

$60,000 $75,000 base salary DOE.

Possible Mileage reimbursement for approved business-related shopping.

Bonus potential up to $5,000 annually.

Primarily day-shift schedule.

Opportunity to help build and grow a significant catering operation.

Opportunity to develop systems and have a real impact on the business.

Room for professional growth within our expanding brand.

Greater earning potential after the first year based on performance and growth.

A fun, energetic sports-tavern environment.

Opportunity to work with a team that takes food, hospitality, sports, and having a good time seriously.

If you're an experienced kitchen leader who knows what it takes to run a busy NYC restaurant, loves to cook, loves to lead, and wants an opportunity to grow with a developing brand, we'd like to hear from you.