Cook

Sonesta International Hotels; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account with Company 1x

401(k) Retirement Plan with Company 1x

Paid Vacation & Sick Time

Paid Parental Leave

Company-Paid Life Insurance

Disability insurance

Hotel Discounts

Educational Assistance

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels is seeking a Cook to join our fast-paced kitchen teams across restaurant service, banquets, and events. You will prepare and present menu items with consistency and care, while supporting daily operations and food safety standards.

The role emphasizes teamwork, pride in food preparation, and growth within our hospitality culture. Flexible availability for mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays is preferred.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous cooking/restaurant/hotel culinary experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food preparation techniques and sanitation.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes and safety standards.
• Support daily kitchen operations across restaurant service, breakfast, banquets, catering, and events.
• Assist with preparation tasks including chopping, prepping ingredients, plating, and station setup.
• Maintain consistency and presentation across all items and orders.
• Ensure cleanliness and organization of workstations and proper equipment use.
• Follow HACCP and health department requirements at all times.
• Collaborate with chefs and Food & Beverage staff to deliver guest experiences.

Skills

Food preparation

Teamwork

Communication

Organizational skills

Flexible schedule

Attention to detail

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

We’re People People. Are you?

We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast). With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be. But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What This Role Is All About

What this role is all about

Great food helps create great stays. As a Cook, you’ll play an important role in delivering fresh, high-quality meals and memorable dining experiences for our guests across restaurant service, banquets, catering, breakfast operations, and special events. This role is perfect for someone who enjoys working in a fast-paced kitchen environment, takes pride in food preparation, and loves being part of a collaborative culinary team. You’ll help prepare and present menu items with consistency, efficiency, and attention to detail while supporting smooth daily kitchen operations. If you’re dependable, team-focused, passionate about food, and ready to grow your culinary career in hospitality — we’d love to meet you.

What you’ll be doing

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes, portioning guidelines, presentation standards, and food safety requirements.
• Support daily kitchen operations across restaurant dining, breakfast service, banquets, catering, room service, and special events.
• Assist with food preparation tasks including chopping, prepping ingredients, cooking, plating, and station setup.
• Maintain consistency, quality, and presentation standards across all food items and guest orders.
• Ensure kitchen workstations remain clean, organized, stocked, and operational throughout shifts.
• Follow food safety regulations, sanitation standards, HACCP guidelines, and health department requirements at all times.
• Monitor food inventory levels and communicate supply or prep needs to culinary leadership.
• Operate kitchen equipment safely and properly including grills, fryers, ovens, slicers, mixers, and prep tools.
• Support banquet and catering functions by preparing food for meetings, events, weddings, and group dining experiences.
• Collaborate closely with chefs, kitchen team members, and Food & Beverage staff to deliver exceptional guest experiences.
• Assist with minimizing food waste, maintaining kitchen efficiency, and supporting operational goals.
• Help create a positive, safe, and team-focused kitchen environment aligned with Sonesta’s People People culture.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What Great Looks Like

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Previous cooking, restaurant, hotel, culinary, banquet, catering, or food service experience preferred.
• Knowledge of food preparation techniques, kitchen operations, food safety standards, and sanitation procedures.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen environment.
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to food quality, consistency, and presentation.
• Ability to follow recipes, prep schedules, and kitchen procedures accurately.
• Strong teamwork, communication, and organizational skills.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed in a hospitality environment.
• A passion for hospitality, teamwork, food preparation, and creating memorable dining experiences for guests.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

Pay ranges from $28.00 to $29.00 per hour. Base pay offered may vary depending on various factors including but not limited to job related knowledge, skills, and job specific experience/overall experience.

How We Reward You

At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means supporting your health, your financial future, and everything in between.

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation & Sick Time
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company-Paid Life Insurance
• Company-Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness & Accident Insurance
• Educational Assistance
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts (yes, you’ll want to use these)
• Additional Perks & Employee Discounts

Our Commitment to You

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.