Kitchen Manager / Chef at Hi-Lo Taco Co.

Ideal Candidate:
You are a natural leader that can maintain a confident and positive team. You care deeply about your team's wellbeing and growth. You get more joy from seeing a young cook grow than you do from creating a novel food combination. You roll up your sleeves and cook and wouldn't want it any other way.  You may not have a lot of exposure to the business side of kitchens (or maybe you do). Regardless, you are eager to learn and gain more exposure to the economics of restaurants.

Overview:
This is the most senior role in the kitchen. The Kitchen Manager (Chef) will be responsible for overseeing all kitchen operations, ensuring the team is cohesive and delivers high-quality food efficiently and safely. This is the primary responsibility.  Supporting the line, working service, covering shifts, etc. is a requirement. 

This is also a leadership role that is integral to controlling costs and maintaining a well-run restaurant. You will contribute to the overall growth of the business. Most importantly, you will be instrumental in helping us drive our culture of empathy, thoughtfulness, and emotional maturity. You will ultimately be responsible for kitchen labor and food costs but can grow into this if you don't already have this capability.

About us:
Hi-Lo is a taco shop and bar that opened it's first location in late 2023 and plans to expand to multiple locations. It’s our plan to balance quality and simplicity to create a strong business model that can grow into multiple locations. At a year and half old we not yet ready to expand and are currently fine-tuning our model and brand.

With nearly 40 years of combined restaurant experience our leadership team takes culture, professionalism, and growth opportunities seriously. We strive to create a supportive and wholesome place of work that offers clear expectations and all required tools for our team to succeed and grow. While we have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, source locally, and are focused on quality, Hi-Lo is a casual unpretentious restaurant which allows us to enjoy the fun stuff and not sweat the mundane.

Food Production

• Establish and enforce standards for food preparation, cooking, and presentation.
• Collaborate with chefs on menu planning, recipe development, and seasonal updates. - Implement procedures to maintain consistency and minimize food waste.
• Oversee quality control checks for ingredients, prep, and final dishes.

Service

• Ensure smooth and consistent service by coordinating kitchen operations with front-of-house needs. - Resolve food-related complaints or issues quickly to uphold guest satisfaction.
• Monitor peak service periods and adjust staffing or workflow as needed.
• Review guest feedback and implement improvements to enhance kitchen performance.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, train, and manage the performance of kitchen staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, and teamwork.
• Conduct regular staff meetings and one-on-ones for communication and development.
• Develop and implement staff development plans and performance improvement strategies.

Kitchen Administration

• Oversee kitchen budget, including food and labor cost control.
• Manage inventory, purchasing, and vendor relationships to ensure cost-effective operations.
• Ensure compliance with all local health and safety regulations and maintain required documentation.
• Analyze kitchen performance metrics and prepare reports for upper management or ownership.

Business Oversight

• Collaborate with general management and ownership to align kitchen performance with overall business goals and brand standards.
• Analyze sales data and food cost reports to drive menu profitability and suggest strategic adjustments.
• Participate in budgeting and forecasting processes, providing input on labor, inventory, and capital needs.
• Contribute to marketing initiatives by developing promotional menus, limited-time offers, or seasonal features.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through culinary innovation and consistency.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that connect kitchen operations with front-of-house, guest experience, or community outreach efforts.
• Represent the kitchen team in staff meetings and planning sessions, offering insights into staffing, morale, and operational challenges.