Executive Chef

Salted Melon; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts

Job summary

Salted Melon is seeking an experienced Executive Chef to lead our culinary team and deliver a fresh, health-forward menu with consistent quality and guest satisfaction.

The role focuses on building a cohesive team culture, operational excellence, and continuous kitchen improvement in a fast-paced environment. Expect 50 hours per week, with opportunities for growth and competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• 3 years of kitchen management experience preferred.
• Experience hiring, training, and supervising kitchen staff.
• ServeSafe or Food Handler's certification (or willingness to attain).
• Willing to work days, nights, holidays, and weekends.
• Ability to lift 25+ lbs.
• Strong leadership and communication skills; ability to collaborate with management.
• Results-oriented, customer-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire the culinary team to perform at their best.
• Recruit, hire, train, and develop kitchen staff.
• Foster a positive, accountable, and team-oriented culture.
• Conduct regular meetings and ongoing training to support growth and alignment.
• Oversee all daily kitchen operations to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Execute recipes and procedures to brand standards.
• Maintain smooth service flow and complete duties within shifts.
• Meet or exceed food cost and labor budgets through proactive scheduling and cost control.

Skills

Kitchen management

Leadership

Team development

Staff coaching

Food safety

Problem solving

Customer focus

Tools

ServeSafe Certification

Job description

Salted Melon's welcoming vibrant atmosphere starts with our team members. We need enthusiastic, hardworking, and knowledgeable people to help welcome the Salted Melon brand. If you love healthy food with natural ingredients served in a fun-loving fast-paced environment, look no further!

Job Summary

Salted Melon is seeking an experienced and passionate Executive Chef to lead our culinary team and help bring our fresh, healthy, and flavor-forward menu to life. This role is responsible for building a strong, cohesive team culture while delivering consistent food quality, operational excellence, and an outstanding guest experience.

The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, values natural ingredients, and is committed to developing people, maintaining high standards, and continuously improving kitchen operations.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and inspire the culinary team to perform at their best
• Recruit, hire, train, and develop kitchen staff
• Foster a positive, accountable, and team-oriented culture
• Conduct regular meetings and ongoing training to support growth and alignment

Operations & Execution

• Oversee all daily kitchen operations to ensure consistency and efficiency
• Execute recipes and procedures to brand standards
• Maintain smooth service flow and complete all duties within scheduled shifts
• Work an average of 50 hours per week, including peak business periods

Food Quality & Standards

• Prepare and oversee the creation of fresh, high-quality dishes using natural ingredients
• Establish and uphold food preparation standards and best practices
• Ensure every plate reflects Salted Melon's commitment to quality and presentation
• Manage inventory, purchasing, receiving, and storage
• Conduct monthly inventory counts
• Order products and maintain proper stock levels
• Meet or exceed food cost and labor budgets through proactive scheduling and cost control

Cleanliness, Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary kitchen environment
• Ensure strict adherence to Health Department regulations
• Maintain a health inspection score of 95 or higher
• Champion food safety and workplace safety standards
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and increase efficiency
• Implement operational improvements and best practices
• Develop short- and long-term culinary goals to elevate performance and guest satisfaction

Requirements

• · 3 years of kitchen management experience preferred
• · Team player who works well with others
• · ServeSafe or Food Handler's certification (or must be willing to attain)
• · Willing to work days, nights, holidays, and weekend as needed.
• · Ability to lift 25+ lbs
• · Proven track record of managing a kitchen team, with experience in hiring, training, and supervising kitchen staff
• · Strong leadership a communication skill, with to ability to work collaboratively with the management team
• · Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills, results-oriented, and customer-focused

Compensation: $80,000.00 per year

Join the Salted Melon Team!

Salted Melon Market & Eatery is a place to start, spend, and end the day. Our all-day menu is the heart of it - breakfast and lunch favorites, salads, bowls, sandwiches and wraps, alongside coffee and espresso, smoothies, and house-baked goods, served morning, noon, and night.

The vibe starts with our team

Hospitality is the part of this business we care most about getting right, and it shows up in the small things - learning a guest's name and their order, taking time to answer a real question about the menu, treating a regular and a first-timer with the same warmth. We hear it constantly in our reviews: guests come back for the food, but they tell their friends about our teams.

That food is made from scratch, with fresh, natural ingredients and real knife work behind it. If you want a kitchen where you actually cook, move at a real pace, and put out food you would be glad to eat yourself, this is that room.

Who we are looking for

We need enthusiastic, hardworking, knowledgeable people across every role - front of house, kitchen, espresso bar, bakery, and management. The ones who thrive here genuinely like people, move fast without dropping their standards, know the menu cold, and jump in for a teammate without being asked.

Restaurant experience is a plus, not a requirement. We hire for attitude and train for skill.

What you get from us

Hands-on training from day one. Managers who work the floor next to you. Real room to grow - several of our leaders started in entry-level roles. Schedules that respect your life outside of work. Shift meals and team discounts.

If that sounds like your kind of place, check out our open roles below. We read every application.

At Salted Melon, our team is the heart of everything we do, so we make sure you're taken care of too. Eligible team members enjoy medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, commuter benefits, and employee discounts. We also invest in your growth with hands-on training and real opportunities to advance, whether you're just getting started or building a career in food and hospitality.