Director of Culinary Operations

ONPOINT Business Solutions, LLC; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbus Tavern Group is seeking a Director of Culinary Operations to shape our food program across multiple bars and restaurants in Columbus. You will lead menu development, ensure quality and consistency, and work closely with kitchen teams, management, and marketing to elevate guest experiences.

This builder role requires creating systems, standards, and training to enable rapid growth while maintaining food safety and cost controls.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading kitchen operations in high-volume bars/restaurants as a senior culinary leader.
• Strong understanding of bar-food trends and pairings with drinks.
• Ability to lead, train, and manage diverse kitchen teams.
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and cost control.
• Excellent communication with collaborative, no-drama decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary support and coach for kitchen managers across locations, in the field during peak volume.
• Recruit, train, and mentor kitchen staff; build SOPs, training materials, and quality-control systems.
• Develop and evolve the menu, including seasonals and event-driven specials.
• Lead culinary execution for new openings, including setup, training, recipes, and staffing.
• Maintain consistency and food safety standards across locations.
• Manage food and labor costs; build KPIs to track performance.
• Build relationships with distributors and vendors for cost savings and consistency.
• Partner with bar, management, and marketing to align food with drinks and events.
• Work closely with ownership and leadership team.

Skills

Leadership

Training & mentoring

Communication

Team building

Cost control

Vendor management

Education

Culinary degree

Job description

OnPoint is partnering with Columbus Tavern Group in a search to locate their next Director of Culinary Operations. As Culinary Director, you'll have the opportunity to shape the food experience at some of the best bars and restaurants in Columbus — leading menu development, ensuring quality and consistency, and working closely with kitchen teams, management, and marketing to create a food program that keeps guests coming back.

The opportunity

Columbus Tavern Group has succeeded for over 15 years on the strength of its concept, its culture, and its people, and is now ready to invest seriously in its kitchens. As a growing brand with new locations already in the works, this segment of the business is only going to matter more.

This is a builder's role. The systems, standards, and training that will make consistency possible across a growing footprint don't fully exist yet — the right person gets to create them, not just maintain them.

What you'll do

• Serve as the primary support and coach for the company's kitchen managers across a growing footprint of locations — spending the bulk of your week in the field, not behind a desk, helping locations run smoothly during peak volume and stepping in when they need backup.
• Recruit, train, and mentor kitchen staff, fostering a positive, team-oriented culture, and build the SOPs, training materials, and quality-control systems this kitchen organization is currently missing — partnering closely with the company's training manager to roll them out.
• Develop and evolve the menu — including seasonal and event-driven specials that fit the sports bar atmosphere — thoughtfully, and in step with what the kitchens can actually execute well.
• Lead culinary execution for new restaurant openings, including kitchen setup, training, recipes, staffing support, and location opening operations.
• Own consistency and quality across every location, so a dish tastes the same on a Tuesday afternoon as it does during a sold-out football Saturday, while maintaining food safety and sanitation standards company-wide.
• Manage food and labor costs, optimizing efficiency without sacrificing quality, and build the reporting/KPIs to keep performance visible.
• Build strong relationships with distributors and vendors while identifying opportunities for improved purchasing leverage, product consistency, and cost savings.
• Partner with bar, management, and marketing teams to align food offerings with drink specials, promotions, and events, and gather and apply guest feedback to keep improving the experience.
• Work directly and collaboratively with ownership.

Who you are

• Organized and detail-driven. You notice the small inconsistencies others miss, and you don't just flag them — you build the process that prevents them next time.
• Warm and people-first. Kitchen teams follow you because they trust you, not because they have to. You know how to bring people onboard, coach them up, and make a kitchen culture feel good to work in.
• Driven to move things forward. You're not waiting for permission to fix what's broken, but you also know this is a collaborative company — you loop people in, build buy-in, and ensure that leadership is informed and onboard.
• A team-builder, not a solo operator. You're building a team that can build a team — this only works if the people under you are growing too.

Multi-unit experience is a strong plus. Candidates from outside Columbus are welcome to apply.

Qualifications

Required:

• Proven experience leading kitchen operations in a high-volume bar/restaurant environment, as a Culinary Director, Director of Culinary Operations, Regional Kitchen Manager, or similar leadership role.
• Strong understanding of bar food trends and how to pair food with drinks.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, train, and manage diverse kitchen teams.
• Working knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and cost control.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with a collaborative, no-drama approach to decision-making.

Preferred:

• Experience managing kitchens across multiple locations.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional training.
• Strong vendor and inventory management experience.
• Background in event-driven menu planning for game days, promotions, and specials.

Why this role

• A true partnership with ownership. Founders are involved in the business — this isn't a "here are the keys" role on day one. As trust is built, expect real autonomy and ownership over your area to grow accordingly.
• A growth story. This is one of the few concepts in its category actually expanding right now, with new locations already in motion.
• Impact from day one. For most of this company's history, its kitchens have been secondary to bar operations. The person in this seat has a genuine chance to change that and be recognized for it.
• Direct access to ownership. This team works closely together — leadership meetings, day-to-day problem-solving, and a founder relationship with an open-door.
• Performance-based bonus on top of a competitive base salary.