Executive Chef

Chateau Royale; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Chateau Royale, a soon-to-open restaurant in Denver, is seeking an Executive Chef to lead back-of-house operations. This foundational role requires expertise in French cooking and strong leadership skills, aimed at creating a unique dining experience. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years in a culinary leadership position and a commitment to high standards of quality.

Benefits

Competitive salary with performance-based bonuses

Dining privileges

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in a senior culinary leadership role.
• Experience in fine dining and high-volume environments.
• Strong understanding of food costing and labor management.

Responsibilities

• Lead all back-of-house operations and collaborate on culinary direction.
• Manage vendor relations and maintain food cost percentages.
• Hire, train, and manage the kitchen staff.

Skills

Expertise in French technique

Seasonal sourcing

Refined plating

Food costing

Labor management

Operational efficiency

Job description

Chateau Royale is a soon-to-open restaurant in the heart of Greenwich Village, created by the acclaimed team behind Libertine. Set in a former townhouse, Chateau Royale is a love letter to midcentury, nostalgic New York French cuisine—where elegance meets energy in a space that celebrates timeless hospitality.

We are seeking a highly skilled, hands-on Executive Chef to help bring this vision to life. This is a foundational leadership role for someone passionate about refined technique, exceptional ingredients, and running a tight, ambitious kitchen.

About the Role :

The Executive Chef will lead all back-of-house operations and collaborate with ownership on shaping the restaurant’s culinary direction. The Chef will be responsible for translating that vision into consistently excellent execution through codified systems, kitchen leadership, and high standards of quality and consistency.

This is a chance to help create something enduring and exceptional in New York dining—a kitchen that reflects skill, warmth, and integrity, from the ground-up.

Key Responsibilities :

• Recipe Development : Create, codify, and standardize all dish recipes and plating; collaborate with ownership on overall menu development.
• Systems & Costing : Implement and maintain systems for purchasing, inventory, food costing, and recipe management.
• Vendor Relations : Manage and regularly renegotiate vendor relationships to ensure consistent quality and favorable pricing.
• Financial Accountability : Maintain predetermined food and labor cost percentages; monitor BOH spending and efficiency.
• Minimize Waste : Develop sustainable practices to reduce food waste without compromising quality.
• Service Leadership : Work in the kitchen as Expeditor and / or a station at least 4 shifts per week, modeling precision, urgency, and calm leadership during service, while upholding our food and execution standards.
• Team Building : Hire, train, and manage subordinate chefs and all back-of-house team members; cultivate a kitchen culture of excellence, accountability, and mentorship.
• Quality Control : Uphold impeccable ingredient and dish quality from receiving, to prep, to every station on the line, during every service.

Qualifications :

• Minimum 5 years in a senior culinary leadership role (Executive Sous or Executive Chef) in a fine dining environment; high-volume experience is a strong advantage.
• Expertise in French technique, seasonal sourcing, and refined plating.
• Proven ability to build, train, and manage a cohesive, high-performing kitchen team.
• Strong understanding of food costing, labor management, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborative, decisive, and deeply invested in hands-on leadership.
• Humility, and a lack of ego. We are craftspeople, not artists.

Compensation & Benefits :

• Competitive salary with performance-based bonuses
• Dining privileges and professional development opportunities

Opening Summer 2025 – join us in creating something extraordinary from the ground up.