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Cook - Restaurant Team Member at Parkhurst Dining

Parkhurst Dining Latrobe, PA $16 - $18/hour

Job Description

The pay rate for this position is $16 - $18 / hour, depending on experience. While we are accepting all applications, we are looking for candidates who can work 12:00PM to 8:00PM.


Parkhurst Dining is a family-owned and operated company that provides culinary, dining and catering services to over 80 organizations and universities. We believe that food is best when made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients, prepared with heart, & served with a smile. This culinary experience is uniquely and authentically Parkhurst. If you've been searching for a place where you can do what you love, love what you do and have room to grow, consider joining our team! Parkhurst Dining is part of Eat'n Park Hospitality Group, a regional portfolio of foodservice concepts serving 50 million guests annually in its restaurants, on college and corporate campuses and in every state through our online store.


JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for the quality, quantity, and timeliness of that day's meal production. He or she prepares the food in accordance with Parkhurst recipes, standards, and procedures under strict sanitary conditions.


ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Prepare food according to Parkhurst recipes and also enforce the "batch" cooking method.

Ensure the quality of the food produced and maintain the quality and quantity of food throughout the service period, utilizing production sheets.

Ensure proper line presentation: proper pans are used, pans are garnished, proper utensils

are used according to recipe specifications, and food products are maintained at the proper

serving temperatures as specified by recipes or management.

Maintain open lines of communication with other associates, e.g., line servers, concerning specific information about food items on a daily basis.

Complete daily production sheets.

Make sure all food items are properly stored and dated.

Follow all HACCP guidelines in utilizing leftovers.

Follow cleaning schedule as provided by management, using "clean as you go" techniques.

Maintain an open line of communication with management, informing them of products and supplies needed.

Follow the uniform dress code and maintain proper personal hygiene.

Follow all Parkhurst Gold Standards. Uses Smile Plus hospitality imperatives.

Assist fellow team members at every opportunity.

Perform any other duties as assigned by management.


QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities

to perform the essential functions.


PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Standing and/or walking - 100% of time.

Occasionally lifting up to 40 lbs


BENEFITS

  • FREE meal during your shift
  • 20% discount on any food purchase at Eat'n Park, Hello Bistro, The Porch, and Parkhurst Dining.
  • Paid time off
  • Management career advancement opportunities
  • Access to continuous development with Smile Universe
  • Eligibility for 401k, vision, dental and medical plans


Eat'n Park Hospitality Group provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.


This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

$33k - $37k is right at market for Food Preparation Workers nationally

National salary averages
$33k - $37k
Entry
Mid
Senior
This job
$23k Market range (10th-90th percentile) $44k

Hot hiring, constrained wages

Employers are hiring actively, but pay hasn't caught up with demand. Focus on competing offers and non-salary benefits.

Hiring leverage
Candidate-favored
Wage leverage âš  Disconnect
Constrained
Mobility
High mobility
Durability
High fragility

Why this market feels harder than it looks

This market is hiring aggressively, but compensation hasn't caught up and most openings are backfilling churn, not expansion. Employers are filling roles, but not bidding wages up.

Who this leverage applies to

Stronger for: Senior candidates with options
Weaker for: Entry-level candidates, Career switchers

Where to negotiate

Base salary
Sign-on bonus
Title / level
Remote flexibility
Scope & responsibility
Start date / PTO

Likely Possible Unlikely

Watch out for

Wage disconnect: Hiring is active but pay hasn't responded—negotiate on other terms.

Don't let hiring headlines mislead you—focus on concrete offers. Your leverage may be less durable than it appears—move decisively.

Does this path compound?

Job Growth →
High churn
Growth, flat pay
🚀 Compound
Growth + pay upside
⚠️ Plateau
Limited growth
Specialize
Experts earn more
Pay Upside →
Stable but flat

Steady work, but limited growth in both jobs and pay.

-3%
10yr growth
Most openings come from retirements and turnover, not new positions.
148,000 openings projected annually—mostly replacing retirees and turnover.
Typical: No formal educational credential

Consider building adjacent skills to stay marketable.

Labor data: BLS 2024