Job Description

Head Chef / Kitchen Manager – Job Description

Position Title: Head Chef / Kitchen Manager

Reports To: General Manager / Owner

Department: Back of House (BOH)

Employment Type: Full-Time / Exempt

ABOUT US

Cream City Concepts is Milwaukee’s premier hospitality group, known for creating engaging entertainment spaces, serving excellent food and drinks, and offering cozy Airbnb accommodations. Our portfolio includes popular destinations like Who's on Third, Who’s on Layton, Oak Barrel Public House, Cream City Concepts Catering, and Third Street Properties. As we continue to grow, we are looking for experienced leaders who are passionate about hospitality and ready to take the next step with a company that values excellence, teamwork, and innovation.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head Chef / Kitchen Manager (KM) is responsible for the overall leadership and daily operations of the kitchen, including food preparation, ordering, inventory, food and labor cost control, maintaining health and safety compliance, ensuring food quality and consistency, and building a positive and productive kitchen culture.

This is a hands-on role that requires the Head Chef/KM to be present in the kitchen, working shifts as and leading the line during peak times, as well as scheduled shifts in order to control labor costs and maintain consistency.

This role sets the tone for kitchen discipline, creativity, and efficiency. The primary focus is to maintain high-quality standards, manage a team of kitchen staff, and collaborate with other departments to deliver exceptional culinary experiences to customers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership & Management

• Hire, supervise, train, and motivate BOH staff including sous chefs, cooks, preps, and dishwashers.
• Schedule and manage kitchen labor to meet business demands while controlling costs.
• Promote clear communication and strong collaboration between BOH and FOH teams.
• Lead by example and set the tone for kitchen discipline, professionalism, and positivity.

Culinary Execution & Menu Development

• Ensure accurate and consistent execution of all menu items and specials.
• Oversee food preparation, cooking, and presentation processes to meet customer expectations and maintain timely service.
• Lead the line, cook during peak hours, and staff shortages.
• Develop and update menus based on customer preferences, seasonal availability, and cost considerations.
• Maintain 100% compliance with standardized recipes and portion control (via tools like Xchef).
• Perform regular tastings, line checks, and quality control walkthroughs.

Inventory, Ordering & Vendor Management

• Conduct weekly inventory and maintain proper par levels to reduce waste and ensure freshness.
• Maintain strong supplier relationships
• Track and record invoices, receipts, and model inventory practices (FIFO, waste logs, etc.).

Food & Labor Cost Control

• Analyze food and labor costs, identify areas for improvement, and implement cost-saving measures without compromising quality.
• Achieve and maintain food and labor cost targets as a % of sales.
• Use labor forecasting and cut procedures to avoid overtime and overstaffing.
• Track waste, theft, and spoilage and implement proactive cost-saving measures to minimize waste, ensure freshness, and prevent stock shortages.
• Manage costs within the kitchen department.

SOPs, Recipes, and Prep Systems

• Create and enforce standardized opening, closing, cleaning, and station SOPs.
• Maintain accurate, usable prep lists for all stations based on sales trends and menu cycles.
• Audit and enforce full recipe and plating compliance across all staff.
• Use systems like Xchef (or equivalent) to keep kitchen documentation updated.
• Partner with the right stakeholders to build and create an org chart and a flow chart for kitchen operations pared with JDs for each role.

Sanitation, Safety & Maintenance

• Conduct regular inspections of food products, equipment, and storage areas to maintain cleanliness, safety, and hygiene standards.
• Uphold all local health department regulations and pass inspections.
• Oversee daily sanitation, line checks, and deep-clean schedules.
• Train staff in food handling, safety, and sanitation best practices.
• Monitor kitchen equipment functionality, arrange repairs or suggest replacements as needed, and maintain model information and maintenance records.

Collaboration & Communication

• Work with FOH leadership to ensure ticket flow, guest satisfaction, and special requests.
• Coordinate with the front-of-house staff to ensure smooth flow of food orders and resolve any issues or delays.
• Actively participate in management meetings, menu rollouts, and service planning.
• Maintain a clear and consistent flow of communication across all shifts.

Catering Operations

• Assist with planning and coordinating food service for all catering events, from initial inquiry to event execution
• Provide tastings and ensure satisfaction
• Create event timelines, staffing plans, and equipment checklists for culinary operations
• Manage event-day culinary setup, food execution, and service flow while maintaining positive and effective communication.
• Ensure consistent quality, presentation, and timeliness of all catered food
• Create and Maintain Standard Operating Procedures
• Establish and maintain a proper flow chart of leadership underneath your position.

Mobile Food Truck Operations

• May be required to drive the food truck
• Assist with scheduling, BOH staffing, and executing food truck events including private events, festivals, and daily service windows
• Help with coordinating parking and on-site logistics
• Maintain food truck cleanliness, equipment condition, and readiness
• Create and Maintain Standard Operating Procedures
• Establish and maintain a proper flow chart of leadership underneath your position.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of experience as a kitchen manager, sous chef, or in a similar supervisory role within a high-volume kitchen restaurant or the hospitality industry.
• Proficiency in managing budgets, controlling costs (food costs, labor control, inventory), and optimizing resources.
• Proficiency in food safety regulations, health department compliance, and kitchen hygiene.
• Experience with recipe software systems and prep management.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills to effectively manage a diverse kitchen team and collaborate with other departments.
• Flexible availability (including nights, weekends, holidays).
• Willingness and ability to work firsthand in the kitchen during service.
• In-depth knowledge of food preparation techniques, culinary trends, and food safety regulations.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Familiarity with kitchen equipment, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• A true team player who can jump into any role as needed and drive performance by example.
• Passionate about hospitality, community engagement, and company growth.
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• This position involves standing, walking, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds throughout the shift.

SUCCESSFUL METRICS

• Hitting food and labor cost targets consistently.
• Clean health inspections with minimal violations.
• High team morale and low BOH turnover.
• Timely service with consistent food quality.
• Minimal waste/spoilage and accurate inventory control.
• Smooth communication with FOH and customer satisfaction with food output.

BENEFITS AND PERKS

In addition to salary, we offer a full suite of benefits to our management team, including paid vacation, simple IRA plan with company match, cell phone plan, free employee meals, and health insurance reimbursement.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The policy of the Company is to ensure equal opportunity for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, gender identity, gender expression, disability, citizenship, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in any active or reserve component of the U.S. or state military forces, genetic history or information or any other category protected by law.

Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice as assigned by the Manager. The job description does not constitute a contract of employment, and the position remains at-will. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice as assigned by the Manager. The job description does not constitute a contract of employment, and the position remains at-will.

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