Assistant Kitchen Manager

Demos Restaurants; Lebanon (TN); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Management training

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Holidays closed

Chaplains program

Job summary

Demos’ Restaurant is actively seeking a Kitchen Manager to work with the lead Kitchen Manager, General Manager, and leadership to develop staff, maintain food quality and safety, and ensure an organized, efficient kitchen.

We value leadership built on respect, integrity, accountability, humility, and discipline, and offer a comprehensive management training program for qualified candidates. Competitive compensation and benefits included.

Qualifications

• A genuine desire to serve others.
• Strong leadership and people skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving abilities.
• High personal and professional standards.
• A strong work ethic and a continuous desire to improve.
• The ability to coach employees and hold them accountable.
• Prior restaurant experience, preferably in a high-volume, full-service kitchen.
• Prior kitchen management experience is preferred but not required. Demos’ provides a comprehensive management training program for qualified candidates.
• A working knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Open availability, including the ability to work a combination of days, evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
• The ability to stand and walk for extended periods and perform the essential physical duties of a restaurant kitchen position.

Responsibilities

• Uphold and exemplify Demos’ purpose statement and company values.
• Support the Kitchen Manager and General Manager in leading daily back-of-house operations.
• Open and close the kitchen according to company procedures.
• Maintain uncompromising standards for food quality, consistency, portioning, presentation, and ticket times.
• Ensure that recipes, preparation procedures, and food-handling standards are consistently followed.
• Keep recipe binders and recipe cards current, accessible, and in good condition.
• Make certain employees use the required recipe cards and follow approved recipes.
• Train, coach, and develop back-of-house employees in every assigned position.
• Hold employees accountable while treating them fairly, firmly, and respectfully.
• Lead with integrity, sound judgment, consistency, and respect.
• Monitor staffing and make appropriate deployment adjustments during each shift.
• Assign workstations and communicate priorities to kitchen employees.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings and ensure the kitchen is prepared before service begins.
• Monitor food production and anticipate what will be needed throughout the shift.
• Assist employees during busy periods and provide hands-on leadership when needed.
• Coordinate with front-of-house management to maintain food quality, accuracy, and timely service.
• Identify and correct wasteful practices, overproduction, improper portions, and recipe deviations.
• Help control food, labor, supply, and operating costs.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and professional kitchen.
• Enforce food-safety, sanitation, temperature-control, and workplace-safety procedures.
• Ensure proper receiving, labeling, dating, rotation, storage, and handling of food products.
• Help maintain appropriate inventory and preparation levels.
• Complete required manager checklists, temperature logs, waste records, and shift reports.
• Communicate maintenance, equipment, supply, and operational concerns to the appropriate manager.
• Support employee hiring, onboarding, evaluations, and disciplinary documentation when assigned.
• Help administer employee discipline consistently and appropriately.
• Anticipate operational problems and develop backup plans before they affect customers.
• Ensure employees maintain Demos’ standards for appearance, conduct, cleanliness, and personal hygiene.
• Demonstrate dependability by doing what is expected, when it is expected, whether or not a supervisor is present.

Skills

Leadership

People skills

Communication

Organization

Problem-solving

Work ethic

Coaching

High-volume kitchen experience

Job description

Description

Demos’ Restaurant is an independent, family-owned restaurant group known for exceptional service, quality food, and genuine hospitality. As one of our Kitchen Managers, you will work directly with the lead Kitchen Manager, General Manager, and company leadership to develop employees, maintain food quality and safety standards, control costs, and ensure an organized and efficient kitchen.

At Demos’, we care about our employees and believe strong leadership begins with respect, integrity, accountability, humility, consistency, dependability, courage, dedication, and discipline. We are looking for someone who shares those values and wants to build a career with a company where leadership is actively involved.

Responsibilities

• Uphold and exemplify Demos’ purpose statement and company values.
• Support the Kitchen Manager and General Manager in leading daily back-of-house operations.
• Open and close the kitchen according to company procedures.
• Maintain uncompromising standards for food quality, consistency, portioning, presentation, and ticket times.
• Ensure that recipes, preparation procedures, and food‑handling standards are consistently followed.
• Keep recipe binders and recipe cards current, accessible, and in good condition.
• Make certain employees use the required recipe cards and follow approved recipes.
• Train, coach, and develop back‑of‑house employees in every assigned position.
• Hold employees accountable while treating them fairly, firmly, and respectfully.
• Lead with integrity, sound judgment, consistency, and respect.
• Monitor staffing and make appropriate deployment adjustments during each shift.
• Assign workstations and communicate priorities to kitchen employees.
• Conduct pre‑shift meetings and ensure the kitchen is prepared before service begins.
• Monitor food production and anticipate what will be needed throughout the shift.
• Assist employees during busy periods and provide hands‑on leadership when needed.
• Coordinate with front‑of‑house management to maintain food quality, accuracy, and timely service.
• Identify and correct wasteful practices, overproduction, improper portions, and recipe deviations.
• Help control food, labor, supply, and operating costs.
• Maintain an organized, clean, and professional kitchen.
• Enforce food‑safety, sanitation, temperature‑control, and workplace‑safety procedures.
• Ensure proper receiving, labeling, dating, rotation, storage, and handling of food products.
• Help maintain appropriate inventory and preparation levels.
• Complete required manager checklists, temperature logs, waste records, and shift reports.
• Communicate maintenance, equipment, supply, and operational concerns to the appropriate manager.
• Support employee hiring, onboarding, evaluations, and disciplinary documentation when assigned.
• Help administer employee discipline consistently and appropriately.
• Anticipate operational problems and develop backup plans before they affect customers.
• Ensure employees maintain Demos’ standards for appearance, conduct, cleanliness, and personal hygiene.
• Demonstrate dependability by doing what is expected, when it is expected, whether or not a supervisor is present.

Requirements

Qualifications

• A genuine desire to serve others.
• Strong leadership and people skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem‑solving abilities.
• High personal and professional standards.
• A strong work ethic and a continuous desire to improve.
• The ability to coach employees and hold them accountable.
• Prior restaurant experience, preferably in a high‑volume, full‑service kitchen.
• Prior kitchen management experience is preferred but not required. Demos’ provides a comprehensive management training program for qualified candidates.
• A working knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Open availability, including the ability to work a combination of days, evenings, weekends, and some holidays.
• The ability to stand and walk for extended periods and perform the essential physical duties of a restaurant kitchen position.

Compensation

$45,000 to $65,000 per year, based on experience, qualifications, and performance.

Benefits

• Comprehensive management training program
• Medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and long‑term disability insurance
• Retirement savings program with company matching contributions
• Generous paid time off
• Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day
• Corporate Chaplains program for employees and their families

About Demos’ Restaurant

The Demos family’s restaurant history began in 1943, when nine‑year‑old Jim Demos started working alongside his father, Pete, in their small family‑owned restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama. That tradition continues today through handmade food, generous portions, honest value, and memorable service. At Demos’, we believe every customer and employee should be treated with genuine care.

To learn more about Demos’ Restaurant, visit www.demosrestaurants.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.