Cook

First Watch; Salem (VA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Meal discount for you and family

401(k) retirement savings

PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Employee assistance program

Calm App premium access

Job summary

First Watch in Salem, VA is hiring for cooks who thrive in a fast-paced, team-driven kitchen. The role emphasizes no night shifts and a YOU FIRST culture that values employees and quality service for breakfast, brunch, or lunch guests.

We offer strong perks and a welcoming team where you’ll learn recipes and work with fresh ingredients in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced kitchen.
• Ability to follow recipes and Chef directions.
• Maintain high sanitation and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe station.
• Support other kitchen staff to ensure timely service.

Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Food safety

Fast-paced kitchen

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Kitchen equipment

Job description

In addition to no night shifts ever, and our fully chef-curated menu, our #1 priority has always been our people. We care about our customers, and we care about you! That’s where our YOU FIRST culture begins – each day, we put our employees first and strive to make them happy. They are empowered with independence to make decisions that will help provide an exceptional breakfast, brunch, or lunch experience for their customers. In fact, we like to say we love our employees more than bacon. And that says a lot.

A Few of The Perks (and not just the coffee!)

All employees are eligible for the following:

• Health Insurance*
• Unlimited access to medical and behavioral telemedicine through Cirrus MD
• Flexible Spending Account - set aside money for health care expenses*
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account - set aside money for dependent care for children up to age 13*
• 401(K) Retirement Savings Program
• 50% meal discount for you, along with spouse / dependent children at all company restaurants
• Child Discount Program at The Learning Experience
• Employee Assistance Program and personal / professional coaching
• Bright Horizon - back up child and elder care
• Supplemental Insurance (accident, critical illness, indemnity)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) - must meet the minimum hourly requirements
• Tuition Reimbursement & High School Diploma Program
• Spot Pet Insurance
• Complimentary premium access to the Calm App, plus 5 gift subscriptions
• Perks at Work (over 30,000 discounts on purchases for travel, fitness, auto event tickets & more)

*FT Employees are eligible the first of the month after 60 days of employment and must enroll within 30 days of employment.

About The Position

Our Back-of-the-House team members have a mutual respect for quality food, and they perform their responsibilities as if placing a personal signature on every plate. Newly hired cooks will train in a specific station based on their comfort level & innate skill. In other words, you don’t need to master the art of flipping an egg to work at First Watch (unless you want to!)

Does this sound like you? Our Cooks (just to name a few):

• Communicate well with others and believe in the importance of teamwork
• Are responsible for delivering high-quality, safe food in a fast-paced kitchen
• Follow our amazing recipes (yep - our Chef is an award winner!) & use only the freshest ingredients
• Maintain a clean, sanitized, and organized station