Culinary Cook & Menu Development Lead

Brown Sugar Bakery; Gardena (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedule

Free uniforms

Training & development

Job summary

Sweet Like Brown Sugar Bakery in Gardena, CA, seeks an experienced Culinary Cook & Menu Development Lead to craft savory dishes for Friday specials and Belizean Sundays, while collaborating with the owner on new menu items.

The role emphasizes following established recipes, maintaining high quality and consistency, and contributing original culinary ideas in a hands-on kitchen setting.

Qualifications

• Professional cooking experience in a restaurant, catering operation, or commercial kitchen.
• Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, seasoning, and flavor development.
• Ability to prepare meals independently and consistently.
• Experience following established recipes and adapting to new recipes.
• Creativity and willingness to contribute original culinary ideas.
• Ability to collaborate, accept feedback, and work toward a shared vision.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to food quality.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Reliability and availability for Friday and Sunday operations.

Responsibilities

• Prepare flavorful, high-quality savory dishes for Friday specials and Belizean Sundays.
• Follow established recipes to ensure consistent taste, quality, seasoning, and presentation.
• Independently prepare meals using proper cooking techniques.
• Prepare marinades, sauces, spice blends, fillings, and other ingredients from scratch.
• Assist with advance food preparation, batch cooking, and portioning.
• Support catering orders, special events, and expanded food offerings as needed.
• Collaborate directly with the owner to develop new menu items and refine existing recipes.
• Document recipes with accurate ingredients, measurements, yields, and preparation instructions.
• Help create recipes that can be consistently reproduced by other kitchen staff.

Skills

Cooking techniques

Flavor development

Follow recipes

Collaboration

Creativity

Food safety

Friday & Sunday availability

Job description

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Free uniforms
• Training & development

NOW HIRING

Culinary Cook & Menu Development Lead

Sweet Like Brown Sugar Bakery

Location: 1758 W. El Segundo Blvd., Gardena, CA 90249

Employment Type: Part-Time, with Growth Potential

Schedule: Fridays and Sundays, plus preparation hours as needed

Compensation: Based on experience

About Us

Sweet Like Brown Sugar Bakery is a growing bakery and culinary business in Gardena, California, specializing in Southern-inspired desserts with Caribbean and Central American influences.

As we expand beyond our signature desserts, we are developing a savory food experience that celebrates bold flavors, cultural traditions, and creative cooking.

We currently feature Belizean Sundays and have introduced Friday food specials, with a long-term vision of expanding into a more comprehensive daily food menu.

We are seeking a talented, passionate, and creative cook who can help bring that vision to life.

Position Overview

We are looking for an experienced Culinary Cook & Menu Development Lead who knows how to cook, understands flavor, and takes pride in preparing exceptional food.

The ideal candidate brings their own culinary experience, original recipes, and creative ideas while also being willing to follow established recipes, learn new cooking techniques, and collaborate directly with the owner to develop and refine menu items.

We value someone who can balance creativity with consistency and who understands that successful menu development involves teamwork, experimentation, and a shared culinary vision.

This is a hands-on cooking position with opportunities to contribute to recipe development, menu expansion, and the future growth of our savory kitchen.

Our Culinary Direction

Our current and planned savory offerings include:

Belizean & Caribbean-Inspired Dishes

• Belizean Stew Chicken
• Rice & Beans
• Belizean Potato Salad
• Fried Plantains
• Garnaches
• Salbutes
• Panades
• Belizean Tamales
• Belizean Meat Pies
• Caribbean-inspired Rasta Pasta with shrimp and salmon

We are also interested in exploring additional Caribbean-inspired dishes, Southern comfort foods, creative fusion concepts, and seasonal specials.

Future Culinary Goals

As the business grows, we hope to expand into additional savory offerings, including a potential scratch-made pizza menu.

Experience preparing pizza dough, sauces, and handcrafted pizzas from scratch would be a wonderful bonus, but pizza-making experience is not required.

