Kitchen Manager

The Kitchen Manager is responsible for leading back-of-house operations and ensuring consistent execution of food quality, safety, sanitation, and labor performance. This role directly supervises line cooks, prep cooks, dish, and BOH support staff while working closely with FOH leadership to maintain ticket flow, pacing, and guest satisfaction.

This is a hands-on management role for a strong kitchen leader who can balance execution, team accountability, and cost control in a high-volume, fast-paced restaurant environment.

Key Responsibilities

1) Kitchen Leadership & Shift Execution

• Lead BOH shifts from prep through close
• Manage line setup, station readiness, and production flow
• Ensure tickets are executed accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner
• Maintain expo/line communication to support service pacing and guest experience
• Monitor staffing deployment across prep, line, and dish throughout the shift
• Ensure opening, shift-change, and closing checklists are completed properly

2) Food Quality & Standards

• Enforce recipe specs, portion standards, plating standards, and presentation consistency
• Taste and inspect products throughout prep and service
• Ensure proper labeling, dating, rotation, and storage of all food items
• Maintain quality standards for hot/cold holding, freshness, and line organization
• Work with chef/leadership on menu rollouts, prep systems, and execution standards

3) Team Supervision, Training & Accountability

• Supervise cooks, prep staff, dish team, and BOH support positions
• Train and coach team members on station performance, prep procedures, and safety
• Reinforce standards for attendance, punctuality, uniform, and conduct
• Support onboarding of new BOH team members and cross-training efforts
• Hold staff accountable for cleanliness, organization, and execution standards
• Document and communicate performance issues to senior leadership per company process

4) Labor, Cost Control & Operational Discipline

• Manage BOH labor deployment based on volume and business needs
• Support labor-cost targets while maintaining execution and speed
• Minimize waste through proper prep planning, portioning, and storage practices
• Monitor and reduce re-fires, ticket errors, spoilage, and unnecessary product loss
• Support inventory controls, receiving accuracy, and product handling standards
• Assist with prep forecasting based on sales trends and reservations/business levels

5) Food Safety, Sanitation & Compliance

• Enforce all food safety and sanitation standards in accordance with local/state regulations
• Ensure safe food handling, temperature controls, and HACCP/CCP practices as applicable
• Maintain clean, organized stations, walk-ins, prep areas, and dish areas
• Ensure chemical storage, labeling, and usage comply with safety standards
• Complete/verify temperature logs, cleaning schedules, and sanitation checklists
• Respond to and document incidents, injuries, or safety concerns promptly

6) Equipment, Maintenance & Facility Readiness

• Monitor kitchen equipment condition and report issues immediately
• Coordinate with leadership/maintenance/vendors to address equipment failures
• Help maintain readiness of ranges, fryers, ovens, refrigeration, hoods, and dish systems
• Ensure BOH areas remain clean, safe, and operationally efficient

7) Communication & Administrative Responsibilities

• Communicate clearly with FOH managers, expo, and chef leadership during service
• Participate in pre-shift and manager meetings to align on volume, features, and staffing
• Complete manager logs, shift notes, waste notes, and incident documentation
• Provide feedback on staffing needs, scheduling, and team development opportunities
• Support opening training, systems implementation, and process refinement as assigned