AM Sous Chef

Sitio Food & Beverage; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Sitio Food & Beverage seeks an AM Sous Chef for Barberry to lead breakfast, brunch, and lunch operations. You will supervise AM line cooks, oversee prep, and ensure recipes, portions, and quality meet specifications. This hands-on leader coordinates with FOH, manages daily setup, and supports dinner service when required.

The role requires strong organizational skills, breakfast/brunch expertise, and a focus on food safety, recipe execution, and team development in a high‑volume environment.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of progressive culinary experience in a full-service restaurant, hotel, resort, or similar high‑volume operation.
• Previous Sous Chef or similar kitchen leadership experience preferred.
• Strong breakfast, brunch, lunch, and high‑volume line‑cooking experience.
• Knowledge of kitchen production, station setup, recipe execution, ordering, inventory, and food‑cost control.
• Ability to lead AM culinary team while actively supporting service on the line.
• Leadership, organization, communication, time‑management, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to train and develop cooks with varying levels of experience.
• Working knowledge of health department regulations, HACCP principles, allergen procedures, sanitation, and food‑safety standards.
• Experience with recipe‑costing, inventory, purchasing, scheduling, timekeeping, and payroll systems preferred.
• ServSafe Manager certification or the ability to obtain certification within the required timeframe.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional kitchen experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily culinary execution for Barberry breakfast, brunch, and lunch service.
• Maintain recipes, plating specs, portion standards, and quality expectations.
• Be hands-on on the line for service.
• Organize daily kitchen setup, station readiness, line checks, service, and breakdown.
• Monitor ticket times, food quality, portioning, temperature, and communication during service.
• Collaborate with FOH to address allergies, dietary restrictions, VIPs, and service concerns.
• Resolve issues quickly while maintaining a calm kitchen environment.
• Taste and evaluate food for consistency during prep and service.
• Communicate shortages, menu changes, and equipment concerns to the Chef de Cuisine.
• Support dinner service, events, and other culinary operations as needed.

Skills

Breakfast service

Brunch service

Leadership

Food safety

Communication

Time management

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent

ServSafe Manager certification

Tools

Recipe costing

Inventory control

Scheduling

Payroll systems

Job description

Description

AM SOUS CHEF — BARBERRY

Position Summary

The AM Sous Chef supports the daily culinary operations of Barberry, with primary responsibility for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and morning production. This position leads the AM kitchen team, maintains food quality and consistency, manages daily preparation, and ensures the kitchen is properly organized and positioned for both morning service and evening operations.

Reporting to the Barberry Chef de Cuisine, the AM Sous Chef works closely with the Culinary Director, Barberry Sous Chefs, service leadership, and other culinary departments to execute Barberry’s seasonally driven, Central-Texas-meets-French-farmhouse culinary identity. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring a consistent presence on the line, strong organizational skills, and the ability to lead both service and production.

Culinary & Service Leadership

• Lead daily culinary execution for Barberry breakfast, brunch, and lunch service.
• Ensure all dishes are prepared and presented according to approved recipes, plating specifications, portion standards, and quality expectations.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence on the line throughout service.
• Organize and lead daily kitchen setup, station readiness, line checks, service execution, and breakdown.
• Monitor ticket times, food quality, portioning, temperature, presentation, and communication during service.
• Coordinate with front-of-house leadership to address allergies, dietary restrictions, special requests, VIPs, and service concerns.
• Resolve culinary and service issues quickly while maintaining a calm, professional kitchen environment.
• Taste and evaluate food throughout preparation and service to ensure consistency.
• Communicate product shortages, menu changes, equipment concerns, and operational challenges to the Chef de Cuisine.
• Support dinner service, special events, and other culinary operations when business needs require.

Morning Production & Preparation

• Plan and oversee daily AM production for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and designated dinner-service preparation.
• Review menus, reservations, hotel occupancy, banquet activity, and anticipated business levels to determine production needs.
• Create and assign daily prep lists based on pars, inventory, business volume, and upcoming services.
• Ensure all prep is completed accurately, efficiently, and according to established recipes and timelines.
• Coordinate production between stations to avoid duplication, delays, waste, or product shortages.
• Maintain accurate pars for proteins, sauces, stocks, vegetables, garnishes, breakfast items, and other assigned products.
• Ensure the PM culinary team receives a clean, organized, properly stocked, and fully communicated handoff.
• Maintain clear shift notes identifying completed production, outstanding tasks, shortages, quality concerns, and special-event needs.
• Support receiving, inspection, storage, and organization of morning deliveries.
• Ensure all products are properly labeled, dated, rotated, stored, and secured.

Team Leadership & Development

• Supervise, train, coach, and develop AM line cooks, prep cooks, and other assigned culinary team members.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings covering reservations, hotel occupancy, menu updates, specials, allergens, production priorities, and service expectations.
• Assign stations and production responsibilities based on business needs and team-member capabilities.
• Establish clear expectations and hold team members accountable for food quality, attendance, productivity, cleanliness, safety, and professional conduct.
• Provide ongoing technical training in cooking methods, knife skills, preparation, organization, plating, sanitation, and equipment use.
• Support the onboarding and training of new culinary team members.
• Identify performance concerns and communicate them promptly to the Chef de Cuisine.
• Partner with the Chef de Cuisine and Human Resources on performance documentation and corrective action when necessary.
• Foster a positive, disciplined, inclusive, and professional kitchen culture.

