Executive Chef

550; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Executive Chef for 550 Madison ("EC") oversees all culinary operations, execution, and quality control across 550 properties, ensuring guest experiences meet Gracious Hospitality Management (GHM) standards. The role leads BOH facilities, staff development, safety, sanitation, and brand-aligned menu programming.

The EC collaborates with senior leaders and R&D to drive menu innovation, SOPs, and high service standards, while maintaining financial health and growth across the portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Support world-class teams, including hiring and retaining top talent to enable great customer experiences.
• Create systems and standards to improve culinary operations and business performance across the portfolio.
• Improve the customer dining experience across the portfolio.
• Provide strong, visible leadership with mentorship and by example.
• Collaborate with top chefs to shape 550's culinary program, promote the brand, and maximize profitability.
• Develop and implement new menu items with local and seasonal ingredients; test recipes with R&D Chef and implement SOPs.
• Develop menu specials with internal and external chefs for events.
• Inspect and audit operations, implementing sustainable improvements across all 550 properties.
• Establish structured updates reporting to the VP of Operations weekly, monthly, quarterly.
• Ensure culinary team is educated on products and services.
• Maintain adherence to recipes and procedures to ensure top quality.
• Directly manage each property's Chef de Cuisine with clear direction.
• Facilitate cross-department communication at GHM and restaurant level.
• Promote safe work habits through training and oversight; document and resolve safety incidents.
• Uphold DoH standards with GMs and CDCs to correct violations and ensure long-term compliance.
• Ensure all licenses and permits are obtained and displayed per regulations.
• Plan and execute new location openings with timelines and budgets alongside VP of Operations.
• Enforce grooming and uniform standards for professional appearance.
• Support Marketing/PR in launches and activations.
• Plan and execute culinary activations for partnerships/events.
• Act as ambassador and face of the 550 brand.
• Collaborate with Director of Operations for kitchen-to-dining room execution.
• Participate in community events and CSR goals.
• Oversee profitability of the culinary program across all properties.
• Develop and manage budgets and financial reports.
• Train the culinary team to understand financial goals and tools.

Job description

Job Summary:

The Executive Chef for 550 Madison (\"EC\") is responsible for ensuring excellence in culinary operations, execution, and quality control. This role oversees all aspects of 550 culinary programming, including team development, culinary operations, and maintaining the highest standards of safety, sanitation, and quality. The EC also manages BOH facilities, fosters staff morale, and upholds the financial health and profitability of all Gracious Hospitality Management (\"GHM\") properties. Additionally, they ensure guests experience pristine restaurants and execute menu programming that aligns with GHM's high standards.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Job duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Key Responsibilities:

• Support world-class teams, including hiring and retaining top talent, with the goal of enabling those teams to create amazing customer experiences.


• Create systems, processes and standards to improve culinary operations and business performance across the portfolio as we continue to grow in size, complexity and geography.


• Relentlessly and creatively focus on improving the customer dining experience across the portfolio.


• Be a strong and visible leadership presence throughout the business. Lead through support, mentorship and by example.

Culinary Operations:

• Collaborates with Simon Kim and David Shim to make strategic decisions for 550's culinary program, promoting the brand, maximizing profitability, and upholding the highest service standards.


• Responsible for developing and implementing new menu items in accordance with local and seasonal ingredients. Collaborates with the R&D Chef to recipe test and execute SOPs.


• Collaborates with internal and external chefs to develop menu specials for in-house and external events.


• Regularly inspects and audits culinary operations, implementing sustainable, systematic improvements across all 550 properties.


• Establishes structured communication updates on 550's culinary activities, reporting to the VP of Operations on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.


• Ensures all culinary team members are well-educated on products and services.


• Maintains strict adherence to company recipes and procedures, ensuring the highest quality products are served.


• Directly manages each 550's property's Chef de Cuisine (CDC), providing clear and effective direction.


• Facilitates efficient and effective communication between and across departments at GHM and the restaurant level.


• Promotes and enforces safe work habits through training, education, and daily oversight, identifying and addressing potential safety hazards. Ensures proper documentation, investigation, and resolution of safety incidents.


• Establishes internal systems to uphold Department of Health standards, working with 550 GMs and CDCs to correct violations and implement long-term compliance measures.


• Ensures all required food service licenses and permits are obtained, maintained, and properly displayed in accordance with federal, state, and city regulations.


• Plays a key role in planning and executing new location openings, ensuring alignment with timelines, budgets, and operational requirements in collaboration with the VP of Operations.


• Enforces grooming and uniform standards, ensuring all staff maintain a professional appearance.


• Supports Marketing and PR teams in product launches, activations, and brand initiatives.


• Plans, staffs, and executes culinary activations for partnership and off-site events.


• Acts as the ambassador and \"face\" of the 550 brand.


• Works closely with the Director of Operations to ensure seamless kitchen-to-dining room execution at all properties.


• Participates in community events and contributes to achieving the company's corporate social responsibility goals.

Finance & Purchasing

• Oversees and is accountable for the profitability of the culinary program across all 550 properties.


• Develops, maintains, and utilizes daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual budgets, along with financial reporting tools.


• Trains the culinary team to understand financial goals and tools, driving results through their engagement.


• Iden