Food Service Lead

Breeden's Orchard; Mount Juliet (TN); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Breeden's Orchard is seeking a seasonal Food Service Lead to help manage daily kitchen operations and lead our food service team during peak seasons.

You will train staff, prepare menu items, and ensure a guest‑focused, high‑quality farm‑to‑plate experience while collaborating with the Food & Beverage Director and General Manager. This role requires strong organization and reliability, with weekend and holiday availability.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in food service or kitchen leadership.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail.
• Excellent time management and teamwork abilities.
• Commitment to quality, cleanliness, and guest service.
• Familiarity with food safety standards and best practices.
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and peak seasonal hours.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen operations and food preparation.
• Prepare and cook menu items while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Train, support, and supervise seasonal kitchen staff.
• Manage busy weekend/service periods for timely, efficient service.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized kitchen.
• Assist with opening and closing duties and inventory control.
• Coordinate with other departments to support events.
• Foster a positive, guest-focused work environment.
• Promote safety programs to minimize liabilities.

Skills

Food service leadership

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Attention to detail

Food safety knowledge

Weekend/holiday availability

Job description

We’re looking for a seasonalFood Service Leadto help manage daily kitchen operations and help lead our food service team during our busiest seasons. You’ll prepare great food, support and train team members, and help ensure every guest has an excellent experience. You will work closely with our Food & Beverage Director and General Manager.

Responsibilities

• Help lead daily kitchen operations and food preparation.
• Prepare and cook menu items while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Train, support, and supervise seasonal kitchen staff.
• Help lead the kitchen team to ensure timely and efficient service during busy visitor days.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized kitchen.
• Help manage inventory and keep the kitchen stocked.
• Assist with opening and closing duties.
• Work with other departments to support busy weekends, festivals, and special events.
• Help create a positive, efficient, and guest-focused work environment.
• Promote the Accident Prevention Program to minimize liabilities and related expenses.
• Engage with guests by educating them about the ingredients and processes used.

Experience

• Proven experience in food service or kitchen leadership.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.
• Commitment to quality, cleanliness, and great customer service.
• Familiarity with food safety standards and best practices for hygiene in food preparation.
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and peak seasonal hours.
• Excellent communication skills to interact with guests and provide a true farm-to-plate experience.

Abilities

• Lifting, pushing, pulling and carrying: These functions are essential primarily because of the heavy production and need to lift food cases (weighing up to 50 lbs.) as well as food and small equipment. Pushing and pulling carts is required. Periodic climbing required.
• Bending/kneeling: Regular bending to lift items and supplies. Periodic kneeling.
• Mobility: Full range of mobility and the ability to travel 30-50 feet on a regular basis throughout the day.
• Continuous standing: During preparation, during service hours or during expediting, usually all day.
• Hearing: Must have moderate hearing to hear equipment timers and communicate with other staff.
• Vision: Must have excellent vision to see that product is prepared appropriately.
• Comprehension skills: Must have moderate comprehension and literacy to read use records and all special requests.

Competencies

• Dealing with Ambiguity:Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.

• Compassion:Genuinely cares about people; is concerned about their work and non-work problems; is available and ready to help; is sympathetic to the plight of others not as fortunate; demonstrates real empathy with the joys and pain of others.

• Composure:Is cool under pressure; does not become defensive or irritated when times are tough; is considered mature; can be counted on to hold things together during tough times; can handle stress; is not knocked off balance by the unexpected; doesn’t show frustration when resisted or blocked; is a settling influence in a crisis.

• Interpersonal Skills:Relates well to all kinds of people – up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can defuse even high-tension situations comfortably.

• Competitive hourly wage based on experience

• Flexible hours, including weekends and holidaysduring non-peakseasons.

• Leadership opportunity in a growing destination farm.

• Fun, energetic team environment.

• The chance to create memorable experiences for thousands of guests each season.