Cafe Executive Chef

Hard Rock Cafe; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, DC is seeking an experienced Hospitality leader to direct kitchen operations and lead a high-performing Heart of House team. You will oversee budget alignment, food safety, and brand standards while mentoring cooks and support staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

The role requires strong budgeting, supervision, and communications skills, with a focus on staff development and process optimization across multiple kitchen stations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in hospitality industry.
• Possess all local food management and safety certifications.
• Strong leadership and people development skills.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate financial comprehension of Cafe’s budget and P&L.
• Effectively control costs of food and related purchases in alignment with budgeted expectations.
• Manage staff schedules in accordance with the cafe’s budget and forecast models.
• Maintain the highest standards of brand, local health, safety, and food preparation hygiene requirements.
• Support the team in consistent execution of all systems and processes to consistently deliver all products and services to brand standards.
• Support senior management in building a highly functional hourly team who share a common vision and values surrounding the overall success of the Cafe.
• Develop kitchen team in all aspects of kitchen execution from 100% recipe adherence to banquet service.
• Foster an environment of customer service in which all team members put the guest first in every situation.
• Execute established food standards for overall guest satisfaction that meet or exceed brand standards.
• Ensure the highest levels of hygiene and food handling practices to deliver optimal quality of product to guests.
• Attract and retain the most exceptionally talented culinary talent available in the market and place them in positions that leverage their skills and expertise for maximum impact.
• Clearly define goals and expectations for Heart of House hourly team members using performance review tools and hold your people accountable for successful performance.
• Support staff development and advancement along well-defined career paths.
• Manage a diverse team ensuring a balanced and proactive approach to increasing individual potential across the team
• Serve as a Culinary Learning Coach developing, implementing, and executing learning & development programs for all Heart of House employees in order to drive continuous improvement and employee
• Possess a self-motivated approach to his/her own personal and professional

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Food safety

Staff development

Communication

Problem solving

Team management

Multilingual (optional)

Education

Food safety certification

Job description

Our team members are the key to our company’s success, and their health and well-being, as well as that of their families, is very important to us. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that allows our team members stay healthy, plan for their future and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Benefits may vary with employment status. To see our fill list of Team Member Benefits please visit our career site: www.gotoworkhappy.com/benefits

Job Description

• Demonstrate financial comprehension of Cafe’s budget and P&L.
• Effectively control costs of food and related purchases in alignment with budgeted expectations.
• Manage staff schedules in accordance with the cafe’s budget and forecast models.
• Maintain the highest standards of brand, local health, safety, and food preparation hygiene requirements.
• Support the team in consistent execution of all systems and processes to consistently deliver all products and services to brand standards.
• Support senior management in building a highly functional hourly team who share a common vision and values surrounding the overall success of the Cafe.
• Develop kitchen team in all aspects of kitchen execution from 100% recipe adherence to banquet service.
• Foster an environment of customer service in which all team members put the guest first in every situation.
• Execute established food standards for overall guest satisfaction that meet or exceed brand standards.
• Ensure the highest levels of hygiene and food handling practices to deliver optimal quality of product to guests.
• Attract and retain the most exceptionally talented culinary talent available in the market and place them in positions that leverage their skills and expertise for maximum impact.
• Clearly define goals and expectations for Heart of House hourly team members using performance review tools and hold your people accountable for successful performance.
• Support staff development and advancement along well-defined career paths.
• Manage a diverse team ensuring a balanced and proactive approach to increasing individual potential across the team
• Serve as a Culinary Learning Coach developing, implementing, and executing learning & development programs for all Heart of House employees in order to drive continuous improvement and employee
• Possess a self-motivated approach to his/her own personal and professional

This job description reflects the position’s essential functions; it does not encompass all of the tasks that may be assigned.

Experience, Education, And Certifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry inclusive of restaurant culinary operations.
• Possess all local food management and safety certifications.

Skills

• Ability to learn and bring "out of the box" ideas to their team.
• Genuine enthusiasm and aptitude for food.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High level of business acumen and common sense.
• Demonstrates strong problem solving skills through ability to diagnose and implement solutions.
• Must possess strong communication and listening skills, excellent speaking, reading and writing.
• Comprehend and use technical or professional language, either written or spoken, to communicate complex ideas.
• Ability to effectively pitch and present information in one-on-one and group situations to media, customers, clients, partners and other employees of the organization.
• Multiple language abilities a plus, fluency in English required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to move throughout the corporate office and cafes during visits (standing, walking, kneeling, bending) for extended periods of time.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Ability to make repeating movements of the arms, hands, and wrists.
• Ability to express or exchange ideas verbally and perceive sound by ear.
• Manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and ability to work with hand above shoulders.
• Ability to occasionally, regularly, frequently move objects (lift, push, pull, balance, carry) up to 10 pounds.
• Ability to turn or twist body parts in a circular motion.
• Ability to tolerate exposure to heat, cold, chemicals, and loud/noisy environment.
• Ability to travel via auto or airplane for long periods of time.

Additional Requirements

• N/A

Closing

Hard Rock International is an equal opportunity employer. We live our motto LOVE ALL – SERVE ALL, and strive to foster an inclusive workplace culture for every team member. Hard Rock welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is the policy of Hard Rock to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of employment, including the application process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact a member of our Human Resources team.

Disclaimer

While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the current job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change, (e.g. emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs or technical developments).