Administrative & Business Operations

• Support the Chef de Cuisine in managing food cost, kitchen labor, purchasing, waste, inventory, and production efficiency.
• Assist with AM scheduling based on forecasted business levels, hotel occupancy, seasonality, and approved labor targets.
• Monitor daily staffing and make appropriate adjustments based on volume and operational needs.
• Review employee timekeeping for accuracy and communicate missed punches, overtime concerns, and attendance issues.
• Assist with ordering, receiving, inventory counts, transfers, and product rotation.
• Complete daily production records, waste logs, temperature logs, cooling logs, line checks, and other required documentation.
• Monitor product usage, yields, portions, and waste to support established food-cost targets.
• Communicate purchasing needs and product‑quality concerns to the Chef de Cuisine and Culinary Director.
• Participate in menu development, recipe testing, costing, tastings, and seasonal menu changes.
• Ensure recipes, yields, preparation methods, allergen information, and plating specifications remain accurate and current.

Food Safety, Sanitation & Kitchen Organization

• Ensure compliance with health department regulations, HACCP principles, food safety requirements, and ERHG policies.
• Enforce proper receiving, labeling, dating, storage, rotation, thawing, cooling, reheating, and disposal procedures.
• Complete required temperature, cooling, sanitation, and food‑safety documentation accurately and on time.
• Maintain clean, organized, and inspection‑ready workstations, refrigeration, storage areas, and production spaces.
• Conduct opening, pre‑service, and closing inspections of all assigned kitchen areas.
• Ensure proper handling of allergens and prevention of cross‑contact.
• Monitor the condition and safe operation of kitchen equipment.
• Report equipment failures, maintenance issues, pest concerns, accidents, injuries, and safety hazards promptly.
• Coordinate with Stewarding to maintain appropriate levels of clean cookware, utensils, serviceware, and sanitation supplies.
• Ensure the AM team leaves the kitchen fully cleaned, restocked, and prepared for the next service period.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Chef de Cuisine to execute Barberry’s culinary vision and daily operating priorities.
• Collaborate with the Culinary Director and other sous chefs to coordinate staffing, production, purchasing, and shared resources.
• Maintain effective communication with Barberry’s front‑of‑house managers regarding service timing, menu availability, allergies, guest feedback, and operational needs.
• Coordinate with In‑Room Dining leadership when Barberry’s AM kitchen supports breakfast production or other hotel dining needs.
• Work with Pastry, Banquets, Purchasing, Stewarding, and other departments to ensure production and service needs are met.
• Participate in culinary meetings, menu tastings, training sessions, and operational planning as assigned.

Standards & Conduct

• Uphold ERHG and Sítio El Tropicano’s image, values, culinary standards, and professional expectations at all times.
• Maintain exceptional standards for food quality, kitchen cleanliness, organization, equipment care, and team‑member appearance.
• Demonstrate integrity, accountability, consistency, urgency, and sound judgment.
• Foster a harmonious, positive, disciplined, and professional kitchen culture.
• Complete responsibilities accurately, on time, and in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as reasonably assigned based on operational needs.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of progressive culinary experience in a full-service restaurant, hotel, resort, or similarly high‑volume operation.
• Previous Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, Lead Line Cook, or comparable kitchen‑leadership experience preferred.
• Strong breakfast, brunch, lunch, and high‑volume line‑cooking experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of kitchen production, station setup, recipe execution, ordering, inventory, and food‑cost control.
• Ability to lead morning production while executing an active service period.
• Strong organizational, communication, time‑management, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to train and develop cooks with varying levels of experience.
• Working knowledge of health department regulations, HACCP principles, allergen procedures, sanitation, and food safety standards.
• Experience with recipe‑costing, inventory, purchasing, scheduling, and payroll systems preferred.
• ServSafe Manager certification, or the ability to obtain it within the required timeframe.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional kitchen experience preferred.

Physical Requirements

1. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods while supporting kitchen operations.
2. Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds when necessary.
3. Ability to perform frequent bending, reaching, twisting, pushing, pulling, and repetitive movements.
4. Ability to work safely around commercial kitchen equipment, hot surfaces, open flames, steam, sharp tools, and active restaurant environments.
5. Ability to work in hot, cold, refrigerated, and otherwise changing kitchen environments.
6. Ability to taste and evaluate food products regularly.
7. Ability to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours based on operational needs.

Direct Reports: AM Line Cooks, Prep Cooks, and other assigned hourly culinary team members.

Reports To: Barberry Chef de Cuisine.

This job description provides a general overview of the position and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, or qualifications. Responsibilities may evolve based on business and operational needs, and team members may be asked to perform other duties as reasonably assigned.

Requirements

• Minimum of three years of progressive culinary experience in a full-service restaurant, hotel, resort, or comparable high‑volume operation.
• Previous experience as a Sous Chef, Junior Sous Chef, Lead Line Cook, or similar kitchen leadership role preferred.
• Strong breakfast, brunch, lunch, production, and high‑volume line‑cooking experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of recipe execution, kitchen production, station setup, ordering, inventory control, portioning, yields, waste management, and food‑cost control.
• Ability to lead an AM culinary team while actively supporting service on the line.
• Strong leadership, organization, communication, time‑management, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to train, coach, and develop cooks with varying level of experience.
• Working knowledge of health department regulations, HACCP principles, allergen controls, sanitation, and food‑safety standards.
• Experience with recipe‑costing, inventory, purchasing, scheduling, timekeeping, and payroll systems preferred.
• ServSafe Manager certification or the ability to obtain certification within the required timeframe.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional kitchen experience preferred.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and lift or carry up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work safely around hot surfaces, open flames, steam, sharp tools, and commercial kitchen equipment.
• Must be available to work early mornings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours based on operational needs.