Cafe Chef: Lead Kitchen & Enlightened Hospitality

USHG; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Dining credit

Dining discount

Employee relief fund

Job summary

Union Square Hospitality Group seeks a Cafe Chef in Washington, DC to lead culinary operations with a focus on excellence, hospitality, and staff development. You will drive high-quality execution across BOH and FOH, uphold systems, and coach team members to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

In this role, you’ll partner with teams, manage kitchen operations, and ensure compliant, consistent service in a busy cafe setting.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in culinary/kitchen leadership and casual dining.
• Excellent food & beverage knowledge and proven passion for culinary excellence and exceeding guest expectations.
• Experience in training and developing Back of House Team members.
• Ability to communicate in a direct, respectful, and transparent manner across all teams.
• Understanding of Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.).
• Certification in a Hospitality-related field, or equivalent, preferred.
• English fluency and additional languages preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Consistently deliver a culture of Enlightened Hospitality to guests and team members.
• Partner with Front of House and Back of House team members to enforce systems, routines, and checklists the Daily Provisions way as well as deliver excellent guest experiences across all channels, including in-restaurant dining, third-party delivery, and catering.
• Collaborate with Facilities to maintain equipment and ensure clean, compliant, and inspection-ready kitchens according to ServSafe practices, HACCP logs, and allergen protocols.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain to ensure successful ordering, inventory, and product management.
• Own Back of House P&L: food cost, waste, labor, and inventory turn to consistently meet financial targets.
• Train and validate team members before they assume stations, doing thorough station checks each shift and leading tastings and presentations to educate the service team.
• Foster clear communication and a culture of professionalism and accountability with a focus on compliant HR practices and policies.
• Support and manage operations in front of house as needed.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Food & beverage knowledge

Team training

Communication skills

MS Office knowledge

English fluency

Multilingual (a plus)

Education

Hospitality-related certification

Job description

Union Square Hospitality Group seeks a Cafe Chef in Washington, DC to lead culinary operations with a focus on excellence, hospitality, and staff development. You will drive high-quality execution across BOH and FOH, uphold systems, and coach team members to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

In this role, you’ll partner with teams, manage kitchen operations, and ensure compliant, consistent service in a busy cafe setting.