Culinary Operations Manager

Fresh Kitchen; Saint Petersburg (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Fresh Kitchen is hiring a Culinary Operations Manager for our St. Pete location.

You will be the primary leader of the back-of-house, coaching stations, building systems for speed, consistency, and quality, and ensuring they run like a well-oiled team each shift. You will report to the Managing Partner and partner with the Assistant Culinary Manager and Restaurant Operations Manager to align BOH execution with FOH flow and catering online orders.

Qualifications

• 5+ years management experience required.
• Bilingual in Spanish is highly preferred but not required.
• Strong leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead back-of-house teams to uphold quality, consistency, and speed.
• Drive cost controls, inventory accuracy, yields, and waste reduction.
• Create smart schedules and deploy the right people in the right places.
• Collaborate with ACM and Managing Partner to align BOH with FOH flow and online orders.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

People management

Coaching

Inventory management

Job description

OWN THE FOOD. HOLD THE STANDARD. BUILD THE TEAM. DRIVE RESULTS.

ABOUT FRESH KITCHEN

Fresh Kitchen is redefining what “fast food” can be: real food, made from scratch, with ingredients and standards you can feel good about. That means 100% pure olive oil (no seed oils), hand-cut veggies, antibiotic & hormone-free meats, responsibly sourced seafood and 100% gluten-free recipes. We call it Good Food Forever.

Our vision is big: 100 remarkable restaurants by 2034. We’re building a brand that’s as serious about people and culture as we are about food quality and performance, and we’re looking for leaders who want to build something that lasts.

*WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR OUR ST PETE LOCATION. BILINGUAL IN SPANISH IS HIGHLY PREFERRED BUT NOT REQUIRED**

THE ROLE

As a Culinary Operations Manager, you are the primary leader of the back-of-house and accountable for:

• People + Culture (BOH staffing, coaching, accountability, training, team development)
• Cost + Controls (inventory accuracy, pars, yields, waste reduction)
• Labor + Deployment (smart schedules, right people in the right places)

You lead the kitchen team and set the tone for BOH standards every shift. You’re not a “back office” manager. You’re hands-on, coaching stations in real time, and building systems that support speed, consistency, and quality and make great shifts repeatable.

You report to the Managing Partner and partner closely with your Assistant Culinary Manager and the Restaurant Operations Manager to align BOH execution with FOH flow and online ordering and catering volume. You operate like an owner of your kitchen: disciplined, organized, people-first, and always raising the bar.

WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE

Incredible Food, Every Bowl, Every Shift. You’re the guardian of the product, and you make quality feel automatic.

• Food is consistent: same taste, same standard - every time
• Peak periods run fast and clean: speed + accuracy without corners cut
• Line checks are real (not a checkbox): pars, freshness, readiness are dialed
• The kitchen stays organized and flowing: stations set, tools where they belong, no scramble
• Recipes, prep specs, portioning, and handling are executed exactly as designed

You build the kitchen culture: high standards, high performance, high trust.

• BOH team members get coached in the moment and know exactly what “great” is
• Schedules and deployment set the team up to win the shift (right people, right places)
• Expectations don’t drift -- feedback is clear, consistent, and followed through
• Hiring, onboarding, and training are strong in partnership with the ACM + Managing Partner
• Bench strength is visible: you’re developing future culinary leaders (not just filling shifts)
• The kitchen feels like accountability + pride + ownership, not chaos
• Training initiatives and menu rollouts land smoothly because you know how to execute change

You run a kitchen that’s disciplined, inspection-ready and cost-smart, without sacrificing quality or ops.

• Inventory is accurate, pars are clean, and ordering is disciplined
• Food cost is controlled through yields, prep systems, and waste reduction
• Smallwares and equipment are organized, maintained, and never “mysteriously missing”
• BOH audits and food safety checks happen regularly, and gaps get closed fast
• Health, safety, and sanitation standards are upheld every day
• The kitchen is always inspection-ready
• BOH execution stays aligned to FOH flow and online ordering/catering volume
• You proactively spot and fix efficiency bottlenecks (flow, labor, prep timing, station setup)

OUR LEADERSHIP VIBE

• High standards + high heart.You lead with care and accountability - through our values.
• Coach in the moment…before it becomes a habit.
• Systems matter. You build routines that make great shifts repeatable.
• You don’t just manage the kitchen…you energize it.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

• 5+ years management experience as a