Cook I

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA) with 401k

Paid Vacation & Sick Time

Paid Parental Leave

Company-Paid Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Hotel Discounts

Educational Assistance

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation is seeking a friendly, detail-oriented Cook to prepare and present high-quality meals for restaurant service, banquets, and events. You’ll work in a fast-paced kitchen, collaborating with a culinary team to ensure consistency and guest satisfaction.

Ideal candidates have a background in food preparation, strong teamwork, and a passion for hospitality. Flexible scheduling including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays is required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Experience in cooking in a fast-paced kitchen is preferred.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation is expected.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes and standards.
• Support daily kitchen operations across restaurant, banquets, and events.
• Assist with food prep, plating, and station setup.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of workstations.
• Follow food safety regulations and HACCP guidelines.
• Collaborate with chefs and F&B staff to deliver guest experiences.

Skills

Cooking

Food preparation

Kitchen teamwork

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

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

• 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.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.