Culinary Class Assistant — Inspire & Prep

CSC-Generatio; Kirkland (WA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K after 90 days; must be 21 years

Employee Discount

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Sur La Table in Washington state is seeking a Kitchen Assistant to support chefs, engage guests, and help run cooking classes with a guest-obsessed, team‑oriented mindset.

You will assist with mise en place, prep ingredients, clean and sanitize, restock supplies, and ensure food safety while delivering memorable experiences. This role requires flexible 12–16 hours weekly, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

• 1 year retail sales experience, preferred.
• 1 year food prep and/or kitchen operations experience, preferred.
• Valid Food Handlers Certification.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Passion for community engagement and providing exceptional customer experiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and retail systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Represent Sur La Table's brand and culture by creating memorable, educational experiences that inspire repeat visits and customer loyalty.
• Maintains expertise by staying current on products, actively engaging in available training, and independently seeking out additional resources.
• Ensure exceptional customer experience by leading a customer-focused, Guest Obsessed culture in both the kitchen and retail sales floor.
• Assist chefs with class execution that drives repeat visits and positive customer feedback
• Deliver class revenue goals by ensuring high enrollment, positive reviews, and guest return rates.
• Consistently meet or exceed monthly sales goals, contributing to overall store revenue.
• Assist in setting up and breakdown of classes including organizing mise en place, prepping ingredients, and cleaning workstations
• Clean and sanitize dishes and equipment promptly to ensure smooth kitchen operations.
• Assist with restocking, organizing, and maintaining kitchen supplies and tools to support overall store readiness
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards, local health codes, and sanitation regulations.
• Properly handle all tools, ingredients, and kitchen equipment to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
• Maintain accurate inventory levels, minimize shrink, and control supply and culinary expenses.
• May handle liquor, wine, and beer in compliance with state and location alcohol regulations, company policies, including enforcing age restrictions.
• Ensure store safety and cleanliness, addressing any maintenance needs promptly.
• Adhere to applicable wage and hour laws. Accurately records time worked according to SLT Policy.
• Model and ensure consistent adherence to all Sur La Table policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Ability to communicate verbally and work cooperatively with associates and customers
• Ability to remain standing for up to 4 hours at a time
• Ability to move about the store directing class participants while selling to customers and retrieving merchandise from stockroom or sales floor
• The capability to accurately perceive and differentiate variations in intensity or quality of flavors or odors, or to identify specific tastes or scents using the tongue or nose.
• Ability to grab, reach, push, pull, bend, stoop, kneel and crouch to demonstrate, retrieve and/or replenish merchandise and/or cooking equipment.
• Ability to use hands to seize, hold, grasp, turn, or otherwise to chop, whisk, slice, stir, juice and/or demonstrate other techniques.
• Ability to lift and/or move merchandise weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to ascend/descend ladders to retrieve and/or move merchandise
• Ability to operate a computer, POS system, keyboards, merchandise scanners and mouse to accomplish work
• Available to work between 12 and 16 hours per week, with a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Regular and predictable attendance with the flexibility to adjust class assignments based on demand.
• Ability to work in a variable kitchen environment included but not limited to open flames, hot surfaces, temperature variations, various food allergens both physical and airborne

Skills

Retail sales

Food prep

Food handler certification

Communication

Problem solving

Decision making

Customer experience

MS Office

Retail systems

Job description

Sur La Table in Washington state is seeking a Kitchen Assistant to support chefs, engage guests, and help run cooking classes with a guest-obsessed, team‑oriented mindset.

You will assist with mise en place, prep ingredients, clean and sanitize, restock supplies, and ensure food safety while delivering memorable experiences. This role requires flexible 12–16 hours weekly, including nights, weekends, and holidays.