Esquire Sushi Cook

M Street Entertainment Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Life insurance

AD&D

Employee Assistance Program

Paid time off

Sick and Safe Leave

Bereavement leave

Job summary

Esquire is a 265-seat luxury steakhouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast offering Japanese precision with French technique. The sushi program is executed alongside the Lead Sushi Chef, featuring nigiri, sashimi and daily fresh fish from global sources.

Onboarding and training are planned to begin mid-to-late October 2026, with potential schedule adjustments due to location readiness. Competitive hourly wages for a Back of House role are offered, plus comprehensive benefits and a robust tip-pool.

Qualifications

• 2+ years sushi or Japanese-kitchen experience; fine dining a plus.
• Knife skill and fish-handling fundamentals; cold-line food-safety discipline.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and execute nigiri, sashimi, and raw presentations to the Lead Sushi standard.
• Support daily fish receiving, fabrication, and the in-house fish-aging program.
• Hold impeccable cold-line food safety and station cleanliness.
• Keep the sushi station stocked and service-ready.

Skills

Sushi experience

Knife skills

Fish handling

HACCP cold-line

Job description

• Pay or shift range: $23 USD to $28 USD. The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.
• Back of House
• Full-Time
• Requisition #: ESQUI001127

Description

Location: 58 East Oak Street, Gold Coast, Chicago, IL Employment type: Full-time Classification: Hourly, non-exempt Reports to: Sushi Chef - Main Dining (Lead Sushi)

Why Esquire

Esquire is a 265-seat luxury steakhouse in Chicago’s Gold Coast where Japanese precision meets French technique — anchored by an elite Wagyu and seafood program, a four-level Wine Tower, the OakShō omakase counter, and the invitation-only Maison 58. We hold an uncompromising standard and hire people who want to set it, not just meet it. Esquire is operated by M Street Collective, the group behind Nashville’s Virago, Moto, Kayne Prime, and Saint Añejo.

Onboarding and training is estimated to begin mid-to-late October 2026. Because our permanent location is wrapping up construction, the initial onboarding and training may be adjusted. We will provide the exact address and finalized dates at least two weeks before training begins.

The Role

Executes the dining-room sushi and raw program alongside the Lead Sushi Chef — nigiri, sashimi, and raw presentations built from globally sourced, daily-arriving fish. Quality and consistency at sushi-service volume.

What You’ll Do

• Prepare and execute nigiri, sashimi, and raw presentations to the Lead Sushi standard.
• Support daily fish receiving, fabrication, and the in-house fish-aging program.
• Hold impeccable cold-line food safety and station cleanliness.
• Keep the sushi station stocked and service-ready.

What You Bring

• 2+ years sushi or Japanese-kitchen experience; fine dining a plus.
• Knife skill and fish-handling fundamentals; cold-line food-safety discipline.

Certifications & Requirements

• Illinois Food Handler — REQUIRED. ANAB-accredited food-handler certificate within 30 days of hire; renew every 3 years. (Waived for holders of a current CFPM.)
• Raw-fish handling — supports cold-line HACCP controls (including parasite-destruction/freezing records) under the Lead Sushi Chef, per the Illinois Food Code.

Compensation — Pay Scale

$23.00–$28.00 per hour · eligible for BOH tip-pool share. Good‑faith figure; the final offer is confirmed in writing.

Eligible team members receive group medical, dental, and vision insurance (the Company pays part of the premium), a 401(k) plan, Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, and a confidential Employee Assistance Program. Time off includes Paid Time Off for eligible salaried positions, Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave, and paid bereavement leave, plus the protected leaves required by federal and Illinois law (FMLA, VESSA, military, jury, and voting). Tipped roles also share the tip pool (a good‑faith estimate, not a guaranteed wage). Final plan details and eligibility are confirmed in the written offer.

Held to Esquire’s four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and the five universal competencies: professionalism, teamwork, growth mindset, excellence, and hospitality.

About Esquire

Esquire is a modern luxury steakhouse on Oak Street in Chicago’s Gold Coast — Japanese precision built on a French foundation, anchored by an elite Wagyu program and a seafood-and-sushi program that earns equal billing. Across a 265-seat dining room, a four-level ~5,000-bottle Wine Tower, the Trophy Room, the invitation-only 58 Club, and the OakShō omakase counter, it delivers omotenashi-inspired hospitality and culinary theater in a vintage-Hollywood setting.

About M Street Collective

M Street Collective is the hospitality group behind Esquire, with operations in Nashville and Chicago. Built on four pillars — quality, consistency, hospitality, and innovation — and a commitment to innovation, leadership development and world‑class training, the Collective creates restaurants and experiences defined by an uncompromising standard and genuine, anticipatory care.

M Street Collective is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race (including traits associated with race under the CROWN Act), color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or family‑responsibilities status, disability, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, arrest or conviction record (as limited by law), credit history, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, Illinois, or Chicago law. Consistent with the Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, we do not ask about criminal history on the application, and we do not ask about salary history. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities, for pregnancy and related conditions, and for religious observance — contact People Operations. This position is performed in Chicago, Illinois.

Experience

Required

2 years: Sushi or Japanese-kitchen experience; fine dining a plus

Licenses & Certifications

Required

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.