Key Responsibilities

Cooking & Food Preparation

• Prepare flavorful, high-quality savory dishes for Friday specials, Belizean Sundays, and other scheduled food services.
• Follow established recipes to ensure consistent taste, quality, seasoning, and presentation.
• Independently prepare meals using proper cooking techniques.
• Prepare marinades, sauces, spice blends, fillings, and other ingredients from scratch.
• Assist with advance food preparation, batch cooking, and portioning.
• Support catering orders, special events, and expanded food offerings as needed.

Recipe Development & Culinary Collaboration

• Collaborate directly with the owner to develop new menu items and refine existing recipes.
• Bring original recipes, culinary techniques, and creative food concepts to the business.
• Translate the owner's ideas and flavor preferences into finished dishes.
• Participate in recipe testing, tasting, and adjustments.
• Experiment with seasonings, marinades, sauces, and flavor combinations.
• Document recipes with accurate ingredients, measurements, yields, and preparation instructions.
• Help create recipes that can be consistently reproduced by other kitchen staff.
• Assist with ingredient costing, portion sizes, and menu planning.

Kitchen Operations

• Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary kitchen.
• Follow food safety, storage, and handling procedures.
• Monitor ingredient usage and help minimize food waste.
• Assist with inventory and ingredient preparation.
• Ensure food is prepared efficiently and ready for scheduled service.
• Collaborate with bakery employees and management to support daily operations.

Qualifications

Required

• Professional cooking experience in a restaurant, catering operation, commercial kitchen, or similar food-service environment.
• Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, seasoning, and flavor development.
• Ability to prepare meals independently and consistently.
• Experience following established recipes and adapting to new recipes.
• Creativity and willingness to contribute original culinary ideas.
• Ability to collaborate, accept feedback, and work toward a shared vision.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to food quality.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• Reliability and availability for Friday and Sunday operations.

Preferred — Not Required

• Experience preparing Caribbean, Central American, or Southern cuisine.
• Familiarity with Belizean cooking and traditional Belizean dishes.
• Experience with Jamaican, Trinidadian, Panamanian, or other Caribbean culinary traditions.
• Experience preparing Southern comfort food or soul food.
• Experience developing original recipes and menu concepts.
• Experience preparing large batches for catering or restaurant service.
• Experience making pizza dough, sauces, and handcrafted pizzas from scratch.
• Culinary training or formal culinary education.

Formal culinary education is not required. We value demonstrated cooking skills, creativity, flavor knowledge, and a willingness to learn.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who:

• Knows how to cook: Has strong culinary instincts and understands how to develop rich, balanced flavors.
• Brings something to the table: Has original recipes, signature dishes, and fresh culinary ideas.
• Respects our vision: Is comfortable following established recipes and collaborating with the owner.
• Is creative and adaptable: Enjoys experimenting with different ingredients, cuisines, and cooking techniques.
• Appreciates cultural cuisine: Has an interest in Caribbean, Belizean, Central American, and Southern food traditions.
• Takes initiative: Can work independently, stay organized, and help solve problems in the kitchen.
• Values consistency: Understands the importance of producing the same high-quality results for customers.
• Wants to grow: Is excited about helping develop a savory food program from its early stages.

Schedule & Growth Opportunities

This position will initially focus on Friday and Sunday food service, with additional preparation hours as needed.

As our savory food program expands, opportunities may become available for additional workdays, catering, menu development, and increased kitchen leadership responsibilities.

Our long-term goal is to build a distinctive food experience that complements our bakery while celebrating Southern, Caribbean, and Central American flavors.

Join Our Team

We are looking for more than someone who can simply follow a recipe. We want someone who is passionate about food, confident in their cooking abilities, excited to share ideas, and willing to work together to create something special.

If you love cooking, appreciate bold cultural flavors, and want to help shape a growing culinary brand, we'd love to hear from you!